Television festivals: where are all the big name execs?

Events like Prix Italia, the Rose d'Or Festival and the Banff Television Festival serve as meeting places for the television industry. They take place in lovely locales like Montreux, Switzerland, and Banff, Canada. They offer a chance to see what programs are out there, to mingle with the competition and make alliances. They present seminars on a variety of topics. Why, then, are television festivals so rarely attended by the big name executives in the industry or the heads of the American companies? "We do not have Ted Turner coming. That's totally true," admitted Pierre Grandjean, secretary general of the Rose d'Or Festival.

Many in the industry cite time concerns and competition from the markets as the main reasons for the absence of top executives from the festivals. "The pressure on executives these days is so intense that we have to ensure every. event and festival we attend is of major and direct benefit to our companies," said David Simon, senior vp and managing director of Wait Disney Television International. "That means that I limit myself to about three major festivals a year, and even then I sometimes have to arrive midway through or leave early depending on pressure of work." Others also painted the picture of a year crammed with events, all of them crying out for executives' limited time. When asked why the top executives often decline to attend festivals, even when they are invited to speak, CBS Enterprises President Rainer Siek responded with a question of his own: "Have you seen my calendar?" Siek said that it was difficult for him to go to Tokyo for two days just to make a speech, given all the other demands on his attention.

Others attributed the big name executives' disinterest in festivals to a lack of business incentive. The perception that a TV award festival isn't the best place to conduct business is certainly a factor, as is the abundance of other showcases for one's product.

In defense of their events, several festival officials pointed out that they don't necessarily want to attract the Ted Turners of the industry. "I think we need to make the distinction between a festival and a market. A festival is a different beast," said Pat Fern, executive vp of the Banff Television Festival. He pointed out that while some festivals double as markets, some don't, and the acquisitions executives that a market hopes to draw aren't always the target attendees for a festival. Fern said that "you've got to look for what's appropriate" for a particular festival. He tries to be sensitive to the needs of his delegates and would much rather attract the commissioning editors (i.e. programmers) and heads of drama for Canada's CBC or the U.S.'A&E than the head of an American network. Said Fern, "We use our conference program to make sure the key component is there."

Another element to consider is the fact that the most recognized executives tend to be Americans; international festivals may draw important deal-makers, but they are generally European, or, in the case of Banff, Canadian. Fern asserted that "it's important for Canadians to have international heavy hitters" in attendance at Banff, and for international delegates to have Canadian heavy hitters in attendance. CBS' Siek stressed that it is the top European executives who go to the television festivals. He pointed to Prix Italia's troubled past as one reason for its failure to draw big name executives, saying, "I don't think anyone knows Prix Italia is back"; but he felt that the festival never attracted Americans or had much studio presence in the first place. "It's true, we have very few Americans coming," said Grandjean of the Rose d'Or. "We are much more European-oriented." Grandjean spoke of his festival as "a prestige competition aimed at European TV" that draws the heads of all the European channels. He anticipated more American executives this year, since the timing of MIP-TV means that many industry players will already be in the neighborhood. Grandjean also saw a new trend toward overseas offices for the big American companies, and said that the heads of these divisions usually attend. One such executive is Bill Roedy, president of International for MTV Europe, who will be delivering the keynote address at this year's Rose d'Or.

The absence of top executives from television festivals is by no means a black-and-white issue, or a closed book. Most of the festival organizers were happy to offer the names of future attendees as proof of their events' drawing power. Pierre Grandjean looked forward to the appearance of Fred Cohen, president of King World International, in a Rose d'Or panel on selling comedy and light entertainment. Diana Palma of Prix Italia expected a variety of "very exciting participants." Pat Fern remarked that Steven Bochco would be at Banff this year. He also expressed confidence in the quality of the festival's attendees: "I think we have the best creative people."