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CITY - Channel without Movies
December 15, 2006, Telekritika (TV Review)
Telekritika (TK) has written repeatedly about the fact that this year the Central European Media Enterprises (CME)reached an agreement with the Dertus Finance Group Ltd on the acquisition of 65.5% share holding of “Ukrpromtorg”, an Ukrainian media-holding that had control of “Gravis” Ltd. having at that time licences for the air Kiev channels 7 and 35. “Ukrpromtorg” still remains an owner of 34.5% share holding.
Svetlana Korotenko and Olga Rudnichenko, managers of “Gravis” Ltd., spoke about the perspectives of a new ”TK” project.
- How will the new “CITY” channel differ from the „Kiev“ channel? From the Kiev state TRK that is nowadays even included in a social package of the cable operator “Volia (Will)“? Will the difference be in a target audience, a product? It means, what will be the Channel´s conception?
Svetlana Korotenko, Director General of „Gravis“ Ltd.: - “CITY” is a new form not only for the city, but for the whole country. A city and modern channel is an original inter-medium between the large city inhabitants. It is mobile, able to provide viewers with necessary and useful information, it can talk to them in the same language, gives them a chance to be heard. It is interactive, works twenty-four hours a day, entertains, can be funny, ironic. It is based on programmes of the own production, made at the level of national channels, however, “CITY” for Kievers is a face of their city. Well, our city has many faces. The TV channel was established not for officials, but for all Kievers to be able to orientate themselves easily and quickly in the capital. The channel is focused on the viewer who is close to a city way of life and thinking, corresponding to the rhythm of a European metropolis.
- What is the channel business model, rating plans like? How will be the channel progress made? In technical terms – and in terms of marketing? Will any PR agency be engaged in the progress? What is the channel coverage today? How many hours will you broadcast in the beginning?
S.К.– The channel is coming out onto the air on 1 December on the 35th microwave frequency. It can be watched by all city inhabitants. The Kievers will soon get to know about it by means of an original advertising campaign developed by our employees with the assistance of certain agencies.
“CITY” will broadcast 24 hours a day, 4 hours of which will be live transmissions. The amount of the live transmission will increase in the course of time.
Such a channel has not existed in Ukraine yet. Day and night of quality broadcasting with a large amount of the own production for city inhabitants. We count on both a viewer and commercial success. “CITY“ is not a municipal enterprise. The city is inhabited by dynamic and sufficiently provided (on the all-Ukrainian scale) people. National as well as local advertisers are interested in Kiev viewers. Our main task is to win and confirm our viewers´ confidence.
- What is the finally formed CITY channel´s top management? What aspect will Alexandr Tkachenko deal with?
S.К. – Svetlana Korotenko- Director General, Olga Rudnichenko – General Producer, Oxana Ivaniuk – Programme Director. All of them have experience in successful work in television and are recognized authorities. Alexandr Tkachenko, a well-known producer, is a consultant and author of many ideas for the channel.
- Was any change made in the owners of the company „Gravis“ Ltd.?
S.К. – The majority share holding of the channels ”Kino“ and ”CITY“ (more than 65%) belongs to the CME company. The company controls the largest television activities in Eastern Europe.
- How much close will be your collaboration with “1+1“, the Honorary President of which, Alexandr Rodnianskij, declared his interest in “Gravis“ company?
S.К. – Despite the fact that the companies “1+1” and “Gravis” are different legal entities, we work actively on business integration. Colleagues of “1+1” come to our technical as well as consulting assistance in development of the new TV channels.
- Where will the head offices of ”City“ channel be situated, from where will you come out onto the air? What technology, equipment has the channel already had?
Olga Rudnichenko, General Producer of “CITY” channel. – Broadcasting will be realized in the studio next to Meydan. There is a new room too. We are the first who inform on the hottest news of the city, spending every day together with our viewers. Everything happens in a real-time regime as well as life behind the window of our studio.
All basic offices are situated on the base of “CITY” and “KINO” channel in Petrovka. Present technical equipment, enabling to produce and broadcast quality products, is completed.
- What has been already purchased, which products?
О.R. – First of all, the TV channel broadcasting is based on transmission of the own production and live programmes. Every Kiever will find a great amount of interesting and entertaining information. One of the brand-creating programmes is the show “Taxi” – a very popular format in the world. Every city inhabitant can become a participant in the programme absolutely unexpectedly: when calling a cab in the street, you are getting into a play. The show is recorded by a “hidden camera“ in a car specially equipped, leader is a taxi driver. Well, follow his movement round the city. We promise pleasant surprises.
The most interesting project “Idol and His Team“ brings fashion of good things. The Kievers will have got a chance to accomplish together with leader and an invited “star“ good things for the city and its inhabitants.
