Hong Kong, 27 September 2010 – CASBAA today unlocked its speaker lineup for the CASBAA Convention 2010, 25^th – 28^th October in Hong Kong. 

 The top speakers on hot topics include:

–       Gary Wang, Founder and CEO of China’s leading online video platform Tudou.com will explore opportunities, challenges and implication behind the untapped pay-TV business empowered by 60 million digital homes in China.
–       Nick Brien, CEO of advertising giant McCann Worldgroup will examine the role of agency in shaping the new advertising world and strategies for leveraging video services as an effective advertising platform.
–       Robert M Bakish, President of global TV brand MTV Networks International, who operates over 170 entertainment channels worldwide, will deliver a visionary address on the company’s key success factors.
–       JS Sarma, Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), governing the broadcasting and telecommunications policy, will participate in “HARDtalk” session with Mishal Husain, BBC World News, discussing the rationale behind India’s rise to world’s most dynamic pay-TV over the past five years.
–       Andrea Radrizzani, Group CEO of sports marketing agency MP & Silva will assess the role sports content plays in boosting pay-TV profits.
–       KVL Narayan Rao, Group CEO & Executive Director of India’s leading news content provider NDTV will share his strategic tips for capturing audiences in the highly competitive TV news sector.
–       Tanawat Wansom, President of MCOT in Thailand will detail how the Thai TV market is shaping up, given that the local satellite and cable TV landscape has been experiencing dramatic change.

Meanwhile,  the top-tier-speakers will be joined by a roster of C-level executives from around the world, including Active TV, AdMob at Google, AETN International, Akamai Technologies, Al Jazeera, ASTRO, AsiaSat, HBO, Chunghwa Telecom, Concurrent, CNN International, CSL, Disney Media Distribution, DOXTV, Endemol Asia, Eurodata TV Worldwide, Fox, FRANCE 24, Indovision, Intelsat, Informa Telecoms & Media, Irdeto, Jupiter Telecommunications, Maxus, MEASAT, Millward Brown International,  Nagravision, NBA Asia, Oracle, PCCW, Reuters, RRsat, Qualcomm MediaFLO, SES WORLD SKIES, Sony Pictures Television, SPORTFIVE, TBWA/Tequila, The Nielsen Company, Tiger Gate Entertainment, True Visions, Turner Broadcasting System, Universal Networks, Verimatrix, Vietnam Media Corp and World Media Solutions. 

“The high octane list of industry visionaries is a testimony the central role the CASBAA Convention plays in promoting the pay-TV market in Asia.  More C-level speakers are expected to join the lineup in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA. 

The CASBAA Convention is supported by AsiaSat, AETN International, Akamai Technologies, Al Jazeera, Arianespace, Asia Broadcast Satellite, BBC World News, Bloomberg Television, CNBC Asia Pacific, Comcast, Concurrent, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific, Disney Media Distribution, Ericsson, Eurodata TV, Eurosport, Fashion One, Fashion TV, Food Network Asia, FRANCE 24, GlobeCast, HBO, Intelsat, Invest Hong Kong, Irdeto, iTV, MEASAT, MGM Channel, MTV Networks, NHK, Oracle Communications, Paul Weiss, Playboy TV International, PricewaterhouseCoopers, RRsat, SES WORLD SKIES, Synovate,

Tiger Gate, True Visions, Turner, Universal Networks International, Verimatrix and Warner TV, along with more than 50 media partners and trade organisations.

For more programme details and registration about the Convention 2010, please log on to www.casbaaconvention.com.

About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
CASBAA is an association dedicated to promoting multi-channel television via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business which in turn serve more than three billion people.

CASBAA Patron members include AETN International, Al Jazeera, Arianespace, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, BBC Worldwide Channels Asia, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney Media Distribution, Fox International Channels, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie Group, MTV Networks Asia, NDS, NOW TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SES World Skies, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, Tiger Gate Entertainment, True Visions, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Universal Networks International and Verimatrix. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Click here for CASBAA RSS News Feed.

For enquiries, please contact:
Adela Chen
Marketing & Communications Director, CASBAA
Tel: +852 3929 1711
Email: adela@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, 15 Sept 2010 – Reflecting the continued growth of Asia’s subscription TV market, CASBAA has added two new corporate members this month. Following four new memberships in July, CASBAA has welcomed another leading Indian telecom-to-media industry player, Reliance Communications, part of Reliance ADAG, as well as fashion and entertainment content specialist FashionOne TV.

