WATCHING TELEVISION is a central part of many people's lives, and more than a few people know more about the characters on the hit-television show Lost than they do about the co-worker sitting in the cubicle next to them.
Behind these compelling shows is a complex industry where content acquisition ensures that what we see keeps us on the edge of our seats.
Those involved in content acquisition are tasked with sourcing everything from topical documentaries to finding the next big hit. And everything that you see on your television has gone through a rigorous screening process before making it into your home.
To many, this may seem like the perfect job, stationed in front of a screen for a few hours of the day, maybe with a box of popcorn, before choosing which shows make the cut. But the reality is far from it.
Although content acquisition does require a certain amount of television watching, it also requires poring over statistics and a large amount of research.
'Deciding which programmes can fit into the right slot requires a lot of research and investigation. We are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of our rivals,' said Angela Fung, deputy head of Phoenix Chinese Channel, Phoenix Satellite Television, which runs five Mandarin language stations on the mainland and in Hong Kong, but broadcasts all over the world.