BANFF 2018: I get Premium beer, but Premium non-fiction?

By Bill Roberts

BANFF – The term “premium” seems to be a favoured buzzword around the Banff World Media Fest this year, but there’s no doubt with more deep-pocketed platforms fortifying their non-fiction content strategies, linear networks are taking bigger swings at tentpole and event programming.But what the heck is Premium non-fiction?Is it all about pricier content? What are the metrics or other factors for labelling a project Premium? And do these bigger budget Premium properties really pay off?Panelists Jon Bardin, VP documentaries and specials, Discovery Channel; Igal Svet, senior director, development, National Geographic; Lisa Opie, director of factual, BBC Studios; and James...