16-06-2008

DISCOPRO panelists announced

    Paris, June 9, 2008 For immediate release

    TOP PARTICIPANTS AND PANELISTS ANNOUNCED FOR DISCOPRO

    Conference Dedicated to Focus on Co-Production Opportunities with Thematic Channels in Eastern and Central Europe

    As a prelude to DISCOP EAST 08, the second edition of the DISCOPRO networking and training program, set to take place in Budapest on Tuesday, 17 June, today announced additional panels and participants to the conference.

    This year's DISCOPRO will focus on low-cost co-production opportunities now available through the proliferation of new thematic TV channels throughout Central and Eastern Europe, combined with regulatory frameworks favoring locally produced programming.

    Key panels and speakers will include:

    (Additional information on panels and speakers is available at http://www.discop.com/.)

    --WHY SO MANY THEMATIC TV CHANNELS ARE BEING LAUNCHED ACROSS CEE Moderated by Guy BISSON, Senior Analyst, Television SCREEN DIGEST.

    Panelists:

    Ross Hair, Executive VicePresident, SONY PICTURES TV INTERNATIONAL; Peter Lakits, Chief Operating Officer, CHELLO Central Europe; Colin McLeod, Managing Director, NBCU GLOBAL CHANNELS and Ralph Siebenaler, COO / CFO KLUB 100 - CONTENT UNION (RTL GROUP) Luxembourg.

    --THE EU SUPPORT TO INDEPENDENT TV PRODUCERS IN CEE Moderated by Matteo SOLARO, Project Manager, MEDIA PROGRAMME of the European Union.

    --STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AS A KEY TO JOINT PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES IN EUROPE Moderated by Lydia Blackwood, Publisher, TBI AND CABLE SATELLITE EUROPE.

    Panelists:

    Tobias Gerlach, Head of Strategic Planning, Corporate Development & Communication, BAVARIA FILM; Helge Koehnen, Director Sales and Head of Eastern European Affairs, BAVARIA MEDIA TELEVISION; Boris Ausserer, Deputy Head of Coproduction, BAVARIA MEDIA TELEVISION; Maciej Strzembosz, Producer, ATM GRUPA; Dorota Chamczyk, Executive Producer, TVN; Tibor Kocsis, Director Producer, FLORA FILM and Andras Juhasz, Managing Director, ARIZONA PRODUCTIONS.

    --PRESENTATION OF LOW-COST CUSTOMIZABLE MAGAZINES MADE FOR THEMATIC TV CHANNELS Moderated by Bob JENKINS, Associate Editor, DISCOP LINK.

    Panelists:

    Marc Villain, Head of Marketing & Partnerships, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, DIRECTORATE GENERAL COMMUNICATION AUDIOVISUAL SERVICE; Jean-Pierre Assalone, Head of e-team, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, DIRECTORATE GENERAL COMMUNICATION AUDIOVISUAL SERVICE and Lionel Faucher, Founder & CEO, AKAMEDIA .

    --PRESENTATION OF LOW-COST TELEVISION FORMATS MADE FOR THEMATIC TV CHANNEL Moderated by Bob JENKINS, Associate Editor, DISCOP LINK.

    Panelists:

    Fredrik af Malmborg, Managing Director, SPARKS NETWORK; Steve Pinhay, Head of Television, BULLSEYE TV and Avi Armoza, CEO, ARMOZA FORMATZ, Sarah Coursey, Head of Formats & Acquisitions, ZODIAK INTERNATIONAL

    DISCOPRO 08 is exclusively open to DISCOP EAST 08 participants already registered for the 16th edition of the only annual television content market strictly dedicated to Central and Eastern Europe, to take place from 18 to 20 June in Budapest.

    A full listing of all thematic TV channels available in Central and Eastern Europe, complete with contact details, will be made available to those attending DISCOPRO 08.

    After 15 years of operating independently, the DISCOP organization partnered with the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) in 2005. NATPE is a global non-profit organization dedicated to the creation, development and distribution of televised programming in all forms, across all mature and emerging media platforms. Founded in 1991, DISCOP EAST is the only television content market strictly targeted at Central and Eastern Europe. DISCOP Africa, launching in February 2009, will be the first event of its kind in the African Continent centered around pre-organized meetings between buyers and sellers of television content.

    # # #

    For further information contact:
    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
    The Lippin Group - London
    +44 203 008 5406

    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
    The Lippin Group - LA
    + 1 323 965 1990