MUMBAI: We all know that content is king. The reason: it brings in the moolah whenever it is consumed. And to help and understand India?s content creators and distributors and to increase their business prospects globally, Paris-based Reed Midem has organised a three-city road show in coordination with indiantelevision.com.

Reed Midem is the company behind the world?s most successful audiovisual content markets such as MipTV, MipCom and Midem, which are represented in India by indiantelevision.com CEO Anil Wanvari.

To be organised in Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai, the road show consists of a series of interactive round table/seminars/ interactions in each of the three cities. Among the invitees figure local television and film content producers, broadcasters, animation and media tech companies. The theme of the seminars is: ?Can Indian content leave its stamp on the world?? .

?We believe it can,? says Reed Midem director market development Ted Baracos, who is flying down from Paris especially for the road shows. ?India?s content strengths have been seen in its Bollywood films and outsourcing of animation to it by many global companies. MipCom and MipTV offer very strong platforms where this potential can be exploited further because we have buyers/co-producers from more than 100 countries consistently looking to source content.?

Adds Reed Midem Asia sales manager Paul Barbaro: ?We have seen the success that several Asian countries have achieved thanks to MipCom and MipTV and would like even India?s content makers to replicate and surpass that. Whether it is Singapore or China or Korea ? each of these nations have used MipCom, MipTV as a springboard to growing their international co-production and syndication sales.?"

Wanvari believes that the time is ripening for India?s content creation and distribution industry to build partnerships, and begin understanding the pulse of audiences in other countries in order to reap more benefits from their content.

?Digitisation of India?s cable TV industry is set to unlock humungous amounts of subscription revenues for broadcaster which was bleeding out of the system,? he says. ?A large part of that money is likely go into content creation ? higher budget shows, with an international feel and look which is more than likely to find custom internationally. Singapore produced a show called the Kitchen Musical which has found buyers worldwide - including in India - and has build the island nation?s profile. Indian companies could also invest in understanding the syndication market internationally and building their global buyer network through must-attend markets such as MipTV and MipCom.?

Given below is the itinerary of Reed Midem?s ?Can Indian content leave its stamp on the world?? road show:

22 July 2013 
Hotel Hans, 15 Barakhamba Road,
New Delhi

25 July 2013 
Taj Banjara, Banjara Hills
Hyderabad

27 July 2013 
Raheja Classique Club
Andheri West
Mumbai

The road show series is an invitation only event in each of the three cities. But if you would like to know how you can monetise and are interested in being in any of the three cities, please send an email to tanuj.desai@indiantelevision.co.in or devyanib@indiantelevision.co.in.

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC?s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has announced its latest co-production agreement with CCTV9 at MipTV, on ?Hidden Kingdoms?, the forthcoming series from the BBC?s Natural History Unit. The Chinese state broadcaster?s documentary channel had agreed its first ever co-production deals with BBC Worldwide last year, on science series ?Wonders of Life? and ?Generation Earth? and later on natural history title ?Africa?.

Billed as ?Pixar meets Life?, ?Hidden Kingdoms? is the untold story of the natural world?s most fascinating diminutive characters. From chipmunks in North America, to giant rhinoceros beetles in Tokyo and sengi in East Africa, the series looks at the challenges faced by the natural world?s mini-heroes.

BBC Worldwide president, global markets Paul Dempsey said, "We?re really excited about this groundbreaking new series from the NHU, and pleased to be working with CCTV9 once again. The support of CCTV9 on Hidden Kingdoms guarantees it a huge audience in China, and helps the NHU to create a memorable series that will resonate with viewers all around the world."

CCTV9 channel director Liu Wen commented, "The BBC?s Natural History Unit is renowned as a world-leader in its field, so we?re very happy to be taking this new title to viewers in China. It?s a unique project that brings something completely new to the genre, and we can?t wait to see the finished series."

BBC Worldwide has previously brokered a co-production for ?Wild China? (known in China as ?Beautiful China?), between the BBC?s Natural History Unit and CTV, a production company under CCTV. The series, distributed by BBC Worldwide, has been licensed to over 160 territories around the world.