I repeat once again that “City” can be funny and ironic, a lot of events take place every day and we want to treat them with slight irony and humour. We have created “Gniezdilov-Show“, a humorous inter-programme product that is authored and led by Igor Gniezdilov, a well-known actor and director. Humorous situations that happen to everybody of us in real life are played in this programme.
One of the basic “dibs“ on the channel – a wide variety of “useful“ programmes – how to restore our health, how to get faster to the point needed in the city, where the car is repaired better and more reliably, how to buy a quality product at a low price, how to avoid loosing hot water at home and how to keep clear entrances, where to relax – in the city or beyond it, where to eat tasty, where to gain better education, where, after all, to earn more money and how to spend it best of all. Viewers will get to know all news of all aspects of the life in the capital. You can also see educational programmes on metropolitan cities of various countries in the world, learn a lot of new information on the history of Kiev, watch popular entertaining international shows.
Feature films will be lacking in the transmission network, this product is offered by all TV channels – the viewer has a choice, in principal, we gave up cinema projection.
In the course of time it will be probably “CITY” that will have the highest percentage of the own production among the channels.
- Who will appearon “CITY“ as a head of the news, a programme manager? In which regime will the news come out? Are any well-known persons among the managers?
О.R. – Our news is neither for politicians nor about them. It is for you with us. About the city, its inhabitants, and for them. We live in one city and communicate scarcely with each other. We hope that “CITY“ will fill up a vacuum of lack of communication and show how the large city lives. Reports from places of events prevail in the news. At the same time every Kiever will have got a chance to speak about his/her problems and joys on our channel.
In a morning block the news is introduced in 20-minute intervals (7:00, 7:20, 7:40, 8:00, 8:20, 8:40, 9:00), in an evening block it comes out at 18:00 and 22:00.
Morning releases consist of a brief review of the events in the city at night, announcing of significant events of the day, the rate of exchange, weather, other important information.
In the evening it is the news about current events in the city, in the region and in the world metropolitan cities with live inclusions of the correspondents from the Kiev streets.
At 22.00 the day in Kiev and in the world metropolitan cities is summed up, extended reports and history are transmitted.
Head of the Information service is Tatiana Fedoriv, a famous and already experienced journalist (she worked as a release editor-in-chief in the “1+1“ Studio), and head of the news will be Ivanna Nayda, one of the best national managers. There are many young and gifted journalists in the news team. The channel will be run by young people who like the city in which they live. You will see many new faces – contemporary, dynamic, witty young people. “City” will bring up its own stars.
- What are you going to do in connection with the return of the channels K1 and K2 to the “Volia“ package, instead of which „Kino“ and „CITY“ were included?
S.K.: The bigger choice of TV channels, the better for the viewer. He/she has a right to choose. It depends on picture quality and a variety of interesting products, on which channel in the cable network he/she will stay.
- In your opinion, how much successful is development of “Kino“ channel?
- “Kino” channel has taken just the first steps. We work step by step on extending the zone of our transmission in other cities of the country. In the near future we are planning to increase technical coverage of the channel up to 40% of a television panel. Nowadays the channel covers 34% of the cities with more than 50 thousand inhabitants, as for November 2006 (1-19 November) its share is 0.42% by 18+ target audience. Growth of the channel share was over 30% compared to the first month.
Contents of the channel correctly selected, consisting of series for young people, feature films, programs of the own production on cinema, enabled to achieve positive dynamics of the rating growth already in the first broadcasting months. Compared to July, the channel rating by 18+ target audience increased to 75%. To the beginning of 2007 we are planning to achieve a stabile share index of 0.8% by 18+ target audience.
The viewers can see many new films, series and programmes as early as in late November.
From mid-November in “Kino” broadcasting the programme “Hollywood: Everything Included” (originally called “Entertainment tonight”) appeared – the first show in the world which covers all events in the world of entertainment. First the programme came out onto the air on one of the American channels in 1981. Since that time the TV show has been considered No. 1 in the world. An everyday digest includes a summary of official Hollywood news and an analysis of the hottest Hollywood topics and gossips. Even the viewers of “Kino“ channel have got a unique chance to get nowadays any most interesting up-to-date information – right on the following day after it came out on American television.
“Colledge Holyoux“,a sensational series for young people that is considered the most resonant series of Britain in the last 11 years, starts on the air of “Kino“ channel in December.
We prepared the series “Football Players´ Women” for modern women who go with times. It is a drama on stylish and bright women of the players of the football team in Earl Park City.
For additional information, please contact:
Romana Tomasova
Director of Corporate Communications
Central European Media Enterprises
+44 (0)20 7430 5357
romana.tomasova@cme-net.com
