The Buyers' Agenda - NZ
- Published: 15 October 2007 15:21
- Last Updated: 15 October 2007 15:21
Executives from the TV market in New Zealand reveal the types of shows and formats they want for their channels.
Tony Iffland
UK.TV chief executive
“UK.TV is aimed at a broad mainstream audience with a female skew. It is currently the number one general entertainment channel. At present, our most popular shows are The Catherine Tate Show, Green Wing, The Bill, Casualty, Holby City and Who Do You Think You Are?. We get a lot of our content from our shareholders, BBC Worldwide and Fremantle, but also work with all major UK distributors who have drama, comedy and entertainment. We want exclusive programming that will make UKTV a compelling destination and increase our reach.”
Travis Dunbar
Sky TV/Prime director of entertainment
“Prime has some success with edgy local shows like The Crowd Goes Wild. Internationally, we tend to buy completed shows and our main suppliers are US, UK or Australian-based. Midsomer Murders, Top Gear and Doctor Who are our top UK raters. At Mip, we will be looking for specifically targeted primetime content with a strong commercial focus and the potential to stand out. Dramas, comedies, documentaries, entertainment and gameshows will all be on our list. We are not looking for off-peak shows right now.”
Jane Wilson
TVNZ head of programming
“TV1’s top shows include Fair Go (consumer), Sunday (current UK.TV affairs), Cold Case (US drama) and Coronation Street. TV2’s include Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty and Lost. UK shows are increasingly important and we have acquired Torchwood, Primeval and The Catherine Tate Show. Brat Camp and Channel 4 documentaries have been successes. Local versions of Idol and Dancing With The Stars have worked well. At Mip, we are looking for UK drama, documentaries, comedy, popular
factual series and the next big hit!”
