The Content Forum ““Content Opportunities, Convergence & Distribution,
TV Rights Ownership & Exploitation” will take place in Dublin on the 12th of November 2004.
For both the Audiovisual Federation of the Irish Business and Employers Confederation and Enterprise Ireland, new technology and rights management will form the basis for the upcoming Content Forum at Stillorgan Park Hotel, Dublin on the 12th of November. Speakers will cover themes ranging from the new platforms for delivering AV material, to questions of how this affects the exploitation of such content and the potential impact it may have on the industry.
Those threats and opportunities really relate to two pivotal issues - who retains the rights to programming and thus who can use those rights to exploit the multitude of new channels to audiences, both domestically and internationally?
New Technologies, New Markets
"We're going from channels you could count in single digits to a multi-channel universe and that in turn is seeing convergence through the internet, TV and a variety of gadgets such as phones," says Michael Kenna, Development Adviser at the Digital Media Department of Enterprise Ireland. "For producers of content, when the telephone, TV and web all interconnect this creates a massive opportunity for the delivery of content."
Rights or wrong?
Clearly this example reflects developments which will be echoed in other parts of the world. Yet, as John Cummins, the Chairman of the Audiovisual Federation and MD of Independent Pictures, stresses, "Yes there are huge opportunities for distribution but also the potential loss of control. Rights management will need to evolve to reflect real-world changes."
This has already been highlighted by the troubles experienced by the music industry, who only now seem to be getting to grips with the paradigm change which occured with the emergence of MP3 music and the web -- issues which will similarly affect film and TV content and the way the end customer consumes programming.
The speakers tackling these topics represent big names in the content and delivery arena, from the Discovery Network, Channel 4 and SkyIreland to Vodafone and XtraVision. Chaired by Larry Bass of Screentime Shinawil and Screen Producers Ireland, the speakers are:
• John Herne -- Director of New Media for Discovery Networks
• Mark Deering -- Managing Director Sky Ireland
• Peter Hamilton -- US TV Industry Strategist
• Gerry Butler -- Commercial Director XtraVision
• Maggie Daleo -- Regional Vice President, Enterprise Ireland, Los Angeles
To register for the event, which costs just EUR95, book online at www.nsd.ie/contentforum/index.asp
