This is either the end of summer, maybe the start of autumn or rather the end of winter and the start of spring. Have I confused you? Well, I am thinking of South Africa but I find myself in Cannes, France. I am writing cloistered with other journalists in the Press Room and outside it is wet and chilly on the Croisette. There are no skimpily bikini clad girls on the beaches and the expensive beach restaurants look gloomily empty.
Sometimes the weather can mirror the mood of the times we will need to confront. So it is not just journalists having trouble warming up. The looming recession is like anticipating a cold front. It dampens the enthusiasm and the usual buzz in the exhibition halls of MIPTV is running at a low decibel. There is a downward pressure on production budgets, a decrease in marketing spend and broadcasters are feeling the chill of advertising cuts.
This mood malaise was intensified by the snowy weather on Monday in London and Paris which lead to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and airport chaos. Some execs who decided not to wait it out had to make arrangements to chase trains heading for the Cote d’Azur.
Reports in the daily MIPTV News continue to carry bullish news of acquisitions and new deals. In our e-newsletter which comes to you from MIPTV, we also provide you with what we hope will be useful information. So in spite of weather conditions, it is business as usual, we suppose.
Angela van Schalkwyk
