Today, there is a world market for television. The main players in this market are producers, distributors, and broadcasters. The subsidiary players are government agencies, financiers, packagers, and sales agents. The stages on which the players appear are the markets held several times a year in the United States, Europe, and more recently, Asia. The most well­ observed markets are MIP-TV (held in April in Cannes, France), MIPCOM (held in October in Cannes), the American Film Market, or AFM (held in Santa Monica, California, in February), the Monte Carlo Television market, and the National Association of Television Programming Executives, NATPE (held in Los Vegas, Nevada, in January). Other markets of note are the Reed-Midem organized MILIA market for interactive television, held in Cannes in February; the Cannes Market (MIF); and the International Animated Film Market (MIFA), held in Annecy, France. However, the glut of such markets in Europe has led to a downturn in attendance in recent years. A recent addition to the international schedule, and one that is gaining momentum, is the DISCOP format market, first held in Lisbon in 2002. The nature of the DISCOP market is to generate sales of format ideas and establish relationships between format licensors, creators, producers, and investors. This is a significant development given that a number of major media organizations now see formats as integral to their internationalization strategies.

     Some of the sales conventions are well established. The MIDEM organization, which runs the MIP events, started in the 1950s and is now owned by Reed International, the publishing company. The dominance of European and North American markets has in recent years been challenged by new events in the Asian region. MIP Asia was first held in December 1994 in Hong Kong. The market achieved mixed success in comparison with its European-based namesakes and was wound down after the 1999 MIP Asia, held in Singapore, being replaced by the Asia Television Forum, which is now held in early December and is organized by Reed Exhibitions and Television Asia. An Asian-based trade forum that has doubled its volume of sales since 1999 is the Hong Kong International Film and Television Market (HK Filmart). This market is organized by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, and is held in June. Also gathering momentum is the Shanghai International Film and TV Program Market, which follows the now­ merged Shanghai TV and Shanghai Film festivals. It is also held in early June.

MIP-TV, the longest-running of the markets, attracted 1,205 exhibitors and 10,217 participants from 92 countries in 2002. MIPCOM (International Market for Television, Video, Cable and Satellite Films and Programs), which began life in the early 1980s as an "obscure sibling" to the long running MIP-TV in spring, is held in the northern fall, also in Cannes. It grew fast to become, by the late 1980s, the second­ biggest event after MIP-TV, and it is now a huge meeting of the world's television buyers and sellers, with the established players dominant. The 2001 MIPCOM attracted 5,185 exhibitors and nearly 10,000 participants from dozens of countries. Xavier Roy, chief executive of the Reed-Midem organization, believes the event can accommodate expansion to 12-15,000 participants.

In these big markets, programming is often bought or rejected sight-unseen, in job lots, based on company reputation or distributor clout. Very broad, rough-and­ ready genre expectations are in play. Decisions to purchase programs not central to the schedule are frequently made on such grounds, even though the choices seem arbitrary. Conversely, there is a tradition among some European public broadcasters of scrutinizing possible foreign acquisitions extremely closely. In this atmosphere, it is difficult for the new company, the off-beat product, or the unusual concept to be discovered. (For its first foray as a seller into MIPCOM in 1993, the U.S. documentary cable channel Discovery "tarted up" its profile by dressing its stall as a movie set. Actors were employed to create live action scenarios around a World War II theme to coincide with Discovery's use of Normandy-landing documentaries as its flagship programs.)

     These markets are the places where buyers can view the programs on sale from various producers, distributors, and sales agents. Just as crucially, markets are the places where the players can circle each other at screenings and parties in the attempt to set up or consolidate partnerships that can help to finance the next project. If there is one thing true about "world" television, it is that it works on a basis of personal contact. Experienced distributor Bruce Gordon, head of Paramount International, has described the international television market as a club. However, not all players in this club are equal. The most powerful are the U.S. networks; the representatives of the Hollywood studios; the major broadcasters, both commercial and public service, from the richest regions elsewhere (Japan and Europe); the emerging new pay services like Star TV, British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), and Canal Plus; and perhaps some of the biggest television distributors, such as Germany's Kirsch Group, whose large holdings of library material gave it considerable economic clout until the company was declared in­ solvent in 2002. Given the multiplication of television distribution channels throughout the world, it is likely that the international markets will continue to grow in importance. New participants will need to find ways to place themselves within the structures of power and exchange already controlled by these more established institutions and individuals.