NATPE Unveils New ‘Tracks’ For Conference

A “summit” of TV station groups is one of three new initiatives the planners of this winter’s annual NATPE conference have added to the meeting’s agenda, NATPE officials announced today.

The three initiatives — or “tracks” — represent three areas of intensive focus at this year’s NATPE get-together, the group said. The three areas are scripted drama programming (NATPE Scripted), music (NATPE Music) and TV station programming (NATPE Station Group Summit).

NATPE’s station group track will be headed up by Emerson Coleman, VP, programming, Hearst-Argyle Television; and Sean Compton, president, strategic programming and acquisitions, Tribune Media, NATPE said.

“The NATPE Station Group Summit will recognize the industry’s trendsetting executives,” the NATPE announcement said. “Executives speaking will share best practices, solutions and challenges as local stations and programmers look to think beyond the traditional broadcast model.”

No list of speakers nor a schedule of sessions comprising NATPE’s station group track was made available as part of NATPE’s announcement.

As for the other tracks, “NATPE Scripted will bring drama into focus,” NATPE said. “The new set of sessions will gather top-tier creators and executives from around the world to examine what goes into the creation of engaging stories.”

The centerpiece of the scripted track is a “keynote session” featuring Kevin Beggs, chairman, Lionsgate Television Group, in an on-stage “conversation with Matt Jacobson, head of market development, Facebook, NATPE said. Other sessions in the NATPE Scripted track, if any, were not specified.

The NATPE Music track is being chaired by composer Paul Williams, lyricist of the Love Boat theme song. “Exploring the vital longstanding link between TV and music, NATPE Music will assemble A-List musicians, songwriters, publishers, producers, supervisors and executives at the forefront of the music industry to provide actionable, and invaluable insights into the places where television and music meet,” NATPE said.

None of these “A-listers” were identified in NATPE’s press announcement.

This year’s NATPE theme is “Be A Part Of It.” It is scheduled for Jan. 17-19 in Miami Beach.