The global market has been a boon for the little guy as well. I bumped into two mad TV chefs from San Diego who call themselves the Clever Cleaver Brothers. For years they've been doing a 3-minute cooking segment that can be dropped into a local newscast or morning show. At present, though, fewer than 10 stations in the U.S. have taken a bite. Their segments have been sold to networks in France, Japan, Ireland, Spain and to English-speaking channels in 18 Middle Eastern countries.
International sales go the other direction, too.
Guess what - it's coming here, and it'll be hard to miss. It's so visual, and it can't be copied. However, many countries will substitute their own host and script for those originally used on Fox. All American has perhaps the cleverest foreign-adaptation idea of all. Ralph always bowled in America, but in Indonesia he always played badminton.