Reliance Communications, with a customer base of over 117 million mobile subscribers, is ranked among the top five telecom companies in the world. Reliance ADAG is also a DTH operator and has business interests in broadcasting, cable TV distribution and film production.

“The CASBAA Board of Directors believe the participation in the association of such Indian companies as Reliance fits perfectly with a global outlook. Reliance’s membership is also an endorsement of CASBAA’s growing relevance in India,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA.

“Reliance Communications is delighted to come aboard CASBAA,” said Sanjay Behl, CEO-DTV & IPTV at Reliance Communications. “We look forward to collaborating with leading global players to address relevant issues and to meaningfully engage with policy makers to catapult media broadcasting, distribution & subscription TV industry to its next level.”

CASBAA, meanwhile, also extended a warm welcome to US-based FashionOne TV, a division of integrated entertainment company Bigfoot Entertainment with new studio facilities in Cebu in the Philippines distributing fashion and entertainment news around the world via three satellites.

“With our commitment to the world’s fastest-growing region, we are pleased to be a part of Asia’s leading association for the subscription TV industry,” said Eric Klein, CEO of FashionOne TV. “We look forward to new opportunities and to fostering long term relationships with like-minded partners to positively impact this high-growth industry.”

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About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
CASBAA is an association dedicated to promoting multi-channel television via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serves more than three billion people.

CASBAA Patron members include AETN International, Al Jazeera, Arianespace, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, BBC Worldwide Channels Asia, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney Media Distribution, Fox International Channels, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie Group, MTV Networks Asia, NDS, NOW TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SES World Skies, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, Tiger Gate Entertainment, TrueVisions, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Universal Networks International and Verimatrix. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Click here for CASBAA RSS News Feed.

For enquiries, please contact:
Adela Chen
Marketing & Communications Director, CASBAA
Tel: +852 3929 1711
Email: adela@casbaa.com

Jakarta, 17 December 2009 – Detailed analysis of the pernicious effects of pay-TV signal theft on economic and social development in Southeast Asia featured strongly throughout a series of government and industry meetings this week in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The CASBAA-coordinated meetings were centered on an APEC and ASEAN symposium which covered the protection of broadcast content with officials drawn from 16 governments from around the Asia-Pacific region.

The first day of the three-day programme was delivered in cooperation with the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights and the Indonesian Multimedia Providers’ Association (APMI).

The day opened with Bambang Subijantoro, the Acting Director General of Communications and Means of Dissemination, who outlined a Ministry objective of making the “operating permit” process for cable TV providers in Indonesia “easier and simpler”. By the end of the first quarter of 2010, his department will take action against any remaining illegal operators, he said.

The December 14th programme was followed by a regionally focused “Signal Piracy, Regulation and Enforcement in a Convergent World” symposium with the 16 governments with pay-TV broadcasters such as MTV, Turner Broadcasting, ESPN Star Sports, Celestial Pictures and Newscorp, plus signal security providers Irdeto and Viaccess, pay-TV platform operators Indovision, Cignal and Foxtel as well as the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the Motion Picture Association and European anti-piracy organization AEPOC. This symposium was co-hosted by the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO).

“The three days of intensive interaction between the APEC and ASEAN officials and the subscription TV industry have been unique in the development of our sector,” said Marcel Fenez, the Chairman of CASBAA. “We greatly look forward to the next stages of this dialogue in 2010.”

Among items covered in Jakarta were the impact of TV piracy on domestic creative industries and investment in networks; the losses incurred by governments in terms of tax revenues foregone from black-market and grey-market commercial piracy; the vast potential damage from mass online piracy of TV content and the need for governments and industry to work cooperatively.

Notes to Members:
1. To download some of the Dec 14th Seminar’s pictures and their captions, click here.
2. To view all pictures of the Seminar on Dec 14th and the “Signal Piracy, Regulation and Enforcement in a Convergent World” Symposium on Dec 15th and 16th, click here.
3. Click to download key presentations on Dec 14 and Dec 15.

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About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel TV via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Indonesian members include AORA, First Media, Indovision and Telkomvision.

CASBAA Patron members are Al Jazeera, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia-Pacific), Fox International Channels, Genesis Networks, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie, MTV Networks Asia, NBC Universal Global Networks, NDS, NOW TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Rainbow Media, SES World Skies, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Tom Group, TrueVisions and Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Click here for CASBAA RSS News Feed.

