MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide Channels has laid out its strategy for creating more original programmes for its international portfolio of channels.

New strategy for commissioning original content has the aim of reaching 100 hours in 2014. The twin track strategy will see orders for both Global and Local programme formats.

In 2012, the business is aiming for a threefold increase in the number of original hours ordered for BBC Knowledge, BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyle and UKTV (BBC Worldwide?s general entertainment channel in Australia and New Zealand). The roadmap developed by VP of commissioning Tracy Forsyth will see the business commissioning 100 hours a year by 2014 as the international portfolio diversifies from a largely acquisitions-based content pipeline.

Forsyth will have a twin track strategy for original programming; firstly to create global productions which will run in all markets including India and secondly, Local commissions targeting individual markets. Underlining the brief to producers is a requirement to match the quality of shows acquired from the BBC for BBC Worldwide?s international audiences.

BBC Worldwide Channels is seeking to make a long term investment in high volume formats with the potential to run up to 50 episodes. Forsyth?s brief to producers includes factual entertainment formats with strong British connectivity, which might be through talent, subject matter, or irreverent wit and humour, but still with a tangible takeaway for the audience.

BBC Worldwide Channels will be looking to fully fund and also co-produce projects, working with the independent production community as well as the BBC?s in-house production teams. In addition to ordering news shows from the BBC, Tracy Forsyth will commission international versions of some of the Corporation?s flagship shows, tailored for audiences outside the UK. Recent examples include Sport Relief Goes Global, a four hour extravaganza of comedy and entertainment hosted by Richard Hammond and Amanda Byram, and wildlife broadcast Planet Earth Live which was repackaged for viewers outside the UK on BBC Knowledge and BBC HD in May this year.

The commissioning strategy being implemented is part of Jana Bennett?s long term vision for the Channels business which she outlined in June 2011, shortly after her arrival as President BBC Worldwide Networks and Global BBC iPlayer, and builds on work begun David Weiland, SVP Programming and TV Channels to increase the number of originations for BBC Worldwide?s international audiences.

Worldwide Networks and Global BBC iPlayer, president Jana Bennett said, "I believe the addition of original commissions can play a key part to the ongoing success of our international portfolio of BBC-branded channels. We have already premiered a number of originations to a great reception from our audience and I?d like to build on this."

Forsyth said, "Since joining the business in January this year, I?ve been working with the regional programming teams within BBC Worldwide to clearly identify the gaps in our schedules that can?t be filled from our acquisitions pipeline. The new shows I am ordering will give the viewers of our BBC-branded channels around the world more of the quality British content and talent they love, in their first run, and tailor-made to suit their tastes.

"I look forward to working with independent producers as well as the BBC?s in-house teams to create a brand new slate of shows that will celebrate the best of British talent and creativity, and inform, educate and entertain audiences around the world."

In 2011, BBC Worldwide Channels aired over 20 hours of original programming including ?Year of Adventures? starring Ben Fogle for global audiences of BBC Knowledge, series one of ?Come Dine With Me South Africa? for BBC Entertainment in that market, and ?Some Say Love?, a comedy pilot for UKTV in Australia and New Zealand.

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has decided to carry out a major restructuring exercise that will come into effect from 1 October.

BBC Worldwide?s existing structure based around five global divisions, will now be reconfigured to geographic lines of management. Profit and loss ownership and primary commercial ccountability will move closer to its customers, across seven geographic regions: North America; UK;

Australia/New Zealand; Western Europe; Asia; Latin America; CEEMEA (Central and Eastern Europe; Middle East and Africa).

The aim: to further increase focus on international markets, enabling it to capture future growth opportunities around the world. At the same time, BBC Worldwide is creating new global roles to establish direction and consistency around content, editorial, brands, sales and digital.

As a fallout of the restructuring, Worldwide Networks and the Global BBC iPlayer president Jana Bennett has decided to leave BBC Worldwide later in the year.

Bennett said,?My time at BBC Worldwide has been exciting and stimulating. I am delighted to have grown the BBC?s international channel portfolio at a time when global markets are so highly
competitive and to have brought quality British programmes and events to new audiences around the world both through our worldwide networks and the Global BBC iPlayer pilot.

?This announcement about the new organisation of BBC Worldwide, with regions in future holding P&L responsibility, is an important step in securing the future growth of BBC Worldwide enabling it to compete more effectively in the global market and deliver increasing returns to the BBC. I was pleased to have played a significant role in the organisational design process and fully support the changes under John Smith?s leadership. However with the move of P&L responsibility under the new structure I feel this is a good moment for me to work outside BBC Worldwide.?

The increased focus on geographic markets will be balanced by global functions with a remit across all BBC Worldwide geographies and a close connection into BBC Worldwide?s parent, the BBC. These will be managed by three newly created areas of accountability across sales, brands and content globally:

• Chief Sales Officer will be responsible for global B2B customer relationships and fulfilment, including advertising sales, as well as ensuring best practice across the company in sales and deals, and management of global sales events such as BBC Worldwide Showcase.
• Chief Brands Officer will be responsible for the commercialisation of BBC Worldwide?s flagship channel and programme brands, and will have oversight of the company?s global marketing activity, as well as business development of new brands.
• BBC Worldwide is also creating a third area of accountability for Content. This area will drive the creative and commercial vision for BBC Worldwide?s content strategy and will cover BBC Worldwide?s content and IP acquisition activity, channels curation and editorial standards. Scoping the dimensions of this accountability will form part of the next stage of work on the organisational design.
   

