They say Middle East broadcasters dont actually make any money but I think they may have cracked it finally! The secret seems to be good, high-quality Arab drama productions that follow the Indian serial route and run like stripped programmes, five times a week on a channel. Arab audiences seem to have warmed up […]
They say Middle East broadcasters dont actually make any money but I think they may have cracked it finally! The secret seems to be good, high-quality Arab drama productions that follow the Indian serial route and run like stripped programmes, five times a week on a channel.
Arab audiences seem to have warmed up to the idea of stripped serials not just during Ramadan but round the year. And broadcasters, who have been hungry for viewership, thus far are scrambling to cater to this requirement.
The secret, of course, does not just lie in Arab drama productions but how broadcasters and producers have evolved in the way they work with and amongst each other.
For one, broadcasters seem to have realised that the key to their survival is to collaborate rather than compete. As a result, pay TV operators and free-to-air broadcasters are now partnering to acquire the first and second windows
to different drama series.
If they went to negotiate individually, those investments might have
been prohibitive.
Secondly, the big regional players claim to have a good idea of what works on screen and how to increase the ratings of a programme. To ensure quality, some like MBC have chosen to produce some of their programmes in-house and have even partnered with the likes of Stargate Middle East to bring international standards of quality to their productions. Those who do not make their productions in-house, however, are at no disadvantage. If they like a script, they seem to dictate to the production house as to which stars, directors, art directors and even formats will take the script forward.
Sceptics may label this bureaucratic but the collaboration seems to have created a win-win situation for all parties involved.
It is with these success stories that we come to IBC this year, where we shall join you in celebrating new technologies. Great content and great technology there is no better way to celebrate Europes largest broadcast show. See you there.