Emmy winner Ebru TV, broadcasting in US, now more popular than ever

When, where and how did Ebru TV come into existence?

Well, Ebru TV began broadcasting in November 2006 out of the New Jersey city of Somerset. Ebru TV was formed based on the success of Samanyolu TV’s broadcasts in Eurasia, the idea being to reach audiences who had, many years ago, immigrated to America from the Eurasia region but whose presence is not really reflected in programs there. We aimed to achieve the same quality of programming as Samanyolu TV in this respect. Despite there being considerable numbers of people from this geography living in America, there really isn’t adequate programming that reflects these groups’ needs. You see this more clearly when you take a look at the content of the programming in America.

What are the broadcast principles and concepts behind Ebru TV?

Well, first and foremost, Ebru TV is a family channel. Our broadcast concept is definitely aimed at providing programming that parents and children can watch together on the screen without having to worry about content. This is what shapes our programming. But, of course, within this format, we need lots of variety. We have food programs, travel programs, series, films, children’s programs, even cartoons. There is definitely a television program appropriate for every member of the family on Ebru TV.

So why did you feel the need to set up this TV station?

We were encouraged a bit by Samanyolu TV’s American broadcasts and the fact that non-Turkish viewers were trying to watch those broadcasts. Also, the success that Samanyolu TV experienced with its programming in various countries in the world, appealing to those countries’ citizens, encouraged us. And our general feasibility study in America showed us that in fact despite there being great potential with multicultural audiences in America, no one was trying to reach these groups in English.

What is your broadcasting range? Both from the perspective of your technical abilities and from the perspective of your target audience.

Ebru TV has a very wide broadcasting range that includes everything from cultural shows to news to sports programming, as well as series, children’s programs, documentaries and debate-style talk shows. We have original Ebru TV productions as well as programs we take from Turkey, which are then dubbed, and we also buy certain programs from outside sources.

How many people are you able to reach?

Right now we broadcast not only over satellite but also cable. Through satellite we reach all of North America as well as Canada and the top of South America. The satellite alone means between 20-25 million people. In large cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., we broadcast as RCN channel 53 on cable, though since this is not a measured ratings system, we don’t have clear statistics on how many people are watching us. But we do see through general polling and e-mails we receive that we are definitely reaching a wide audience. In addition, we are also currently engaged in talks with four large programming distribution companies.

What sort of reactions do you get from viewers?

Most of our viewers are ethnically Eurasian Americans. We have viewers from Eastern Europe and North Africa as well as Central Asia. Since we began our broadcasts, we have had constant viewers and their opinions expressed to us, through telephone calls, e-mails, etc. Our viewers are definitely faithful and supportive. They really value our programming, and they are never afraid to tell us when they watch programs they don’t like. Because they know that if they complain, we will pay attention and do what needs to be done. This sort of closeness is rooted in the relationship we enjoy with our viewing audience.

Just thinking about the hundreds of channels that broadcast in the US, how do you distinguish yours from your competitors, and how do you stay afloat in this fierce market?

Well, there may in fact be hundreds of channels in America, but there really isn’t much room in this market for channels that are not unique in their own way or which imitate others. Our point of departure is really based on providing programming built on a model unlike anything which is provided currently in the US. There is no other broadcasting in English that is aimed at our target audience. And so this immediately distinguishes us from the other channels out there.

The Turkish theme in your broadcasts is striking. It is evident in so much of your programming, from food programs to cultural programs. How do your non-Turkish viewers react to this?

This might be a specific way of interpreting it because, actually, our broadcasting is based on cultural and family values not only from Turkey but also from the geography we could call Eurasia. Everyone who watches our programming can find something in it for themselves. Our general approach is based upon the idea of handling different views with tolerance and learning from one another.

A few weeks ago, your channel won Emmys in three different categories. To which programs were these awards given?

“World in America: Taiwan,” by Nasuhi Yurt and Gökhan Nalçacı won in the historical and cultural programs category. Then the program “Matter and Beyond: Artificial Intelligence” won in the health and science category. In addition, Ebru TV’s striking graphic designs won in the Emmy’s graphic arts and animation category for Ayhan Cebe’s designs in the programs “Open Forum” and “World in America.”

Were you expecting this?

It would be a lie to say we weren’t expecting this. We had already thought that the people working with us were producing high-quality programming, certainly on the level of other American stations. Of course, I should clarify that no one was working specifically to win any awards. We pay attention to quality programming in everything we do. For example, in dubbing alone we work with nearly 150 theater artists. Let me give this example: A one-hour series takes nearly 70 hours of work -- the translations, the adaptations, mixing, etc. All of this effort and hard work is aimed at increasing quality.

What about your goals for 2010?

Our main goal is to expand our distribution network; we are waiting for the results from our talks with four large distribution companies. We want to begin broadcasting in high definition, which is slowly becoming the standard in America. We would also like to increase our share in the American advertising market. And so, to do all this, we need to increase our own original quality programming.

One last question: Why Ebru?

Well, as we all know, America is a very multicultural place. Some call this a mosaic, which seems reasonable at first, but actually, in a mosaic, every stone is its own color and doesn’t blend its colors with other stones. But in ebru (a traditional Turkish water painting art) colors tend to blend. In America, the term “melting pot” is commonly used. We believe that cultures have so much to give and learn from one another. And so we wanted Ebru TV to be a platform where all of these things could come together.