Emmy scoop for SABC Content Enterprises

SABC Content Enterprises announced on Friday that it will host the semi-final round of judging for the Asia, Africa and Middle East regions for the 2009 International Emmy Awards.

The judging, for the "Arts Programming" and "Comedy" categories, will take place on 8-9 July 2009 in Auckland Park, Gauteng and the event is spearheaded by Ilze Nix - project manager for events and special projects in the Content Enterprises marketing department.

The panel of expert jurors, selected in collaboration with The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, includes both local and regional representatives from the television industry and the production community and media.

The panel will determine programs that will advance to the final round of judging in September.

As a regional host, SABC Content Enterprises joins the line-up of leading international broadcasters, entertainment companies and organizations that have associated with the International Academy to recognize excellence in television produced outside of the United States.

Hosts are members of The International Academy. All judging events are held in compliance with the International Emmy Awards judging procedures. A complete list of the 2009 hosts will be available on www.iemmys.tv.

The 2009 International Emmy(r) Awards final nominations will be announced on 5 October at the MIPCOM conference in Cannes, France, and the winners will be presented with their Emmy awards at the 36th International Emmy Awards Gala in New York on 23 November 2009.

SABC's Yvonne Kgame, executive manager for editorial and innovation, said "... Enabling independent producers, commissioning editors and heads of genres to grow the business of understanding international content and benchmarking against what the SABC does, will be of considerable benefit to the SA jurors. The discussions are focused, the content is from all over the world, and the panels are multi-disciplinary and speak to the SABC's conversations and partnerships."

Benefits to the SABC

Hosting the semi-final round is expected to bring benefits to the SABC:

• Hosting is expected to improve the SABC's profile as a provider of award-winning content bench-marked at the highest international standards, raise awareness of its role in international broadcasting, and help build the brand identity of SA content internationally
  
• Provides an opportunity to create a working relationship with an internationally renowned organisation
  
• Makes possible valuable networking opportunities with international professionals, plus contacts that could lead to co-productions, international sales and other synergies
  
• Affords the opportunity to keep abreast of the latest developments in film and television broadcasting
  
• Helps keep the SABC in touch with international tastes to help identify which SABC content and formats would be most in demand
  
• Exposes the SABC to the best international content that will help keep the broadcaster as an innovator of world-class content that tells the African story.

For more information go to www.iemmys.tv.