NATPE Doubles Reality Focus At 2016 Show

Reality TV will have an expanded presence at NATPE in January with two days of sessions and events focused on reality programming — up from one day last winter — plus a special area set aside where sellers of reality show concepts will be able to pitch their ideas to potential buyers.

NATPE’s two-day focus on reality-TV will run concurrently with the annual NATPE Market & Conference to be held in Miami Beach Jan. 19-21. The reality TV sessions and events are being packaged under a separate title – NATPE Reality 2016 — running Jan. 19-20. Attendance at NATPE Reality will require a separate entrance ticket costing $90.

NATPE announced the expansion of the annual conference’s reality-TV focus on Tuesday. In addition to two days of sessions and panel-discussion events, NATPE Reality will include the second annual Reality Breakthrough Awards and the new Reality Buyers Hall, which “will offer executives, producers, writers, creators and agents from all over the world a one-stop venue for meetings, networking, and the ability to interact with buyers, distributors, creators, producers and stars from every corner of the content business,” NATPE said.

“The growth of NATPE Reality mirrors the surge in attendance we have enjoyed from this critically important segment of the business,” said NATPE President-CEO Rod Perth in a prepared statement. “Reality is intensifying its footprint at the conference as a strong and vibrant economic force, reflecting its role as a permanent fixture of the interdependent television constellation alongside scripted programming.”

“NATPE is an ideas market — a place where producers, writers, creators and talent can pitch new ideas to buyers and commissioners and development executives,” said Phil Gurin, president of The Gurin Co., a member of the NATPE board of directors and co-chair of the NATPE Reality committee. “It is exciting to imagine the fresh new pitches that will be at NATPE as part of the larger reality track the conference has planned.”

The centerpiece of NATPE Reality 2016 figures to be the Breakthrough Awards ceremony scheduled for Jan. 19. The awards honor non-scripted programming in five categories: Reality, reality competition, game shows, docusoaps and factual. Winners are determined by a committee of TV programming executives.

This year’s judges are: Meredith Ahr, EVP, alternative programming and development, NBC Entertainment & Universal Television; Rod Aissa, EVP, original programming and development, Oxygen Media; Carlos Bardasano, VP, original content, Univision Communications; Todd Christopher, partner- chief strategy officer, The Gersh Agency; Denise Contis, EVP, development and production, Discovery Channel; Christy Dees, VP, development, Bravo; Lauren Dolgen, EVP of series development, head of unscripted programming, MTV; David Eilenberg, SVP, unscripted development, latenight, and specials, TNT and TBS; Eliot Goldberg, SVP, nonfiction and alternative programming, AMC and Sundance TV; Brett Hansen, partner, head of alternative TV, United Talent Agency; Michael Kagan, head of international TV and media, ICM Partners; Eli Lehrer, SVP, nonfiction programming, Lifetime/A&E Television Networks; Susan Levison, EVP, original programming and production, VH1; Sharon Levy, EVP original series, Spike TV; Russ McCarroll, SVP, programming and development, History Channel; Josh Pyatt, partner, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment; Jessica Sebastian, VP, head of unscripted programming, USA Network; David Stefanou, VP, development, WEtv; and Eric Wattenberg, co-head, alternative television, Creative Artists Agency.