First and Foremost Crisis Means Opportunity. The Media Market of Ukraine and the Region has Learned this Lesson and Successfully Passed the Exam at KMW 2015

International media forum KIEV MEDIA WEEK 2015 was held on September 7-11 in Hyatt Regency Kiev, Ukraine.

The fifth anniversary forum, the cover theme of which was Media Business in the Era of Transformations: Challenges, Prospects, Opportunities, proved that any crisis, instability and hard times mean first of all opportunities and the need for even harder work. After the end of the forum we can state with confidence that CIS region’s media market has not just understood this maxim, but also takes a range of solid practical steps even today to successfully function in the significantly changed economic and political reality. It is worth noting that international media community follows the news from CIS region very closely and considers it a serious and promising partner. For example, this year KIEV MEDIA WEEK moved to Hyatt Regency Kiev, because the renewed and strengthened forum program could not have been accommodated by the infrastructure of the previous location.

For the first time during the five years of KIEV MEDIA WEEK forum existence, tvbizz, a well-known international media issue, prepared a special edition of its printed magazine, which analyzed the most important media business trends in our region. C21 Media, a huge international media portal, sent two delegates to cover our event. Keri Lewis Brown, the managing director of British media consulting company K7 media, visited FORMAT SHOWscreening conference and presented a special report there.

At the opening press conference, the head of StarLightMedia group and STB TV channelVladimir Borodyansky spoke about fundamental changes, which should turn Ukrainian television into a business:

1. Ukrainian TV channels need to start receiving payment for signal broadcasting
2. Fewer players should be left at the market
3. The issue of digital and analog broadcasting should be solved
4. A law should be adopted on returning a part of funds to the investors who spent them for production in Ukraine.

These issues served as the basis for discussion during KMW, and the forum was attended by all top managers of main Ukrainian media companies without exception, specialized public bodies representatives, and foreign guests.

For the first time in many years it became obvious that the state and film business representatives in Ukraine had understood each other by engaging in a constructive dialogue. At the Film Business conference, we had the pleasure of welcoming Sergey Sozanovsky (co-founder of FILM.UA Group), Vladimir Zelensky (film and TV producer and art director of Kvartal 95 Studio), and Philip Illyenko (head of Ukrainian National Film Agency).

At PayTV in Ukraine-2015 conference, for the first time in our country a public dialogue between pay TV market providers and media group representatives took place. The common problems and ways to their solution were discussed in an emotional, but still constructive manner by Vladimir Borodyansky (head of StarLightMedia group and STB TV channel),Sergey Boyko (president for VOLIA), Oksana Ferchuk (general manager for Viasat), Ivan Shestakov (marketing director of MEGOGO online cinema), and Grigoriy Shverk (deputy head of Ukrainian National Broadcasting Council). We expect the memorandum on cooperation to be signed in the nearest future.

At Kiev CoProduction Meetings, KMW pitching event, the international jury with representatives from Swedish companies Eccho Rights (Sparks Eccho Group) and SVT channel, French Series Mania Co-Рroduction Forum, and Ukrainian Kvartal 95 Studio, unanimously awarded the first prize to Mavka. The Forest Song with elements of Lesya Ukrainka’s play.

For the first in the course of KMW, an open session of media sphere state regulators from Ukraine and Eastern European countries was held. At the special Round Table Discussion of Media Regulatory Authorities of Ukraine, Poland, Slovak Republic and Czech Republic the most challenging industry issues of today were discussed; during the official discussion and beyond, some practical recommendations were given to the Ukrainian regulatory authorities on how to manage the sphere where propaganda is a daily threat, and the TV channels cannot or will not regulate their own content.

In the end of KIEV MEDIA WEEK 2015, the representatives of #KinoKraina initiative group presented 12 newest series, which will go on air in the nearest future, to the press and colleagues.

KMW 2015 partners were Eutelsat S.A., one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites, and 112 Ukraine TV channel. This shows that our forum is extremely interesting and useful for the representatives of all media business fields, both in Ukraine and beyond.

Follow KIEV MEDIA WEEK news at our website, Facebook and Twitter.