For enquiries, please contact:

Rita Vannithone
Marketing & Communications Director, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9940
Email: rita@casbaa.com

Helen Shek
Communications Manager, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Email: helen@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, 9 December 2009 – Indonesian government agencies, the pay-TV industry organisation Asosiasi Penyelenggara Multimedia Indonesia (APMI) and the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) will gather next Monday December 14th at the Gran Melia Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia for the “Protection of Broadcast Content: An Indonesian Seminar”.

The one-day seminar will focus on critical issues such as “Why protect broadcast content”; “How premium content is the basis for a modern pay-TV industry” and “How technology makes it possible to protect broadcast content”.

“Content is always the key driver for channels and broadcasters to attract audience and advertisers. We should respect content copyright and protect the interests of content owners and distributors in order to promote a healthy environment for the industry,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA.

The event kicks off with welcome remarks from a representative of the Minister for Justice and Human Rights. Keynoted by Raditya Dika, a noted Indonesian author, screenwriter and comedian, other speakers include:

– Acting Director General for Information and Communications (Depkominfo), Bambang Subijantoro
– Director of Copyright, Arry Ardanta Sigit
– APMI Secretary-General, Arya Mahendra Sinulingga
– President Director of Telkomvision, Elvizar KH

CASBAA and its Indonesian partners have organised this seminar to link with a two-day international symposium on signal piracy being held in Jakarta by the APEC and ASEAN regional organisations and the US Patent and Trademark Office. CASBAA, with its Asian regional experience and connections, is acting as program consultant to the international organisations.

“Thanks to the support of the local and international government bodies, industry associations and all the speakers, these two Seminars next week will be a strong communication platform to examine the critical issues of broadcast content protection,” added Twiston Davies.

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About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel TV via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Indonesian members include AORA, First Media, Indovision and Telkomvision.

CASBAA Patron members are Al Jazeera, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia-Pacific), Fox International Channels, Genesis Networks, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie, MTV Networks Asia, NBC Universal Global Networks, NDS, NOW TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Rainbow Media, SES World Skies, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Tom Group, TrueVisions and Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Click here for CASBAA RSS News Feed.

For enquiries, please contact:
Rita Vannithone
Marketing & Communications Director, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9940
Email: rita@casbaa.com

Helen Shek
Communications Manager, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Email: helen@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, 13 November, 2009 – The CASBAA Convention 2009, the annual industry meeting organized by the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) in Hong Kong on November 3rd – 6th, drew more than 700 delegates, speakers, sponsors and media from around the world.

According to CASBAA, the multi-channel TV industry is more competitive than ever, with a major focus on growing business while navigating the new world of online media and digital content.

The mantra that pay-TV is largely recession-proof has been put to the test this year, said Jack Wakshlag, Chief Research Officer of Turner Broadcasting in the US. “Cable networks are experiencing less negative impact than print and the traditional broadcast networks despite the current challenging environment. People are buying bigger TVs and High Definition (HD) only increases the audience’s interest in TV”.

Mark Patterson, CEO, Asia Pacific of GroupM said: “TV is making a comeback. One third of respondents to a recent survey said they were staying in more and a quarter were watching more TV . . . . Our belief is that Asians still have a significant love affair with TV.”

A key to sustaining growth will be the ability of the pay-TV business to take advantage of the deployment of new digital distribution platforms. According to Todd Miller, EVP, Networks, Asia Pacific of Sony Pictures Television: “Our core business isn’t changing in the foreseeable future and we have mobile extension, catch-up TV, online communities and tightening windows. All these go back to support our core business.”

The three days of conference sessions, roundtables, networking breakfasts, lunches and cocktail parties reinforced the fact that the Indian market continues to be a tremendous growth story with an ever increasing channel choice and 105-million strong subscriber base.

And yet, by many measures the India market has yet to deliver on its full promise.

Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Zee Entertainment Enterprises said broadcasters continue to contend with the problem of under-declaration and ever higher programming costs. Nevertheless Chandra said he expected a critical consolidation of the six DTH operators in India, which could transform the industry into profitability.

A debate on video services in China also attracted attention. According to David Rubio, COO of Cisco China, there are 300 million plus internet users and more than 70 per cent are online video consumers, the majority of whom are not fully satisfied with the online video experience. Rubio said China represented a “huge opportunity” for the right delivery systems.
Anita Huang, VP of Community & Marketing of Tudou said the online video market, which for the time being, at least, is less regulated than traditional broadcast TV, offered the best opportunity for legitimate content deals. A major roadblock, she admitted, was piracy.
Huang added that although Tudou has undertaken anti-piracy initiatives, it is up to the content owners to be more proactive in terms of protecting their content online. “Work with us,” she said, insisting that Tudou is open to revenue sharing deals on legitimate content.
Sports TV was also a hot topic covering the thorny issue of escalating sports rights for channels, platforms and consumers.

