Television Asia back issues from March 2008:
Rating out the three c's.(comment)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008; ... I think Singapore originally coined the 'five c's' to which one should aspire--namely cash, car, condominium, credit card and country club. But of late, I've become aware acutely of at least three c's that should be front of mind for everyone in the TV industry. ...
Writers' strike ends.(news)
Mar 01, 2008 ... LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood screenwriters have ended their strike following a 92.5% vote by members of the Writer Guild of America (WGA) in favour of resuming work after a three-month long dispute. The vote follows the presentation of a new contract to WGA members over the February 9, 2008 ...
ABC TV rebrands, branches into two channels.(news)
Mar 01, 2008 ... SYDNEY -- To support its role as Australia's only multi-platform, multi-channel, free-to-air broadcaster, Australian Broadcasting Corporation has branched out into two channels in ABC1 and ABC2, rebranded with a new-on air look, and is providing programming online. ABC1 is the main channel ...
Al Jazeera English to debut in Vietnam on VTC Digital TV.(news)
Mar 01, 2008 ... DOHA, QATAR -- Al Jazeera and VTC Digital Television have signed a deal to launch Al Jazeera English in Vietnam. The news and current affairs channel will be available to 2 million households throughout Vietnam on Channel 9 of VTC's digital terrestrial service offered by Vietnam Multimedia ...
Asian Food Channel debuts in the Philippines.(news)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... SINGAPORE -- The Asian Food Channel (AFC) launched in the Philippines February 1, 2008, on the country's dominant pay-TV provider SkyCable. The 24-hour channel's launch follows previews of the channel via programming blocks that aired previously on the service's Lifestyle channel. ...
Asian broadcasters believe in localizing SPTI's Ripley.(news)
Mar 01, 2008 ... HONG KONG -- Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has sealed format deals with free-to-air broadcasters MediaCorp TV Channel 5, Lativi, and GMA Network for localized versions of Ripley's Believe It or Not! to air in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines respectively. ...
MEASAT expands service to Africa with AFRICASAT-1.(news)(Measat Broadcast Network Systems Sdn. Bhd.)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... KUALA LUMPUR -- MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd has expanded its satellite network into Africa with the commissioning of the AFRICASAT-1 satellite at the 46.0E orbital location. Paul Brown-Kenyon, COO, MEASAT, said, "While we have been able to serve customers in Eastern Africa ...
FOXCRIME launches on J:COM.(news)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TOKYO -- Jupiter Telecommunications and News Broadcasting Japan (NBJ) have signed a deal to launch the latter's crime and suspense channel, FOXCRIME, on digital broadcast service J:COM TV Digital from March 1, 2008. FOXCRIME channel offers ...
Disney Channel@Play broadband service debuts in Taiwan.(news)
Mar 01, 2008 ... TAIPEI -- Disney Channel@Play launched in Taiwan on January 25 2008, Disney Channel's first broadband service in Asia Pacific and third such service worldwide. Disney Channel@Play offers full-length, Mandarin-dubbed, Chinese-subtitled episodes of its animated and live-action ...
Ten and Foxtel share rights to 2010 Commonwealth Games.(news)
Mar 01, 2008 ... SYDNEY -- Ten Network and pay TV operator Foxtel will share Australian broadcast rights to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The partners' successful bid is believed to be in the region of A$35million (US$30.8million) for all electronic media rights including TV, pay TV, mobile, radio ...
Nokia Siemens Networks partners Global Mediacom for mobile TV in Indonesia.(news)
Mar 01, 2008 ... NOKIA Siemens Networks, provider of business solutions including professional services, mobile technology and innovations; and Global Mediacom, an integrated media, broadcast, entertainment, and telecommunications group in Indonesia, are partnering to launch a commercial broadcast Digital ...
NHN and Daum in divergent approaches to IPTV.(deals)
Mar 01, 2008 ... SEOUL -- NHN, operator of dominant Korean search portal Naver, has entered the IPTV market on the premise of caution and reconnaissance, in a vastly contrasting stance from rival Daum which has already partnered Microsoft to launch an open-IPTV service. As a reconnaissance ...
BBC Worldwide moves into MySpace.(deals)(BBC Worldwide Ltd.)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LONDON -- BBC Worldwide and MySpace have partnered to provide BBC programming to the social networking website's 100 million users via a dedicated MySpaceTV channel. BBC Worldwide's content became available January 24, 2008 in seven languages ...
Granada Int'l and Zig Zag in development and distribution partnership.(deals)
Mar 01, 2008 ... LONDON -- Granada International has concluded a development and distribution deal with independent producer Zig Zag Productions for an option on the worldwide distribution rights, excluding the UK and USA, to finished factual and entertainment shows. The partners will also ...