In addition, a Consumer Digital group will hold responsibility for BBC Worldwide?s consumer digital businesses, including all features on BBC.com, other commercial websites, the Global BBC iPlayer, as well as the company?s global digital strategy for apps, games and VOD, under a Chief Digital Officer. All four positions outlined above will report to BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith.

The seven regions will report into four Presidents, all of whom will report to John Smith and sit on the BBC Worldwide Executive Committee.

Asia, Latin America and CEEMEA will form one grouping, under a High Growth Markets Group, enabling a single overview of investment opportunities across many of the world?s most rapidly growing markets, where BBC Worldwide intends to establish a major presence. UK and Australia/New Zealand, both English language markets, will also report into a single President, representing continuity for Australia/New Zealand.

Western Europe, where TV Sales and Distribution today forms the largest single part of BBC Worldwide?s business, will report to the Chief Sales Officer. US and Canada will continue to report into the President, BBC Worldwide North America.

The new structure has been agreed following several months of work, involving all of BBC Worldwide?s Executive Committee, many of BBC Worldwide?s Leadership Group and has been approved by the BBC Worldwide Board.

BBC Worldwide builds on the success it has achieved in recent years in the USA and Australasia, where increased market focus and autonomy have resulted in strong results, with headline sales growth of 21 and 29 per cent respectively since 2009/10.

BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, ?The new organisation is designed to help us capture untapped opportunities for high quality British content and BBC branded services across the world, in order to sustain our track record of strong growth into the future. It has been worked out over a number of months, with inputs from across the world, and throughout our company. I believe it will accelerate delivery of our global ambition, and help us drive future growth and returns to the BBC, supplementing the licence fee.?

Since becoming President of Worldwide Networks, Bennett has overseen the channels business, which is the biggest revenue generator for BBC Worldwide and will report further strong growth for the year just ended. She has overseen the introduction of 13 channel services, from New Zealand to Thailand, as well as the launch of channels into new markets for the first time, including Brazil and Taiwan. She has pioneered global programming events across BBC Worldwide?s own channels, with broadcasts such as the Royal Wedding, Sport Relief, as well as the London Calling season (timed to coincide with Queen Elizabeth?s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics), playing out across four continents simultaneously.

Bennett has been responsible for BBC Worldwide?s 33 owned and operated thematic channels across 100 countries in EMEA, Australasia, Asia and Latin America. Jana is also responsible for the Global BBC iPlayer which launched as a pilot in July 2011 and is now in 16 countries. She also has financial responsibility for BBC Worldwide?s 50 per cent interest in UKTV, the owner of 10 branded channels in the UK; and executive responsibility for BBC Worldwide?s business development strategy across all its business in Latin America.

Bennett will remain with BBC Worldwide for a few months in order to effect a full handover of her responsibilities and to complete a number of major commercial deals that BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith has asked her to oversee.

MUMBAI: Under pressure to seek funding in a difficult global economic environment, producers are looking at the television trade event MipTV to be a meeting ground.

The event, which takes place next month in Cannes, France, has already seen a 25 per cent increase in registrations from production companies this year compared to 2011. More importantly, the 1,220 international television production companies registered to date include 326 first time attendees.

Reed Midem director of the television division Laurine Garaude said, "Producers increasingly need international financial partners and funding. They will find both again this year at the world?s largest TV market event, as production remains at the heart of MipTV 2012".

MipTV 2012 has a host of dedicated events and conferences created to benefit producers. The Drama CoProXchange and Producer?s Hub programmes are designed to facilitate co-production deals and support the producers? search of financial partners while in Cannes.

Kicking off the Drama CoProXchange programme on 1 April, MipTV?s first invitation-only Drama CoProXchange Summit will bring together 50 international commissioners, producers and deal-brokers involved in co-production at its highest levels for two hours of semi-structured networking behind closed doors, at the Majestic Hotel.

The list of personalities attending the Drama CoProXchange Summit include United Talent Agency co-founder and board director Peter Benedek, Entertainment One Television CEO John Morayniss, BSkyB head of drama Anne Mensah and France Televisions head of international drama and series co-productions Sophie Gigon.

Lookout Point MD Simon Vaughan said, "MipTV and Mipcom have been hugely important to the financing of Titanic. Julian Fellowes and I were here 18 months ago, with ITV Studios Global Entertainment, talking to potential partners and co-producers. And now it feels most fitting to celebrate Titanic?s launch with a Gala Screening here in Cannes."

Unfolding on 2 April, MipTV?s Drama CoProXchange programme includes a Creative Speaking session with British TV writer and producer Paul Abbott. Abbott will talk about his work to date, his creative process and his highly-anticipated new project, Hit and Miss, with Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Chloe Sevigny, brought to Cannes by FremantleMedia.

Amongst several Case Studies sessions, Oscar-winning producer Iain Canning, co-founder of See Saw Films ?The King?s Speech? will unveil his upcoming drama, ?Top Of The Lake?, co-produced by BBC Two, UKTV and Sundance Channel and internationally distributed by BBC Worldwide. The highly-anticipated new series is directed by Jane Campion ?The Piano? and the cast includes Elisabeth Moss, Holly Hunter and Peter Mullan.

The Drama CoProXchange programme also features a Commissioning Strategies session where leading broadcasters will reveal their commissioning plans for the upcoming year.

The all-new Producers? Hub is designed to facilitate producers? meetings in a casual atmosphere and a dedicated space. A series of ?How to? workshops will take place during the four days of MipTV, covering negotiating deals, pitching, commissioning, drama co-production funding, kids programming, digital business and distribution, factual and documentary production and regional funding opportunities.