In this exclusive behind-the-scenes interview ahead of his keynote address, YouTube CEO Chad Hurley explains what he and his company are doing at MIPCOM, how it is working with the audiovisual content industry, and his site's consequences for the future of television...

Watch this space for our conference report and video coverage!

...

Read more »

In this MIP Blog guest post, Domenic Venuto, SVP media & entertainment for interactive marketing firm Avenue A | Razorfish and a MIPCOM conference speaker this week, explains how make the most of your content online.

Avenue A | Razorfish is one of the largest interactive marketing and technology companies in the world with a dedicated Media & Entertainment Practice.

We build experiences that engage consumers, attract advertisers and deliver business value to media organisations.

We have done a lot of work consulting, designing and building video players that leverage our clients assets ...

Read more »

Adrian Grenier, star of hedonistic US comedy series Entourage, isn’t just into having fun: he also wants to make us greener.

In Entourage, Grenier’s character Vincent Chase makes it big as a Hollywood actor and takes his friends with him for the ride.

In Alter Eco (13 x 60 mins), Grenier is joined by a different entourage — a team of green activists — who together demonstrate that being green can be fun and creative, while still making a difference.

“I’m often asked what’s the difference between myself and Vince,” Grenier exclusively ...

Read more »

Fremantlemedia chief creative officer Gary Carter (right) and presenter and mastermind of online entertainment Ze Frank mixed comedy and erudite analysis in a creative keynote sponsored by Entertainment Master Class, The Format Academy for Entertainment Television.

Carter noted that the proliferation of user generated content and authorship tools that allowed audiences to play in media spaces would not trigger the death of TV, but rather encourage a richer media space and alternative forms to TV's linear narrative.

"We make things bigger and that go on longer. We repackage it and reassemble it ...

Read more »

Michael Eisner, former CEO of Walt Disney Company and the founder of The Tornante Company, said that no matter whether your are a film-maker, producer, buyer, seller, financier, distributor, working in old media, working in new media, "there is one thing that all of us share in common and that is that we worship at the altar of creativity".

At his Creativity In A Box keynote, Eisner said: From my point of view, there is one methodology that increases the odds of consistency in success and that is the box,” adding that early in the ...

Read more »

Left to right: Legend of the Seekers' producers Kenneth Biller (left) and Ned Nalle (right) with Disney's Ben Pyne

The plethora of content platforms represented at MIPCOM is underlined by a string of deals by Disney-ABC-ESPN Television.

The Portuguese telco Sonaecom has signed a multi-year agreement for its Clix SmarTV IPTV (internet protocol TV) service to stream new features and offer library titles for rent.

A similar pact with Kabel Plus for the Czech and Slovakian video-on-demand (VOD) service Metoo will also cover new features, such as WALL-E and library items.

Read more »

2waytraffic comes to its first MIPCOM as a Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) company with a slate of new in-house and third-party formats — and a mission to forge partnerships with “creative people and companies”, according to CEO Kees Abrahams (left).

In its new incarnation, the Dutch company is responsible for the international distribution of Sony formats, as well as its own shows.

"One reason we acquired 2waytraffic was its distribution expertise," said Michael Grindon, president of SPTI. "We think they can do a great job of licensing our content."

Abrahams said ...

Read more »

Left to right: AETN's Steve Ronson and Sean Cohan; BSkyB's Sophie Turner; and The History Channel's Richard Mehlman

In a first outside the US, Crime & Investigation Network HD (CI HD) and The Biography Channel HD (BIO HD) are set to launch in the UK and Ireland from November 5.

The brands will be carried on Sky’s HD platform in both territories and will be operated by The History Channel UK, a joint venture between A&E Television Networks (AETN) and Sky.

As dedicated HD channels, both CI HD and BIO HD will ...

Read more »