“Sports fans demand the best available content and that is what we deliver. We also favour the market and we are in favour of laissez faire on rights,” said Russell Wolff, EVP & MD of ESPN International.

“While there is some competition for sports rights in China the reality is that only CCTV can afford the huge fees for major events such as the World Cup soccer and the Olympics,” said Ma Guoli, CEO & MD of Infront Sports & Media.

During a special address, Makato Harada, Director-General, International Planning and Broadcasting Department of NHK said their network is aggressively moving into the digital age and will complete its digital transition by July 2011. “NHK now has 100% of production in HD and we are working on generating super HD. We don’t know if the effort of digitalization and HD will lead directly to an increase in revenue. But if we do not make the effort to expand with new services, we could lose our leadership position, especially with younger viewers,” added Harada.

Also addressing digital issues, Bernhard Glock, President of the World Federation of Advertisers, called for a concerted effort on the part of advertisers and agencies to evolve the development of advertising for the digital space.

Glock claimed that the basic principles behind effective advertising – solid consumer insight, and engaging content had not changed. The ’30-second spot’ will continue to be an important part of every advertiser’s messaging. However, he added that “the way people experience it will be different”.

Wrapping up the Convention was the CASBAA Bollywood Charity Ball in support of Variety the Children’s Charity and sponsored by Turner. During the evening, approximately US$45,000 was raised for The Dream School Foundation to help children in India.

“We are delighted with the outcome of the Convention 2009,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman of CASBAA. “Our industry can only continue to grow in the digital era and consumers can only benefit from more choices offered by content providers and channel operators.”

Notes to members:
1. To view more Convention pictures please click here
2. To view more Convention video clips please click here

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About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel TV via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia-Pacific), Fox International Channels, Genesis Networks, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie, MTV Networks Asia, NBC Universal Global Networks, NDS, NOW TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Rainbow Media, SES World Skies, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Tom Group, TrueVisions and Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Click here for CASBAA RSS News Feed.

For enquiries, please contact:

Rita Vannithone
Director Marketing & Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9940
Email: rita@casbaa.com

Helen Shek
Manager Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Email: helen@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, 11 November 2009 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has announced the results of its 2009 Annual General Meeting elections to the CASBAA Chairmanship, the CASBAA Board of Directors and the CASBAA Council of Governors for 2010/2011.

Marcel Fenez, Global Leader, Entertainment & Media Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers was re-elected for a two-year term as Chairman of the Association.

Robert Gilby, SVP & MD of Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific) has newly joined the CASBAA Board of Directors, while the following members retain their Board seats:

• Marcel Fenez, Global Leader, Entertainment & Media Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Peter Jackson, CEO, AsiaSat
• Jonathan Spink, CEO, HBO Asia
• James Ross, Regional Director, ITV Global Entertainment
• Todd Miller, EVP, Networks, Asia Pacific, Sony Pictures Television
• William Pfeiffer, CEO, Tiger Gate Entertainment
• Sompan Charumilinda, Exec. Vice Chairman, TrueVisions
• Ian Carroll, EVP & GM, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific

Tom Keaveny, EVP & MD, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, steps down from the CASBAA Board for 2010.

Meanwhile, elected for two-year terms to the CASBAA Council of Governors are:

• Anurradha Prasad, MD & Chairman, BAG Network
• Manu Sawhney, MD, ESPN STAR Sports
• Mark Patterson, CEO, GroupM Asia Pacific
• William Kwan, CFO, HK Cable TV
• Ravi Mansukhani, MD, IMCL (Incablenet and Indigital)
• Paul Brown-Kenyon, COO, MEASAT
• Gregg Creevey, MD, Multi Channels Asia
• Andrew Jordan, President & CEO, SAT-GE
• Vikram Kaushik, MD & CEO, Tata Sky
• Jeremy Kung, CEO, TM Net
• Alexandre Muller, MD, Asia, TV5MONDE
• Christopher Hoare, Director of Asia, Viaccess

Retaining seats on the CASBAA Council of Governors 2010 are:

