Hong Kong, December 22, 2008 – The Hong Kong Government’s officical decision paper on Hong Kong Mobile TV can be found here.

Hong Kong, December 24, 2008 – The Hong Kong SAR Government published on December 22 its decisions on a framework for development of mobile television services. As recommended by CASBAA last year (You can find the April 2008 CASBAA submission paper here), Hong Kong adopted a “pro-mobile TV” regulatory approach that provides frequencies for multiple operators with comparatively few constraints. In particular, the SAR government chose to exempt mobile broadcasting from existing regulation under the Broadcasting Act, and opt for industry self-regulatory codes. CASBAA welcomes these policies, and hopes they will lead to an early introduction of commercial mobile broadcasting.

The Hong Kong government’s announcement can be found here: http://www.cedb.gov.hk/ctb/eng/press/pr22122008.htm.

Hong Kong, December 10, 2008 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today announced the launch of its latest report exclusively for Association Members – “IPTV in Asia”, assessing the Asia Pacific IPTV market landscape and highlighting regional trends via case studies.

Meanwhile, another CASBAA Members’ report is in the pipeline: a high-level briefing on “Online Video in China, Japan & Korea” will be made available to Members in early January. The release will highlight on-line business models for delivering video content (legal and otherwise) and how such services are especially revolutionising media consumption in China, Korea and Japan in parallel with the traditional pay-TV business model.

“Online Video in China, Japan & Korea” will comprise a written report, a 20 minute on-line video and a detailed slide deck to add considerable value for CASBAA Members. You can download the Executive Summary of “Online Video in China, Japan & Korea “ from the CASBAA members zone.

“Exclusive industry reports and market snapshots for our 135 CASBAA Member organizations are a key element of the Association’s remit to engender growth as we tackle issues such as regulation, building new advertising revenue streams and tracking digital technology developments,” said Simon Twiston Davies, the CEO of CASBAA.

“Thanks to the long-term commitment and positive feedback from the participating groups across our 15 markets, the CASBAA Board of Directors believes it is delivering the greatest benefit to members,” added Twiston Davies. “As our business environment becomes more complex and more challenging, raw information becomes ever more valuable. One of our tasks is to provide such information to the CASBAA Membership.”

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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 135 + member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera International, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television, Genesis Networks, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., Macquarie Group, Motorola, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, SES NEW SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television International, 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.

For enquiries, please contact:
CASBAA

Helen Shek / Carmen Mak

Tel: +852 2854 9943
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, November 17, 2008 – The CASBAA Convention 2008, the annual industry meeting organized by the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) in Hong Kong on October 28th – 31st, attracted more than 1,700 delegates, speakers and sponsors from around the world, looking to the future of Asia’s consistently booming pay-TV market, even as negative atmospherics swamped global media trends.

The show was strongly supported by industry heavyweights including Darren Childs, MD, BBC Worldwide Channels; Ben Pyne, President Global Distribution, Disney Media Networks; Dr. Abe Peled, Chairman & CEO, NDS; Barry Diller, Chairman & CEO, InterActiveCorp; Bill Roedy, Chairman & CEO, MTV Networks International; Phil Lines, Director, Media Operations and International Broadcasting, English Premier League; John Tsang, Financial Secretary, Hong Kong SAR and Nripendra Misra, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

A consistent theme of the Convention 2008 was affirmation of the strong consumer base from which the Asian industry is working in late 2008. “We now have a customer-base of 300 million pay-TV connections across Asia Pacific creating a minimum annual turnover of more than US$20 billion year,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA. “While the Asian TV ad spend may stumble in the coming months, we see few signs of a slow down in subscription revenues.”

During the opening segment of the high-powered CASBAA meeting, a panel of pay-TV platform operators (or “carriers”) from Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Indonesia were estimated to represent US$780 million per year in annual collections from subscribers. “These are the vital revenues ultimately passed up the value chain to content creators, the channels, satellite operators and the providers of hardware and services,” said Twiston Davies.

Nevertheless, said Terry Clontz, the CEO of StarHub in Singapore: “The rising cost of content meant that, at least for StarHub, profit has not risen commensurately with revenue. We’re doing it more, but enjoying it less.”

Others noted a fragmenting market as new platforms and distribution lines have blurred the pay-TV business model.

Ben Pyne, President Global Distribution at Disney Media Networks, meanwhile, assured the audience that new platforms enhance revenues, rather than undermines them – and they were all about the future: according to Pyne’s numbers, the average age of online viewers is 31, while the average TV viewer is in his mid-40s.

