Ho-hum. Another January, another week in Vegas. NATPE is back at its usual digs this month and, call it a hunch, but something tells us that there’ll be big demand for anything made outside the reach of the WGA. (‘Cops! Get yer reruns of Cops here! Booth 11-A!’) So we ask buyers from across Canada:

‘What are you shopping for at NATPE?’

Because of the WGA strike and our access to the U.S. buying community, we’re on the look-out for compelling scripted formats that we can adapt for the U.S. market.
John Morayniss
Chairman and CEO, Blueprint Entertainment

We’re looking for strong factual series, and scientific and tech-based work is really hot right now. The docu-soap style and anything following unusual communities of people are also really popular. When we look to acquiring into Canada, music specials are big, as are docu-dramas and docu-features. And of course, anything to do with HD is huge.
Tanya Kelen
Head of distribution, Breakthrough Entertainment

It’ll be interesting to see if the B- and C-list shows that have been sitting on the shelves get picked up in desperate times, what with the strike. There could be some scurrying, with people going after the same shows simply due to the lack of fresh options coming down the pipeline. Right now, fresh, aspirational reality-based programming is important to us; our audience is drawn to that. Concerts with huge names attached – if Britney were to do a concert right now that’d be huge.
Sheila Sullivan
Director of programming for music and youth, CTV

Designing for mobile is like shoving an elephant into a garden hose. I’m looking forward to hearing how the leaders of the mobile industry manage this difficult process in an elegant and profitable way. What I think will be front and center at both NATPE and NATPE Mobile++ is how experiencing content changes when it can be carried around with you wherever you go, and what opportunities this creates.
Mark Greenspan
Director of digital media, Achilles Media, organizers of NATPE Mobile

I will be going to NATPE this year looking for some love from the U.S. and foreign broadcasters.
Peter Emerson,
President, Oasis International