• Peter Papaioannou, Director of Operations, Video and Cable Solutions Group, Cisco
• Christine Fellowes, MD Asia, Comcast International Media Group
• Jill Grinda, Director, Worldwide Distribution, Euronews
• Arjan Hoekstra, MD, Eurosport Asia
• PJ Wong Founder, Chairman and CEO, iMediaHouse/Focus Media
• Garie Pimentel, President & CEO, Mabuhay Satellite
• Nigel Francis, Partner, Minter Ellison
• Jeanette Chan, Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
• Dario Choi, VP & GM , Asia Pacific, TANDBERG Television
• Lee Beasley, Director of Media & Entertainment, Origination & Client Coverage, Standard Chartered Bank (HK)
• Kathleen Syron, Head of Content, StarHub
• Alvin Lee, Executive Director, International Relations and Public Policy, Asia Pacific, Time Warner

The following Patron members of the Association also have an automatic seat on the Council:
Phil Lawrie, Al Jazeera; Tom Choi, Asia Broadcast Satellite; Peter Jackson, AsiaSat; Rohana Rozhan, Astro; Bruce Dover, Australia Network; Shawn Galey, Bloomberg Television; Tom Keaveny, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific; Robert Gilby, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific); Ward Platt, Fox International Channels; Paul Dujardin, Genesis Networks; Jonathan Spink, HBO Asia; David Ball, Intelsat; Bengt Jonsson, Irdeto; James Ross, ITV Global Entertainment; Ben Way, Macquarie Group; Indra Suharjono, MTV Networks Asia; Raymund Miranda, NBC Universal Global Networks; Sue Taylor, NDS; Lindsay Servian, NOW TV; Marcel Fenez, PricewaterhouseCoopers; Ali Zamiri, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies; Gregory Ang, Rainbow Media; Elias Zaccack, SES World Skies; Timonthy Carmichael, SingTel; Todd Miller, Sony Pictures Television; William Pfeiffer, Tiger Gate Entertainment; Ken Yeung, Tom Group; Sompan Charumilinda, TrueVisions and Ian Carroll, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific.

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About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel TV via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia-Pacific), Fox International Channels, Genesis Networks, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie, MTV Networks Asia, NBC Universal Global Networks, NDS, NOW TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Rainbow Media, SES World Skies, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Tom Group, TrueVisions and Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Click here for CASBAA RSS News Feed.

For enquiries, please contact:

Rita Vannithone
Director Marketing & Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9940
Email: rita@casbaa.com

Helen Shek
Manager Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Email: helen@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, November 6, 2009 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) yesterday announced the winner of the prestigious Annual CASBAA Chairman’s Award for an “outstanding contribution to the Asia Pacific multi-channel pay-TV industry over the past 12 months”.

The 2009 Award went to the ASTRO DTH platform in Malaysia for “Consistently growing revenue in a challenging market”.

“However, this year’s award is about more than performance during the past 12 months. ASTRO has taken a leadership role for our industry over many years,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman of CASBAA.

When accepting the award, Rohana Rozhan, the CEO of ASTRO said, “We are delighted with CASBAA’s recognition of ASTRO’s excellent performance in the Asia Pacific’s pay-TV market.”

“In view of the challenging economic environment, ASTRO has been conscientious in providing value to its customers by reinvesting in our broadcast and customer service infrastructure, as well as increasing our content spend in local content and the localisation of foreign content.”

“The CASBAA Chairman’s Award is even more meaningful as ASTRO and Malaysia are judged as doing well by regional standards by their peers in the Asia Pacific.”

“It is always a pleasure to be involved in the selection of the Annual CASBAA Chairman’s Award. We congratulate ASTRO as the winner this year,” added Mr. Fenez.

Rohana Rozhan, CEO, ASTRO receives the CASBAA Chairman’s Award from
Marcel Fenez, Chairman, CASBAA

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About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel TV via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia-Pacific), Genesis Networks, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie Group, MTV Networks Asia, NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, SES WORLD SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, STAR Group, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Tom Group, TrueVisions, Turner International Asia Pacific and VOOM HD Networks Asia. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Click here for CASBAA RSS News Feed.

