By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Numerous programs, both local and global, greet viewers everyday, but few may know that the programs are chosen with consideration and, most importantly, by understanding the particular television market.
According to Monty Ghai, the director of distribution and development for BBC Worldwide in East Asia, localization is one of the key factors in strategies for bringing informative and entertainment programs from BBC to Korean households.
``For every country we are working on, we are localizing our (shows). They are very much programs (chosen) for that particular market place and by looking at our ratings, they are doing extremely well,'' Ghai said during an interview with The Korea Times at the BBC Worldwide Hong Kong branch.
``We won't get there without localizing, and so in Asia we are looking at each market place differently,'' he added.
Most Asian markets are different in terms of economy, culture and especially preferences in television programs, and so the BBC is foremost working on understanding local markets, and perhaps further launch its own channel aimed at major Asian countries, including Korea.
``Just because a certain program is popular in Asia or in Britain, it does not mean it will be fit for the local audience. Koreans can be very picky when choosing their preferences, and unlike other countries where there is a broad likeness of programs, they tend to have their own style,'' Soh Young-sun, Korea's representative for BBC Worldwide, told The Korea Times in a separate phone interview.
This is a different approach from other networks like, for example, the American television distribution company Fremantle Media who sold the format of its popular show ``Project Runway'' to local cable channel On Style. The Korean version was surprisingly identical to the original, from the lighting to even the translated script, and while some said it successfully brought the show to Korea, others argued that it was too rigid, awkward and had lost its charm.
However the program is presented, the backbone of the strategy is the quality of the content. BBC already has a library full of good quality programs, which some are considered as the world's best, both in entertainment and informative, and this is what Ghai would like to bring to local fans.
``The BBC back in the U.K. spends about $3 billion producing content and this is across all the different genres, including factual content, which we are known as one of the best in the world, drama entertainment, children and lifestyle programming. We have been producing all these programs across multiple genres but we just haven't launched our own channel brands to give the consumers (easier) access to these programs,'' Ghai said.
Another interesting feature about BBC programs is that they do not just end as a television series, but expand into other cultural contents like magazines, toys and spin offs. In the case of programs like ``Teletubbies'' and ``Top Gear,'' the two have become a global phenomenon, with magazines, toys and other franchises, thus moving a step closer to viewers.
``People really appreciate (these brands) and find them entertaining and informative and from that they want to have more accessibility. Many of the global media like us talk about integration and how to take brands (to the next level). It's about getting closer to the viewers and with these strategies and localizing, we hope to gain presence in Korea, which is leading our list with Taiwan and Japan,'' said Ghai.