IFG Australian licensing and merchandising agent for Paramount Licensing and DIC Entertainment.(deals)
Mar 01, 2008 ... LOS ANGELES/BURBANK/ SYDNEY -- International Film Group (IFG) has been named the licensing and merchandising agent for Paramount Licensing and DIC Entertainment in Australia. IFG's exclusive licensing representation of Paramount's film library spans classic titles Grease, ...
FME appointed CBS Consumer Products' exclusive licensing agent Down Under.(deals)
Mar 01, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- CBS Consumer Products, a division of CBS Entertainment, has appointed FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) as its exclusive licensing agency for Australia and New Zealand. FME will build merchandising programs for CBS's signature brands including current franchises Star ...
NBCU partners NDTV in India.(deals)(NBC Universal)(NDTV)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LONDON/DELHI -- NBC Universal and NDTV Ltd have formed a long-term strategic partnership in India with the former taking a 26% stake in NDTV Networks, the holding company for the latter's entertainment and lifestyle channels, digital media and interests ...
HBO takes majority stake in HBO Asia.(deals)
Mar 01, 2008 ... SINGAPORE -- Home Box Office Inc. (HBO), Time Warner's US-based premium cable TV programming subsidiary has taken a majority stake in its Asian joint-venture company HBO Asia. Previously held by HBO, NBC Universal, Paramount Films and Sony Pictures Entertainment, under the new equity ...
Disney-ABC Int'l Television inks VOD IPTV content deals with KT, Hanaro.(deals)
Mar 01, 2008 ... HONG KONG -- Disney-ABC International Television, The Walt Disney Company's international TV distribution arm, has inked VOD IPTV agreements with Korean telcos KT Corporation and Hanaro Telecom to bring Disney programming to the former's Mega TV and the latter's HanaTV services. ...
SK Telecom to offer Sony Pictures Entertainment content via mobile VOD.(deals)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SEOUL -- SK Telecom has signed an agreement with Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) to license Sony Pictures Entertainment films and television series for its mobile VOD services NATE and June. To be available in full-length via ...
Sony TV and World Sports Group stump ESS for IPL cricket rights.(deals)
Mar 01, 2008 ... A consortium of India's Sony Television network and Singapore-based World Sports Group (WSG) has secured the rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the officially-sanctioned Twenty20 league, for ten years at a cost of more than US$1billion. As part of the deal, the consortium will pay ...
Shigeo Fukuchi helms NHK as President.(people)(NHK Japan Broadcasting Corp. appoints Shigeo Fukuchi )(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TOKYO -- Shigeo Fukuchi has taken the helm of Japanese pubcaster NHK as its new President, replacing Genichi Hashimoto who stepped down at the end of his three-year term January 24, 2008; although he resigned earlier to take responsibility for alleged ...
Robert Odendaal to leave Astro.(people)(resignment from Astro All Asia Networks PLC)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KUALA LUMPUR -- Robert Odendaal, CEO of Astro All Asia Networks (AAAN) has resigned and will leave the Malaysian pay-TV operator on April 15, 2008. Citing "personal and lifestyle reasons" for his decision to step down, Odendaal said, "AAAN is a ...
SPE Networks-Asia announce management changes.(people)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] SINGAPORE -- SPE Networks-Asia, in expanding from two to six channel brands including AXN Asia, Animax Asia, Sony Entertainment Television (SET), AXN Beyond, PIX and PIX Thriller, has made changes to its senior management. Jack Lim has been appointed as ...
Rob Gilby named SVP & MD, Disney-ABC International Television, Asia-Pacific.(people)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HONG KONG -- Rob Gilby has been appointed to the new position of Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Disney-ABC International Television, Asia Pacific. He will lead the growth of distribution and revenue for TV and film content developed by The Walt ...
Dulce Lim Chen joins TENA as VP, Asia Pacific, Cartoon Network Enterprises.(people)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HONG KONG -- Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc. (TENA) has appointed Dulce Lim Chen as Vice President, Asia Pacific of Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), Cartoon Network's consumer products division. Lim Chen will drive Cartoon Network's ...
Class monitor: as Pixelmetrix President and CEO Danny Wilson explains to Television Asia Plus' Magz Osborne, preventative monitoring can be far more basic than measuring picture quality--but about ensuring viewers get the programming they're expecting.(CEO view)
Mar 01, 2008; ... IMAGINE a typical Tuesday morning in New Jersey, as 9.30am sees suburban families tuning into Disney Channel to watch Handy Manny and his talking tools. What they got May 2, 2007 however, was hardcore pornography; a blunder for which cable company Comcast accepted responsibility. ...
