SBS sets sights on Asia's version of Eurovision
Titled 'Veiled Musician,' the pan-Asian vocal contest to highlight regional talent and cross-cultural artistry
Asia is getting its own take on the Eurovision Song Contest.
Apparently, 'Veiled Musician,' an upcoming global audition show from leading South Korean broadcaster Seoul Broadcasting System, was made with the world's longest-running television music competition in mind.
Featuring participants from 13 countries — Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos — the show, slated to premiere later this year, will kick off with local competitions in each participating nation.
The top three finalists from each territory will then advance to the grand finale, which will be staged in Korea. The show will be broadcast across major local networks in the participating countries and on SBS.
Adding a layer of meritocracy, 'Veiled Musician' will strip away personal identifiers, such as contestants' faces and nationalities, focusing solely on vocal talent.
The show stands out not only for its scale but also for its production setup. Unlike previous cross-border projects where broadcasting formats were simply licensed, 'Veiled Musician' is a co-produced venture spearheaded by the participating nations, alongside South Korea.
'In fact, there aren't really any broadcasters in other countries that actually do co-productions," claimed Kim Yong-jae, chief revenue officer at SBS' Prism Studios, the entertainment production division of the broadcaster, during an interview with The Korea Herald. "They've only ever bought the format. ... Co-producing like this is probably something that has never happened before,' Kim said.
Kim, a veteran of the Korean entertainment industry, whose career includes stints as a producer and deputy head of SBS' entertainment division and who is widely credited with exporting the popular Korean variety show "Running Man" to China, where it became a megahit, is helming the production of "Veiled Musician."
According to Kim, 'Veiled Musician' will serve as a powerful platform for cultural diplomacy and create music industry connections across Asia.
'If we do well together with this kind of content, it's an amazing opportunity to really elevate our national image. Also, the show's judges and contestants may even collaborate on producing an album. Our music market could expand as a result as well. For example, a song like 'The Way Back' (translated) could be produced in 12 different versions and exported, creating a powerful ripple effect,' said Kim.
Kim emphasized that for him, a win-win structure was key from the outset. For Season 1, he said SBS is waiving format fees and offering financial aid to select nations.
'For the first season, we're essentially offering support. In fact, we're planning to provide 100 million won ($73,000) each to countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, since they (the broadcasting companies) are struggling financially.'
Going forward, as SBS' head of globalizing K-content, Kim said he has identified Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand as key growth markets.
'Among them, Indonesia is the best — it all comes down to population size. For example, the Korean film 'Miracle in Cell No. 7' made 20 billion won in Indonesia."
Kim is also strategically focusing on Myanmar, where Korean content previously held strong cultural sway.
'Before the coup, Hallyu was really strong in Myanmar. Why? Because they aired Korean dramas from Monday to Thursday right before the 9 o'clock news. As a result, a lot of young people there can speak Korean. And the country is quite large geographically, too."
He added: 'Anyway, we need to move quickly and localize ourselves in these Asian countries — be on the ground with them. We need to support them, not just for 'Veiled Musician,' but also by helping develop their music industries while promoting ours. That's how they come to think positively of Korean content and Korea as a whole."
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