Pyne also spoke of new partnerships narrowing the gap between release times in the US and other markets. Case in point: TVB and Disney had partnered on a deal that lets viewers in Hong Kong stream content only 12 hours after its local Hong Kong release. He mentioned a similar deal with SingTel, enabling VOD subscribers to order TV series within 24 hours of its US release.

For a sense of the highwire act the media industry may yet deliver in 2009, a rapt audience heard from media mogul extraordinaire Barry Diller. The Chairman and CEO of InterActiveCorp, predicts a decade of “creative destruction” as the old media order gives way to the new.

As distribution shifts more to the internet, Diller said during one of the Convention’s “In Conversation” sessions, the old system of “distribution chokeholds” and “toll bridges” exploited in a world of content scarcity would disappear. “If you define industry by the logos in this room, I think there is going to be a lot of chaos as scarcity is replaced by absolute plenty in terms of how you spend your leisure time,” he said. “This ability to essentially press a button and publish to the world anything [including movies] is going to change everything.”

During the second day of the Convention, the schedule ushered in sessions on satellite services, interactivity and investment (with optimistic takes on how the sky wasn’t falling) plus another “In Conversation” piece, this time with Abe Peled, Chairman and CEO of NDS, who spoke of new developments in the security sphere and the critical role access technologies have in protecting and enhancing pay-TV operations.

Peled described the growth market for a company that engaged in the business of digital pay TV. “We’re changing the way people are entertained and informed,” he told the BBC’s Saranjit Leyl. “But only 200 million out of 725 million pay-TV households enjoy digital – and only 20 million enjoy HD.” But more to the point, he said only 30 million had digital video recorders at the moment, and nearly half of them 14.5 million of those were provided by NDS.

Peled continued: “That’s why I think we’re in a fundamentally great market. And the costs of technology are coming down sufficiently to make the technology affordable in emerging markets — in low APRU markets like India, and Asia in general and eastern Europe – where we see a lot of growth coming.

Earlier, in a session with Phil Lines, the English Premier League’s Director of Media Operations and International Broadcasting, discussion inevitably also touched on signal theft: “I’m very worried [about piracy] going into China and anywhere the internet has grown quickly,” Lines said, explaining that lax regulation made it too easy for rogues to crack encryption codes and launch distribution businesses.

He contrasted that with the situation in Hong Kong. “Our local licensee is an IPTV operator and that helps eliminate piracy,” Line said. “IPTV can’t roll out fast enough – PCCW is pirate proof and Hong Kong is the most profitable market for us in the world.”

Lines said China was still resistant to pay-TV. “It will be very interesting to see what happens when we sell our rights there next year.”

Staying with the regulation of Asia’s mega markets, in a centre stage interview, the chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Nripendra Misra, reiterated that his country’s priorities were to move ahead with convergence and complete digital transformation by 2010. Another priority, he said, was ensuring “constructive” competition in the market, a worrying qualifier that seemed to leave lots of wiggle room for interpretation.

Asked about concerns about WiMAX deployments in C-band (and how they threatened to disrupt TV services), the even-tempered TRAI chairman offered kudos to CASBAA for keeping the issue front and centre: “What you’re doing here today is going to help reduce this high risk perception. The WiMAX Forum does its job [and] you at CASBAA are doing your job,” he said.

Significant figures about the CASBAA Convention 2008
More than 1,700 Delegates More than 120 Media More than 100 Speakers 63 Sponsors 12 Networking Events 5 Digital Solutions Presentations 19 Demo-Areas 1 Golf Masters More than 450 ghosts, goblins and ghouls at the CASBAA Halloween Charity Ball

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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 135 + member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera International, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television, Genesis Networks, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., HBO Asia, Intelsat, Macquarie Group, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Motorola, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SES NEW SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television International, 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.

For enquiries, please contact:

CASBAA
Helen Shek / Carmen Mak
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, November 10, 2008 – In the wake of the CASBAA Convention 2008, the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has added two Corporate members – Islamabad-based information and communication technology provider Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and Indonesian pay-TV platform Aora TV (PT Karyamegah Adijaya).

Meanwhile, Netherlands-based content security specialist Irdeto and broadcaster NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific have upgraded their CASBAA memberships to Patron status.

“It is greatly encouraging that, while building their domestic businesses, the leading players in emerging markets such as those in Indonesia and Pakistan, are looking outwards to regional relationships and experience,” said Simon Twiston Davies, the CEO of CASBAA. “Once again these additional CASBAA memberships demonstrate a new maturity for the Asia Pacific pay-TV industry.”