For enquiries, please contact:

Rita Vannithone
Director Marketing & Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9940
Email: rita@casbaa.com

Helen Shek
Manager Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Email: helen@casbaa.com

香港，2009年11月4日 － 亞洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會(Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia，CASBAA)今天公布亞太區收費電視滲透率的最新數字，於二零零九年，區內有三億二千六百萬收費電視家庭訂戶，錄得二千六百萬戶的增長。

根據亞洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會按環球數據的估計，亞太區收費電視訂戶量現已超越全球其他地區的總和。另外，數碼收費電視訂戶已超過一億一千五百萬。

中國和印度是有關增長的最大原動力，於2009年佔亞洲收費電視訂戶人數的90%。

印度目前共有一千九百萬戶數碼收費電視家庭，而中國則佔六千九百萬個數碼視像連接。整體而言，亞洲區內十四個市場的數碼電視滲透率高達35%。

亞洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會行政總裁西門‧徐士敦‧戴維斯(Simon Twiston Davies)先生表示：「這些數字令人十分鼓舞，顯示過去五年大部分有關數碼方面的承諾經已兌現。」

亞洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會於香港舉行的年度會議(CASBAA Convention 2009)亦公布另一項好消息，於過去十八個月內，共有十八家收費電視營運商加入市場*。

同時，亞洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會與渣打銀行針對亞太區內十五個市場的年度收費電視盜看調查，反映區內收費電視持續增長，但亦估計為行業帶來每年高達十九億四千萬美元的收益損失。

渣打企業銀行傳媒娛樂業務部董事白斯理(Lee Beasley)先生表示：「這估計採用極為保守的假設，相信實際總數更高。」亞洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會於去年進行的盜看調查，估計亞洲每年收費電視收益的損失達十七億五千萬美元。

於過去十二個月逐漸形成的盜看因素包括﹕因蓬勃的合法收費電視市場發展而衍生更多的盜看問題；因全新內容備有更多亞洲區語言而刺激盜看問題上升。徐士敦‧戴維斯先生透露﹕「收費電視愈來愈吸引，但亦代表著盜看情況越來越嚴重。」

隨著新市場開放，以往隱藏的盜看問題開始呈現，例如印尼當地業界及政府於去年已開始越來越關注收費電視訊號盜取問題。白斯理先生補充﹕「同樣地，越南正面對類似情況。」

同時，部份地區因投資數碼技術而令訊號較難被盜取，令盜看問題得以舒緩。由於香港及馬尼拉的有線電視營運商均部署了新的數碼轉輸系統，故盜看情況亦減少。

羅兵咸永道會計師事務所稅務專員亦參與分析活動，並總結出地區政府於合法收費電視市場損失的稅收最少達二億四千七百萬美元。

收益損失最大的政府是泰國 (七千六百萬美元)、巴基斯坦 (五千六百萬美元)和菲律賓 (三千九百萬美元)。

*Hikari TV (日本)；Korea Telecom 及 SK Telecom (韓國)； Cignal (PLDT)、G-Sat (Global Destiny)及PLDT/Smart (MyTV) (菲律賓)；Aora-TV及 Okevision (印尼)；Top Up TV (Next Step Co.) (泰國)；VSTV (VTV/Canal Overseas)、VTC (HD channels)、HTV (Ho Chi Minh TV)，FPT Telecom 及VNPT (Vietnam National Posts & Telecom) (越南)；Telecom Malaysia (馬來西亞)；Reliance，Videocon 及Bharti Reliance (印度)

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有關亞洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會(CASBAA) – www.casbaa.com
亞 洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會 (Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia, CASBAA) 為一個業界的宣傳團體，致力在亞太地區推廣以有線、衛星、寬頻和無線視頻網絡傳輸的多頻道電視服務。CASBAA代表著收費電視業當中一百三十多家會員公 司，為超過三十億用戶提供服務。贊助會員 (Patron member) 包括AI Jazeera、Asia Broadcast Satellite、亞洲衛星有限公司 (AsiaSat)、ASTRO、Australia Network、彭博電視 (Bloomberg Television)、探索亞洲有限公司 (Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific)、Disney-ABC International Television(Asia-Pacific)、Genesis Networks、HBO亞洲(HBO Asia)、Intelsat、Irdeto、ITV Global Entertainment、麥格理集團 (Macquarie Group)、MTV Networks Asia、NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific、NDS、now寬頻電視(now TV)、普華永道會計師事務 (PricewaterhouseCoopers)、Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies、SES WORLD SKIES、SingTel、索尼影視 (Sony Pictures Television)、星空傳媒 (STAR Group)、Tiger Gate Entertainment、Tom Group、TrueVisions、Turner International Asia Pacific及VOOM HD Networks Asia。如欲查看CASBAA會員的全部名單，請按此。

