HRTS eNews - 06/18/2008 (Plain Text Version)
In this issue:
HRTS News & Announcements
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Tim Russert
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HRTS: It's Time to Rewite the Story...
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From the Executive Director
Member News
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Profile: Emiliano Calemzuk
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Profile: Danielle Gelber
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Welcome new HRTS Members
Jr. HRTS
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JHRTS News & Announcements
About The HRTS
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Officers, Board of Directors, Staff
Profile: Emiliano Calemzuk
HRTS Member - President, Fox Television Studios
A member profile by Chris Davison, davison@intellcap.com
Emiliano Calemzuk is President, Fox Television Studios. Emiliano started out in South America and his career has since taken him around the world to work in many different facets of the television business. I recently had a chance to speak with Emiliano to discuss globalization, the Internet and merengue.
Q: Can you tell us about your background? what made you want to work in entertainment?
-I was born and raised in a small town in the south of Argentina. Coming back from a backpacking trip in Europe after graduating from high school, I stopped in Philadelphia to take the flight back home. There, I stumbled onto the University of Pennsylvania and with typical teenage stubbornness I decided I wanted to go to school there -- they graciously accepted me as a case study of a curious kid with terrible English.
After college, I realized I wasn't smart enough to make it in investment banking so I started to knock on all doors around and landed a job in a salsa/merengue music network startup, a la VH1, in Miami. Then in 1998 I tricked Fox into hiring me and served in the company's Latin American and European legions for a decade. I love the kind of entertainment this company makes, and I admire the capacity for both vision and aggressive execution at News Corp.
Q: How are audiences different in Europe or Latin America versus here in the States?
-people like good television wherever it comes from. Great US shows like “The Simpsons”, for example, travel all over the world. People in the States are now accepting good ideas from around the world, as well. In fact, a significant portion of network prime time here in the US is based on ideas that came from somewhere else.
Q: What differentiates Fox TV Studios from the other Fox entities and from other companies?
-we are a tight, bottom-line driven, small guerrilla group that is constantly trying new things while simultaneously growing our core business, which is US cable production. We don't do expensive overall deals, we don't gamble with deficits and we look at the world as our playing field. So we will develop ideas, produce shows, and do business any place we find the right combination of creative talent, production quality, and market growth prospects. At FtvS, we have a unique combination of American executives with strong Hollywood creative ties and credibility, and executives from international markets who understand the whole world as a TV market. That match gives us a definite edge.
Q: What sorts of plans do you have for the online and mobile spaces?
-for the time being, we want to play without losing our shirt. This area will grow with time and, when it does, we hope to have amassed some experience. We have 10 Internet-based scripted and unscripted projects in the pipeline that I think are among the best I have ever seen hit the Web. Our group as a whole has a young mentality, as well, so being in this field feels very natural.
Q: How do you see the entertainment industry changing over the next few years?
-traditional models are up for a big revamp. Production costs growing exponentially while revenues are flat -- at best -- is not a sustainable situation in the long term.
Q: Any thoughts on the HRTS?
-great events, very kind people. In the next year, I hope to meet all members who want to put up with me! I think changes and strategic direction for the industry will come out of thoughtful discussion in key forums like the HRTS.