Source : Hollywood Reporter

LAS VEGAS - Competition for "hot" American TV shows among foreign program buyers can still be fierce despite the perception that U.S. dramas and comedies are finding it tough going in the world market, according to some of the world's leading broadcast program executives who gathered Monday at NATPE.

They revealed that buyers are still keenly competitive for TV shows that have created an early buzz before their network launches and that budgets for Hollywood product are still a major part of their annual expenditure.

Even the French, who opt mostly for programs produced locally, are still aggressive when it comes to bidding on new network shows that they think will become hits, according to Remy Jacquelin, deputy director of acquisitions at French broadcaster TF1, during a panel on the worldwide market .

"Due to the high level of competition (among broadcasters) in France, any hot show at the Los Angeles Screenings is bound to sell in two or three days," he said. The Los Angeles Screenings is the annual program sales market at which new network pickups are presented to the world market.

"Of course it's risky, but that's the only way we can have access to the major series," Jacquelin added.

June Dromgoole, controller of program acquisitions at Four in the United Kingdom, pointed to the fact that U.S. shows can sometimes fare as well on Four and indie Channel 5 as do locally made shows. "Friends," for instance, remains a big hit with British audiences. She said that acquired programming currently makes up about 30% of Four's primetime schedule.

But viewers of national broadcaster BBC1 and the British network ITV usually favor homemade shows over American series. However, there is still a healthy demand in the United Kingdom for imported U.S. shows. "So the top U.S. shows still tend to sell at the Los Angeles Screenings," she added.

Dromgoole said it is a big risk for a programming executive to pick up a U.S. show on the basis of a pilot because broadcasters have frequently been left with just a few episodes of so-called hot shows that have been killed by the networks. Four is doing much more business these days with the cable networks with such programming as "The Shield" and "Nip/Tuck."

Jacquelin noted that the shrinkage of syndicated shows internationally has been a big loss. "I miss good old Aaron Spelling," he said, adding that shows such as "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Baywatch" have served TF1 extremely well, and he would like to see more syndicated fare coming into the international marketplace.

The Canadians continue to schedule major amounts of U.S. programming and between them spend in the region of $250 million at the Los Angeles Screenings, said Jay Switzer, president and CEO of Canada's Chum Ltd. Most of that is spent in just one day at the market when the Canadian buyers have to decide which American shows will make up their schedules.

"The pressure can be tremendous (at the Los Angeles Screenings)," Switzer said, pointing out that the Canadian broadcasters set their new schedules for the fall with days of concluding program acquisitions at the Los Angeles Screenings, which take place in May.

American reality TV shows are also gaining a foothold in the overseas market, with buyers bidding on both format rights and original series. "When there's a buzz about some particular reality show, it makes it very easy for us to sell it internationally," said Pamela Parker, vp business affairs and acquisitions at Sony Pictures International TV.

© Hollywood Reporter