Reality TV, Made In Asia

Source : TODAY, Wednesday, October 10, 2007

S'pore will be backdrop as The Apprentice producer ties up with Sentosa IR










The Apprentice, Singapore-style? This may happen as soon as next year.

Genting International and reality-television supremo Mark Burnett's production company Mark Burnett International have come together to produce and distribute reality television series and game shows for Asia.

Called Mark Burnett Productions Asia (MBPA), the joint venture will have its base in Genting International's Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) and will use its facilities and resort attractions for its productions.

RWS, opening in 2010, will house Universal Studios, the world's largest oceanarium Marine Life Park, six theme hotels, showrooms and film-production facilities. The resort will be an exciting backdrop and the fact of a reality TV show will draw many more visitors to the resort when it opens, said Genting International executive chairman Lim Kok Thay.

The two partners have invested up to US$20 million ($29.5 million) in a move that Mr Burnett says is a "first step" in a new wave of Asian TV programming. Plans also include live shows at the resort itself.

Said Mr Burnett during a teleconference with local media yesterday: "In Las Vegas, it's common to have a live version of a TV game show in the casinos. It's a big goal of mine to … be using (game show) content — particularly with gaming elements — within a resort, so it's more than just a TV show."

On his tie-up with Genting, he said: "I've been dreaming about this for a long time. It would be ridiculous of me to do something in Asia alone, as it's such a big important market."

RWS chief executive officer Tan Hee Teck described it as a "complementary relationship". He added: "Mark Burnett brings expertise and branding and we have a strong presence, a great understanding of the Asian market and the facilities."

The two partners were brought together at a meeting in Los Angeles in June by the Economic Development Board, and EDB assistant managing director Manohar Khiatani is delighted with the resulting collaboration.

It underscores "the attractiveness of Singapore as a location where leading media content owners create and manage their intellectual property assets", he said.

Some popular shows Mr Burnett has produced include The Apprentice, Survivor and The Amazing Race; and MBPA has an exclusive licence to produce shows on multiple media platforms — broadcast TV, the Internet and mobile TV — for Asia, excluding Japan, and the Middle East.

While Mr Burnett is keeping mum on the programmes MBPA will produce ("I've learnt my lesson from speaking too much to the press," he joked), he said they won't only be "Asian versions of American shows".

"I believe in the global village," he said. "There's so much content here. We can produce uniquely-Asian shows that can also be used for American or European markets."

MBPA expects to begin production on their first show next year, although, said Mr Burnett, it may not necessarily be produced in Singapore.

"(We'd like) the first one to be in Singapore, but this is a business, so we'll consider all options to see if it makes rational business sense," he added.