Broadcasters Call the Shots at Licensing 2K.

A millennial development in the global licensing industry is the growing demand of foreign broadcasters for a piece of the pie. Broadcasters are forming their own merchandising cliques or insisting on a portion of profits as a bargaining chip in purchases. This trend has overseas licensing agents playing a more active role in the business of merchandising and TV. Agents are solidifying relationships with local broadcasters, diving into the process sooner or investigating business opportunities unrelated to broadcasting.

But that's not the only hot topic jolting the licensing world. At this year's Licensing Show, thrown by the Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA), international presence was at an all-time high, Internet companies tested the waters and the buzz words were "publishing properties," e.g., Eloise, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.

A total of 431 exhibitors set up camp in New York's Jacob Javits Convention Center, trumping last year's record of 351. Fifty-seven exhibitors hailed from abroad, marking a 40 percent leap over last year's 35, and non-U.S. expo-goers made up 17.5 percent of total attendance. LIMA is also expanding overseas, with offices in London and Munich.

Executives from RTV a major German children's television company, were on hand to see what all the international fervor was about. Following the company's IPO last year, RTV is looking to globalize its licensing business. Arno Haselhorsr, CFO, and Kirsten Rodax, international product manager of Merchandising and Licensing, were disappointed that there were no parties or other hobnobbing functions like the ones at the MIPs and NATPE. Rodax also noted the lack of buyers' guides. "There's basically no overview of what's open for the market." However, Haselhorst and Rodax agreed that this is the one true international licensing show. (A similar convention held in Munich caters to a largely European crowd.) Haselhorst revealed that RTV was leaning toward exhibiting at next year's gathering. "It's not finally decided, but we think so."

Britt Allcroft's vp of Licensing, David Jacobs, was at Licensing 2000 heralding the company's publishing property Thomas the Tank Engine and promoting the interactive rollout of thomasthetankengine.com. Jacobs declared that publishing, television and video are the top three categories for international triumphs. "If you look at the wheel of success, TV is most important because it is really the driver of awareness." He also predicted that the feature film Thomas and the Magic Railroad would "spike awareness of the property." An advertising boost on Nickelodeon preceded its summer release on 2,500 screens.

Meanwhile, Kimberly Winkeleer, The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company's executive director of Off-Screen Entertainment, was touting their publishing property Eloise, acquired last year despite bidding bouts with Universal and Disney. Movie and television deals are in the works with an undisclosed major studio, but nothing is concrete yet. Even so, itsy bitsy has already begun to license the property based on the books' popularity. There are now 18 licensees on board, including toy retailer FAO Schwarz. "There's not that much product yet," noted Winkeleer. "Everyone is gearing up for holiday and spring of next year."

Prominent at the Scholastic booth were images of Clifford the Big Red Dog originally a children's book series. The TV version, comprising 40 half-hour episodes, will be unleashed five days a week this fall on PBS KIDS, with actor John Ritter lending his larynx as Clifford's voice. Scholastic's director of online and video, Kathy Evans, predicted, "In the next few years, Clifford has a lot of potential, especially in terms of merchandising."

Sullivan Entertainment reported the formation of a new division, Sullivan Animation, Inc. Its first production will be Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series, a half-hour children's show -- based on the book series -- also slated for PBS. Marissa Binstock, director of Licensing and Merchandising, disclosed that Sullivan had reached an agreement with HarperCollins Publishers.

Joining the based-on-the-book bonanza, Nelvana announced it had acquired the rights to animated TV programming inspired by Hugh Lofting's 13-book Doctor Dolittle series about an English doctor who works and talks with animals. Nelvana also promoted the Japanese import Cardcaptors, 70 half-hour episodes about a young girl and her friends who track down monsters.

A&E's newly-appointed director of Consumer Products Licensing, Carrie Trimmer, revealed that publishing was also a priority in their licensing plans. A&E is considering a biographically-branded line of books for adults and a bio-video arrangement with Barnes & Noble may be on the horizon.

The news at New Line Cinema was the feature film Lord of the Rings, based on the first of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy. To David Imhoff, executive vp of Worldwide Licensing and Merchandising, what's hot this year is "the big event, the epic, like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Spider-Man ... in that order," he joked.