Philippines ratings row rages: rivalry between the Philippines' dominant terrestrial broadcasters ABS-CBN and GMA Network is intensifying as the spat over tainted TV ratings continues.(advertising & research)
Mar 01, 2008; ... WITH TV ratings key to winning advertising revenue, no wonder that TV networks in the Philippines are both highly competitive--and extremely sensitive--about the topic of audience measurement. And when those all-important figures might prove to have been manipulated, be sure the ...
Viewers tune-in to new music: the use of sexy soundtracks, both within TV shows and as music videos, is proving a harmonious synergy between TV networks and music labels. Television Asia Plus talks to Lily Ng, Executive Marketing Director, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific), about getting in tune with today's audiences.(marketing & events)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THERE are undoubtedly many TV viewers to whom names like Snow Patrol, The Fray and Jason Mraz might not ring any immediate bells. But their music might be far more recognizable to many as 'that song from Grey's Anatomy' or 'the Ugly Betty video'. Proving ...
Sweet sold music: Jan 7 2008 saw world's number three mobile device manufacturer Motorola Inc's acquisition of pan-regional music provider Soundbuzz Pte Ltd. With over 90% of all digital music content sales in Asia sold via mobile channels, Magz Osborne eyes the opportunities for music--and audio visual--sales to mobile.(platforms)
Mar 01, 2008; ... ASIA'S largest online and mobile music company, with 50-plus partner stores attracting the majority of online and wireless purchases, Soundbuzz also operates its own on-line store, www.soundbuzz.com, as well as providing content and/or technology infrastructure. The company has ...
Strategic alliances abound in India: ahead of MIPCOM 2007's India Day, one media luminary remarked to Television Asia Plus, "India (currently) is irresistible to global companies". And given the spate of joint venture and alliance announcements in recent weeks, multi-national media companies' interest in India continues.(country focus: india)
Mar 01, 2008; ... 2008 has seen newly-signed strategic alliances between NBC Universal, Inc. (NBCU) and New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV), and between Turner International and Alva Brothers. These follow similar deals over the last couple of years joining Walt Disney Television International with ...
High hopes for Hindi GE: new launches in Hindi general entertainment come at a time when the genre's audience share is on the decline. Television Asia Plus' Ritesh Gupta assesses the focus audience profile of the new channels and how that will reflect in their programming.(country focus: india)
Mar 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BACK in the late 1980's, Sunday mornings used the see the streets of India seem strangely deserted. It was an era, in which audiences across all age-groups, would be at home practically glued to their TV screens watching a weekly show based on the great ...
India in focus: television as a medium is witnessing continuous fragmentation in India. But despite acknowledging the need for fresh content, especially in the Hindi general entertainment genre, media specialists indicate that television will continue to dominate their marketing mix.(country focus: india)
Mar 01, 2008; ... INDIA Population 1.19billion TV households 112million Indian homes (55%) Pay-TV subscribers 73million Cable TV subscribers 71.2million Satellite pay-TV 1.9million Satellite TV reach from 207million individuals watching in ...
Local strategy--global business: for some international networks, chasing local advertising budgets has proved far more fruitful than pursuing pan-regional buys but, as Magz Osborne finds out, others caution against over-localization to the point of fragmentation.(advertising & research)
Mar 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] SINCE their arrival in Asia over a decade ago, it's no secret that international networks have been localizing feeds, channels and content to please affiliates, as well as to attract both viewers and advertising dollars. But one thing that ...
Disney rings the bell for mobile: March 2008 sees Singapore become the tenth market to launch a localized version of Disney format As the Bell Rings--the key difference being that the series has been made specifically for mobile.(platforms)
Mar 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S a December day in Loyang, and the rain is hitting the roof so hard the crew is worrying it will be audible on the recording. But the brightly-coloured set and cheery personalities of the young cast form a very welcome contrast to the monsoon raging ...
Game-show's new meaning: Synergies between gaming and television are increasingly evident as content and hardware crossovers blur the divide. Calvin Wong looks at dynamisms in both directions.(platforms)
Mar 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GAMING, be it online, via mobile, console, PC, handheld, or most any other platform, is a business that looks set to surge apace for some time to come. As that growth represents boundless opportunities to the games industry, an array of new and interesting ...
The start-up upstarts: optimism is high amongst Asia's newest channels, as Magz Osborne gets the low-down on what's in store from NBC Universal, KidsCo and Lotus Channel.(programming)
Mar 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NBC UNIVERSAL (NBCU) are finally set to deliver on their promise of new channels, with general entertainment Universal Channel, Sci-Fi and 13th Street slated for roll-out in the second quarter of 2008. The hold-up thus far is believed to have stemmed from ...