亞洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會的RSS即時新聞，請按此。

渣打銀行 – 在亞洲、非洲及中東市場佔領導地位
渣打集團在倫敦證交所及香港證交所掛牌上市，名列倫敦富時指數100大上市公司市值排名的前25名。總部位於倫敦的渣打擁有逾150年歷史，網絡遍及全球增長最迅速的市場，於亞洲、非洲及中東地區具領導地位。透過自然增長帶動，集團的收入及盈利在過去五年增長超過一倍。

渣打致力成為最佳國際銀行，服務遍及世界各地的客戶。渣打集團約90%的收入及溢利來自亞洲、非洲及中東的個人銀行和企業銀行業務。集團在全球超過70個國家設有超過1,600個分行及辦事處。市場及業務的迅速增長更提供了富挑戰性的跨國工作機會。

步 步領先、成為持分者的最佳伙伴一直是渣打的宗旨。渣打集團致力於建立為一間持續發展的企業，並以遵循高標準公司管治、社會責任、環境保護及僱員多元化在全 球獲得超卓信譽。渣打僱員人數約70,000名，當中近半數為女性。僱員來自超過125個不同國籍，其中高級管理層來自70個不同國籍。
請登入以下渣打網頁查詢更詳細資料 : www.standardchartered.com

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亞洲有線與衛星電視廣播協會
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電郵: helen@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, 4 November, 2009 – The CASBAA Convention 2009, organized by the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), officially kicked off today with a keynote address from John Tsang, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR Government at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Hong Kong.

More than 600 VIPs, delegates, speakers and media from around the world attending the CASBAA Convention 2009, titled “Extending your reach”, tackled urgent issues facing the subscription TV business today, not least the challenges presented by the on-line distribution of video services (both authorized and unauthorized), the ever more urgent need for enhanced audience measurement and the continued deployment of digital systems across the Asia Pacific.

Digital guru Jeff Cole of the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California, spoke on the “Digital Technology Revolution”. He said: “TV is getting closer to the movie experience and HDTV increasing interest in television”

“People’s perception of advertising is changing as advertising becomes more relevant, the less intrusive and much more interesting to watch”

Highlighting the importance of the continuing growth in India on the opening day was a keynote “In Conversation” session with Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Indian media giant Zee Entertainment Enterprises which concluded with a special life time achievement award for his contribution to the Asian pay-TV industry.

Some of the biggest names in global pay-TV distribution are featured in the conference programme include Kim Williams, the CEO, Foxtel in Australia; Hiroyuki Nakatani of J:Com in Japan and Jean-Noël Tronc, the Chairman and CEO Europe’s largest platform operator Canal Overseas.

Today’s excitement included a BBC HARDtalk conversation between Hernan Lopez, COO, Fox Int’l Channels and BBC World News presenter Stephen Sackur.

Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award 2009 was presented at the end of the first day of Convention. MTV EXIT was awarded for producing the powerful music video for Radiohead’s “All I Need”. The compelling video gives insight into the realities of exploitative child labour and shows that everyone has a role to play in ending child exploitation and trafficking.

“Broadcast platforms of all kinds are one of the most powerful tools for educating and promoting child rights issues. On behalf of the industry, CASBAA salutes the on-going participation of broadcasters from across the Asia Pacific region in this year’s Award process,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA.

To coincide with the Convention 2009, CASBAA announced the launch of its three new reports exclusively for its Members, including “Vietnam in View”, “The Philippines in View” and “Regulating for Growth 2009” to access the market landscape and highlight the regional trends. All these initiatives have continuously demonstrated the Association’s commitments to its members.

“The strong speaker line-up as well as the positive demand for sponsorship and exhibition space has proven the Convention as an effective networking platform for industry executives to share their latest information. At the same time, this is a significant reflection on the confidence of the pay-TV growth opportunities across the Asia Pacific,” added Twiston Davies.

“More pay-TV’s top leadership will continue to show up and share their vision for the Convention tomorrow. We are looking forward to it!”

Notes to Editor:
Please download some Convention pictures with captions here.

About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel TV via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia-Pacific), Genesis Networks, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie Group, MTV Networks Asia, NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, SES WORLD SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, STAR Group, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Tom Group, TrueVisions, Turner International Asia Pacific and VOOM HD Networks Asia. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Click here for CASBAA RSS News Feed.

For enquiries, please contact:

Rita Vannithone
Director Marketing & Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9940
Email: rita@casbaa.com

Helen Shek
Manager Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Email: helen@casbaa.com 

Hong Kong, November 4, 2009 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today announced new data for subscription TV penetration across the Asia Pacific, noting that the region now has 326 million pay-TV, up 26 million homes in 2009.

