Page 22 - Fujifilm Exposure_29 Trial & Retribution_ok

“There has been a tendency in the past for kids’ channel operators to compete against each other. But what we should be doing is competing against ITV.”
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“But at the end of the day, we need to be encouraging kids to get out of the house. This doesn’t fit with the business model, but there is a social responsibility.”
As a father to three kids and espe- cially as an avid Chelsea fan, the best proof that Finnegan – a recent Fuji golf day winner, too - takes this seri- ously is The Jetix Cup – an annual kids football tournament that pits teams from all the countries where the channel broadcasts.
“It’s essentially The World Cup for kids,” he says, noticeably brightening up. “We always get spanked, like when we play Brazil. But it’s pretty moving, I always end up in tears. I don’t go there to sit in the VIP tent and sip Pimms, I watch every match and I cry every year.”
So with re-branding in place and 140 million homes potentially in the firing line, what does Finnegan have planned for the future?
“I would like to launch or acquire more channels. I think we would benefit from owning a wider portfo- lio of brands. I mean, we have a number of vehicles already, but there are gaps and if we were in the market, we would be looking for a Tween/Teen channel. We need to continue to aggressively build our advertising revenue too. That’s my main focus over the next two or three years.”
And that’s not all he’s keen to achieve. On the way out, he points at a half-empty, junk-filled room. “This is the chill-out room, or at least it will be. There’s going to be table football
and comfy sofas. Unfortunately, it has- n’t been at the top of the list of priori- ties – although it is for me!” ■ BEN FALK
20 • Exposure • Fuji Motion Picture And Professional Video