Movie channel turns to TV dramas for growth James Livesley
Pay TV group the Movie Network Channels is changing its content strategy to include TV drama series.
Part of the focus for its channel Movie Extra will now be to broadcast TV series, both acquired from the US and Britain, as well as some locally produced drama.
Movie Extra has already actioned this new strategy with the introduction of two new shows – Madmen, a program about a 1960s advertising agency and Dirt, a forthcoming show starring Courtney Cox who plays a tabloid magazine editor.
Peter Jenetsky, general manager of marketing and content strategy for Movie Network Channels, said audience demand for exclusive product has grown. The programs appearing on Movie Extra will fit in with the channels’ ethos of showing programs which “push the boundaries”.
Jenetsky added that the channel was following the similar pattern adopted by some American movie cable channels, such as AMC, which are increasingly acquiring premium programming.
The programming will be “consistent to a movie cinematic level, strong TV, stuff that wouldn’t be shown on free-to-air”, Janetsky said.
Local content will also be included in the strategy as well as Project Greenlight – a documentary about a contest to find a promising undiscovered writer or director who’s ready to break into the Australian film industry.
“There are also a number of things we are looking to commission and develop. The days of pay TV showing second run programs are well and truly over,” he said.
Movie Network Channels is owned by Warner Bros, Disney, MGM andVillage Roadshow.
