The Knowledge is a series of interviews with leading screen industry figures, conducted by experienced film journalist Andrew Urban and published via the CSB blog.
Sebastian Debertin - biography
Sebastian Debertin is Head of Fiction, Acquisitions & Co-Productions, and Deputy Managing & Programming Director with KI.KA, Germany. KI.KA is a public television channel based in Erfurt, Germany. It is a joint venture between national public television channels ARD and ZDF, and is targeted at children and youth.
Sebastian worked as an editor and co-producer in children’s television before helping to launch the International Television Programs Distribution Division of penta tv Productions International in 1992. In 1995 he became Vice President, International Sales & Acquisitions. In 1996, Sebastian helped create and launch KI.KA Kinderkanal and took on the role of Head of Fiction, Acquisitions & Co-Productions. Since October 2000, he has also served as KI.KA’s Deputy Managing & Programming Director. In this role he is responsible for all international affairs and business development for the channel.
Audio download
Chapter 1 - Profiling KI.KA- 12 minutes
- KI.KA as a public broadcaster providing children’s programming
- Broad range of interactive elements
- KI.KA - a role model for BBC
- Challenge of running single channel catering for all kids age ranges
- Some 45% of all productions are ‘in house’
- Ratings are important - that’s the currency
- Looking across the board at series and one-offs – good stories
- Australia is equal biggest supplier of content for us with Canada
- Competing with the Disney library is a challenge
Video downloads
Chapter 2 - Thinking beyond TV - 10 minutes
- Website has 20 million visitors a month
- Need to merchandise - there is life beyond the TV set
- Important to become a non-linear broadcaster
- Share of revenue from merchandising goes into promoting source program
- Share of public licence fees (paid by households)
- Would be better to have at least two channels (one for pre-schoolers)
Video downloads