Channel NewsAsia.(ROLODEX)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... CHANNEL NEWSASIA Caldecott Broadcast Centre, Andrew Road Singapore 299939 Tel: +65 6333 3888 Fax: +65 6252 6987 Website: www.channelnewsasia.com Established in March 1999, Channel NewsAsia positions itself as an Asian TV News channel that ...
Imira Entertainment.(ROLODEX)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... IMIRA ENTERTAINMENT C/ Ribes 9 Barcelona 08013 Spain Tel: +34 932 650 757 Fax: +34 932 487 150 Email: info@imiraentertainment.com Website: www.imiraentertainment.com Barcelona based Imira Entertainment (formerly Icon ...
KidsCo.(ROLODEX)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... KIDSCO HK Address: Suites 1601-03, Prudential Tower 21 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: +852 3761 1700 Fax: +852 3761 1711 UK Headquarters: 234a Kings Road London SW3 5UA Tel: +44 207 368 9100 Fax: +44 ...
2waytraffic.(ROLODEX)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... 2WAYTRAFFIC Middenweg 1, 1217 HS Hilversum, The Netherlands Tel: +31 35 750 8000 Fax: +31 35 750 8023 Email: info@2waytraffic.com Website: www.2waytraffic.com 2waytraffic develops and exploits entertainment content for ...
DRM's watermarked future.(technology)
Mar 01, 2008; ... WORLDWIDE loss of business for the motion picture industry and other content owners presents significant challenges for established distribution channels. According to the MPAA, the Association studios suffered over US$6.1billion in revenue losses in 2005. To protect ...
Driving CAS innovation in Asia: the key to driving CAS technology innovation, says Hans Kwaaitaal, Vice President Asia Pacific, Conax, is developing relationships with stable, long-term partners and close cooperation with the customers who challenge the status quo of ordinary technology and aim to stay ahead of their competitors.(technology)(Company overview)
Mar 01, 2008 ... WORKING closely with local TV operators enables a technology provider to offer consumers with a variety of secure, high-quality services and proven applications for securing the exchange of digital information that follow the trends of their markets. "Conax is a pioneer in ...
Conax.(company profile)
Mar 01, 2008 ... MEET CONAX AT BROADCAST ASIA 2008, SINGAPORE JUNE 17-20, BOOTH NO. 7L3-01 CONAX ASIA PACIFIC HEADQUARTER 1227, GuangMing Building, LiangMaQiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016, China Tel: +86 10 6465 6490/6465 6491/6465 6492 Fax: +86 10 ...
IDway acquisition enables SmartStart: Irdeto's July 2007 acquisition of software company IDway SAS paved the way for scaleable end-to-end security solutions, Television Asia Plus reports.(technology)(Irdeto Access Europe)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MID-2007 saw Irdeto strengthen its digital TV market position by adding middleware solutions to conditional access product offerings. Already a specialist in content security for digital TV, IPTV and mobile, Irdeto acquired Paris-based IDway ...
Irdeto.(company profile)(Irdeto Access Europe)
Mar 01, 2008 ... IRDETO Jupiterstraat 42, 2132 HD Hoofddorp, P.O. Box 3047, 2130 KA Hoofddorp, The Netherlands Tel: +31 23 556 2222 Fax: +31 23 556 2240 Email: info@irdeto.com Website: www.irdeto.com REGIONAL ASIA OFFICE ...
NDS helps SkyLife soar: SkyLife's five-year relationship with NDS has seen the company become the first to market in Korea with PVR, leading to an increase in ARPU. Television Asia Plus reports.(technology)
Mar 01, 2008 ... FORMED back in March 2001, SkyLife launched a satellite DTH platform only a year later on March 1, 2002--a record time for any platform worldwide. And since day one, NDS has been its partner and supplier of CAS, EPG, PVR and MW(Core). SkyLife's decision to launch with NDS CAS ...
NDS Asia Pacific.(company profile)
Mar 01, 2008 ... NDS ASIA PACIFIC LTD Suite 5301, 53/F Central Plaza, 18 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Tel" +852 2201 9151 Fax: +852 2201 9141 Email: vgriffiths-green@nds.com Website: www.nds.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] COMPANY PERSONNEL ...
Viaccess.(company profile)(Company overview)
Mar 01, 2008 ... VIACCESS S.A. Les Collines de I'Arche--Tour Opera C 92 057 Paris La Defense Cedex, FRANCE Tel: + 33 1 44 45 64 65 Fax: + 33 1 44 45 64 03 Email: info@viaccess.com Website: www.viaccess.com REGIONAL ASIA OFFICE Beijing ...