According to CASBAA estimates, backed by global data, subscription television in Asia Pacific now reaches more homes than the rest of the world (ROW) combined. Digital pay-TV subscription households now account for over 115 million homes.

China and India have spearheaded much of the growth, accounting for 90% of all Asian pay-TV subscribers in 2009.

India now has 19 million digital pay-TV households, while China represents 69 million digital video connections. Overall Asian digital penetration stands at 35% across 14 markets.

“These are very encouraging figures,” said Simon Twiston Davies, the CEO of CASBAA. “Much of the digital promise of the last five years is now being delivered.”

Other good news released by CASBAA during its annual Convention in Hong Kong is the emergence of 18 new pay-TV operators across the region the in past 18 months*.

Meanwhile, CASBAA’s annual pay-TV piracy survey of 15 Asia Pacific markets conducted in association with Standard Chartered Bank reflects the regional growth but also generating an updated estimate of US$1.94 billion in annual revenue losses to the industry.

“This estimate uses highly conservative assumptions; actual totals are likely to be much higher,” said Lee Beasley, Director of Media & Entertainment, Origination & Client Coverage at Standard Chartered Bank. Last year’s CASBAA piracy survey produced an estimate of US$1.75 billion in annual pay-TV revenue leakage in Asia.

Evolving factors in the past 12 months include the strong growth in the legitimate pay-TV market which, inevitably, has meant more piracy; as new content is made available in more Asian languages, the stimulus to piracy increases. “Pay-TV is becoming more attractive,” said Twiston Davies, “but that means more people want to steal.”

As new markets open, previously hidden pockets of piracy have become apparent as in Indonesia, for instance, where the local industry and government have paid increasing attention to pay-TV signal theft in the last year. “Likewise, Vietnam is going through the same process,” said Beasley.

At the same time, in some places piracy has declined as investment in digital technology make signals more difficult to steal. Thus, piracy numbers in Hong Kong and Manila have declined as cable operators have deployed new digital transmission systems.

Tax specialists at PricewaterhouseCoopers participated in the analytical exercise, and came to the conclusion that the revenue leakage from the legitimate pay-TV industry cost regional governments at least US$247 million in uncollected taxes.

The biggest revenue losers were the governments in Thailand (US$76 million), Pakistan (US$56 million) and the Philippines (US$39 million).

*Hikari TV (Japan); Korea Telecom and SK Telecom (Korea); Cignal (PLDT), G-Sat (Global Destiny), PLDT/Smart (MyTV) (Philippines); Aora-TV and Okevision (Indonesia); Top Up TV (Next Step Co.) (Thailand); VSTV (VTV/Canal Overseas), VTC (HD channels), HTV (Ho Chi Minh TV), FPT Telecom and VNPT (Vietnam National Posts & Telecom) (Vietnam); Telecom Malaysia (Malaysia); Reliance, Videocon and Bharti Reliance (India)

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About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel TV via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia-Pacific), Genesis Networks, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie Group, MTV Networks Asia, NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, SES WORLD SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, STAR Group, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Tom Group, TrueVisions, Turner International Asia Pacific and VOOM HD Networks Asia. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Click here for CASBAA RSS News Feed.

Standard Chartered – leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Standard Chartered PLC, listed on both London and Hong Kong stock exchanges, ranks among the top 25 companies in the FTSE-100 by market capitalisation. The London-headquartered Group has operated for over 150 years in some of the world’s most dynamic markets, leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its income and profits have more than doubled over the last five years primarily as a result of organic growth.

Standard Chartered aspires to be the best international bank for its customers across its markets. The Group earns around 90 per cent of its income and profits in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, from its Wholesale and Consumer Banking businesses. The Group has over 1600 branches and outlets located in over 70 countries. The extraordinary growth of its markets and businesses creates exciting and challenging international career opportunities.

Leading by example to be the right partner for its stakeholders, the Group is committed to building a sustainable business over the long term and is trusted worldwide for upholding high standards of corporate governance, social responsibility, environmental protection and employee diversity. It employs around 70,000 people, nearly half of whom are women. The Group’s employees are of 125 nationalities, of which about 70 are represented in the senior management.

For more information on Standard Chartered, please visit www.standardchartered.com

For enquiries, please contact:

Rita Vannithone
Director Marketing & Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9940
Email: rita@casbaa.com

Helen Shek
Manager Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Email: helen@casbaa.com