News Broadcasting
Asia increasingly buying into French animation
SAINT-TROPEZ: Vive la France! That’s a message that is finding an increasing number of listeners in Asia Pacific. At least if one goes by the figures of French television programming exports released by the French television producers association TVFI, The Institute National de l’Audiovisuel (INA), and the Centre national de la cin�matographie (CNC) at the Rendez-Vous 2002 organised by TVFI in Saint-Tropez in the south of France on 10 September.
These rose by 32 per cent in 2001 from 8.2 million Euros to 10.2 million euros in 2000. Japanese broadcasters accounted for 40.3 per cent of these sales, China for 10.4 per cent, while Australia and New Zealand chipped in with 9.9 per cent.
Singapore, India and other countries grabbed 13.4 per cent of the exports, South Korea 8.8 per cent while Indonesia did 3.8 per cent. Asian broadcasters exported more fictional programming than Central European broadcasters accounting for a 15.5 per cent share of the pie, which was led by West Europe (49.4 per cent) and North America (8.2 per cent).
Asia also had a large part of French documentary acquisitions with a 14.1 per cent share in a genre segment that was once again led by west Europe (59.8 per cent), North America (8.9 per cent). West Europe accounted for 76.6 per cent of French animation exports, north America for 11.9 per cent and Asia for 4.2 per cent. “French animation is finding increasing buyers in Asia. Acquisitions by broadcasters are rising at a fast clip,” says TVFI executive director Mathieu Bejot. Amongst the Asian countries that figured prominently in the buyers list are Japan, China, and South Korea.
While the appetite for French television productions in Asia has been on the rise, sales on the whole declined by 2.1 per cent from 129.3 million euros in 2000 to 126.7 million Euros in 2001. There was however, a rise in of 21.8 per cent in pre-sales and co-productions from 171.2 million Euros to 208.5 million Euros. “We have had these results at a time when the economy and television companies have been having rough ride,” says TVFI president Jean-Louis Guillaud. “Post 11 September in 2001 everyone has been having a tough time.”
That tough time is likely to continue in 2002 too. “The first six months trend has been a little slow. We will have to wait till MIP TV to see if the market for programming acquisitions picks up,” says Bejot. “However, it’s a long term perspective we have on the business.”
Bejot adds that TVFI is considering making a push for French television programming in India in the coming year through special meets between potential Indian buyers and French animation producers and are also inviting the latter to showcase their programmes in India.
News Broadcasting
News18 India to air Sabse Bada Dangal on 4 May counting day
Channel promises fastest results, live trends and analysis across five states.
MUMBAI: Ballots will do the talking and screens will do the shouting. As counting day approaches for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, News18 India is gearing up for an all-day broadcast of its flagship election show, Sabse Bada Dangal, on 4 May from 6 am onwards. The Hindi news channel plans to deliver continuous, real-time updates as votes are tallied, combining live counting data with on-ground reporting and studio analysis. With political fortunes set to shift through the day, the coverage will track every swing, surge and surprise as trends turn into results.
The broadcast will feature a mix of senior political leaders, analysts and experts, offering instant reactions and decoding the evolving electoral picture. Expect heated debates, quick takes and detailed breakdowns as the numbers settle across all five states.
For News18 India, counting day has long been a high-visibility moment. The network is banking on its reporting reach, editorial bandwidth and technology-driven coverage to stay ahead in what is often a fiercely competitive news cycle.
With multiple battlegrounds and shifting narratives, the day promises both drama and data in equal measure. And if all goes to plan, Sabse Bada Dangal will once again turn the counting of votes into prime-time spectacle.
