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raised hopes of an end to entertainment recession, but caution
underpinned deals struck at this week's MIPCOM trade fair. 'It
seems the economic climate for broadcasting is picking up,' said
Christina Willoughby, who heads sales for Britain's leading
independent audiovisual distributor, DRG, or Digital Rights Group.
'The mood is buoyant and people are positive and more upbeat compared
with the Spring show,' she told AFP. There was also a higher
turnout of participants and programme buyers at the four-day show
that ended Thursday, said Laurine Garaude, of Reed MIDEM. But the
mood remained cautious, with buyers making conservative choices and
often opting for feel-good shows to cheer up viewers in tough times,
such as formats, family entertainment and comedy. Remakes of
successful classics such as 'The Prisoner' and proven dramas such as
Agatha Christie's 'Marple' or 'The Doc Martin' series also proved
popular. 'Sometimes you don't need to reinvent the wheel, there
are a lot of iconic shows about,' said Tobias de Graff, who heads
distribution at ITV Studios Global Entertainment, one of Europe' s
largest commercial TVs. 'Everything is ratings driven,' DRG's
Willoughby said. 'Everyone wants to see if it's worked, and where,
before committing.' Risk aversion combined with a taste for low-
cost productions meant formats were specially popular—with even
children's shows starting to be designed as formats that can be
adapted locally around the world. Format productions in the
2006-2008 period generated a whopping 9.3 billion euros, a 45 per
cent increase over 2002-2004, according to the Format Recognition and
Protection Association ( FRAPA). But a new trend is for formats
that address daily life rather than offer dream situations.
'Reality TV no longer promises the moon and the stars. Instead, it
addresses issues people are really concerned about and tries to come
up with solutions,' Bernard Villegas, director of consultantcy The
WIT, told AFP.
