Localisation, sports and co-production are high on the wish list of two-month old global factual entertainment channel Insight UHD.

Launched across Asia in April by Netherlands-based Television Entertainment Reality Network (TERN), Insight UHD is delivered via Malaysian satellite Measat-3a.

Insight says its programming priority for this year is making “local versions of our flagship [global] content that is appealing to the Asian audience,” says chief executive, Rian Bester,

TERN develops and produces 200 hours of ultra high definition content a year. 95% of the schedule is filled with its own content and the remaining 5% is programmed with acquired (international) programming.

Original content in the June and July schedules includes: Extraordinary Humans (10x48 mins), about the hunt for people with genuine, real-life super-powers; Spartan X (10x48 mins), an adventure reality series with 12 contestants for the ultimate warrior title; Strange World (8x48 mins), which investigates some of the world’s strangest phenomena; and Around the World in 80 Tricks (10x24 mins) magic series.

“We are looking at the possibilities of co-producing with Asian production companies and working with local talent,” Bester says, adding that the plan also includes adding local major content to the Insight offering.

Insight’s original sports-based programming in June and July includes reality series Inside Moto (6x24 mins) that documents the world of motoGP, and extreme sports Power & … (28x12 mins) featuring athletes and adventurers and their life stories/expeditions.

The Q3/Q4 2016 schedule includes extreme sports show Running the World (12x24 mins).

Other non-sports series slated for the second half of this year include: Secrets of the Brain (science, 10x48 mins); The Demolition Man (science, 12x24 mins); Science of Thrills (factual, 8x48 mins); and Living Stone (adventure, 10x48 mins).

Content airs first on Insight UHD, with a three-month holdback before it become available to sister channel Insight HD in the regions where Insight HD is available. Bester says Asia is an exploding UHD market.

“UHD TV sales will be up 40% by the end of the year… Asia is moving faster than the rest of the world. We are expecting a rapid entrance in the Asian market and households,” he says, adding that Asian governments are supportive of the UHD environment.

Talking about the challenges in Asia, Bester puts reception and transmission at the top of the list. No numbers are being disclosed, but ballpark numbers making the rounds put the cost of getting a UHD channel to homes can be up to six times or more than a regular channel. This is, however, universally expected to drop quickly.

“The challenge is more for the platforms to be able to receive and transmit our programming because we are ready in the highest UHD standard,” he says.

What’s on the evening/prime-time grid: Insight’s primetime in general, starts at 9pm and ends at 11pm on Mondays to Saturdays, and on Sundays extended to 11.30pm (GMT +8). ContentAsia’s schedule analysis looked at two weekly schedules, 7pm-midnight daily.

The week of 26 June-3 July was made up of 25% (10.5 hours) automobile; 19.1% (8 hours) sports/activities; 18.7% (7.8 hours) competition; 14.3% (6 hours) science documentary; 11.5% (4.8 hours) magic/mythological series; 9.2% (3.8 hours) investigative; and 2.4% (1 hour) action/adventure series.

For the week of 25-31 July, the schedule is 22.6% (9.5 hours) sports/activities; 22.6% (9.5 hours) competition; 17.9% (7.5 hours) science documentary; 15.5% (6.5 hours) magic/mythological series; 10.7% (4.5 hours) automobile; 8.3% (3.5 hours) investigative; and 2.4% (1 hour) action/adventure series.

Published on 27 June 2016