Meanwhile, according to Twiston Davies, “global broadcasters such as NBC Universal are also reaffirming their commitment to the region, supported by technology providers such as Irdeto. These may be challenging times for global markets, but the Asia Pacific regional growth curve remains clear.”

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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 135 + member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera International, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television, Genesis Networks, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., HBO Asia, Intelsat, Macquarie Group, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Motorola, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SES NEW SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television International, 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.

For enquiries, please contact:

CASBAA
Helen Shek / Carmen Mak
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, 5 November 2008 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has announced the results of its 2008 Annual General Meeting elections to the CASBAA Board of Directors and the CASBAA Council of Governors, the Association’s leading advisory group.

James Ross, Regional Director of ITV Global Entertainment, re-joins the CASBAA Board of Directors (The CASBAA Management Board), while the following members retain their Board seats:

• • • Marcel Fenez, Global Managing Partner, Entertainment and Media Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers & Chairman, CASBAA
    • Peter Jackson, CEO, AsiaSat
    • Tom Keaveny, EVP & MD, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific
    • Jonathan Spink, CEO, HBO Asia
    • Todd Miller, EVP & MD, Asia, Sony Pictures Television International
    • William Pfeiffer, CEO, Tiger Gate Entertainment
    • Sompan Charumilinda, Exec. Vice Chairman, TrueVisions
    • Ian Carroll, SVP & GM, Turner International Asia Pacific

Anthony Tse, CEO of Cosmedia Group steps down from the CASBAA Board for 2009.

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

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

Retaining seats on the CASBAA Council are:

• • Manu Sawhney, MD, ESPN STAR Sports
  • Mark Patterson, CEO, GroupM Asia Pacific
  • Stephen Ng, Chairman, President and CEO, HK Cable TV
  • Nick Pilbeam, MD & Founder, Itsun limited
  • Mongryong Lee, President & CEO, KDB Skylife
  • Paul Brown-Kenyon, COO, MEASAT
  • Michelle L. Guthrie, MD, Providence Equity Asia
  • Andrew Jordan, President & CEO, SAT-GE
  • Alex Muller, MD, Asia, TV5MONDE
  • Gregg Creevey (Individual member)

The following are Patron members of the Association also have an automatic seat on the Council: Phil Lawrie, Al Jazeera; Tom Choi, Asia Broadcast Satellite; Rohana Rozhan, Astro; Bruce Dover, Australia Network; Shawn Galey, Bloomberg Television; Shyue-Ching Lu, Chunghwa Telecom; Jeremy Pink, NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific; Robert Gilby, Disney-ABC International Television; Paul Dujardin, Genesis Networks; David Ball, Intelsat; Bengt Jonsson, Irdeto; Ben Way, Macquarie; Ian Chapman-Banks, Motorola Mobile Devices – North Asia; Amit Jain, MTV Networks Asia; Sue Taylor, NDS; Pawan Gandhi, Nokia; Lindsay Servian, now TV; May Oh, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies; Elias Zaccack, SES New Skies; KaHoe Low, SingTel; Joe Welch, STAR Group; Ken Yeung, Tom Group and Gregory Ang, VOOM HD Networks.

“This will be a challenging year for our industry in Asia, but the fundamentals for pay-TV growth remain solid,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman of CASBAA.

“The inaugural meeting of the CASBAA Council of Governors for 2009 re-affirmed our priorities with regulatory issues at the top of the list, along with further engagement in markets such as India, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam.“

“Add to this our continued commitment to growing pay-TV advertising and we have a full agenda. Certainly, with more content, increasingly convergent technologies and newly deployed delivery platforms, our markets can only keep growing,” added Fenez.

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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 135 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera International, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television, Genesis Networks, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., HBO Asia, Intelsat, Macquarie Group, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Motorola, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SES NEW SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television International, 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.

For enquiries, please contact:

CASBAA
Helen Shek / Carmen Mak
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, October 30, 2008 – The prestigious CASBAA Chairman’s Award 2008 for “the outstanding contribution to the Asia Pacific multi-channel cable, satellite and broadband pay-TV industries in the previous 12 months” has been jointly presented to Steve Marcopoto, President and MD of Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, the regional provider of TV channels such as CNN, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies, and Hary Tanoesoedibjo (known as Hary Tanoe), Group President & CEO of PT Global Media Com of Indonesia (MNC), operator of the country’s leading Direct to Home (DTH) platform, Indovision. Marcopoto was presented with the CASBAA Chairman’s award for more “than a decade of contributions to the growth of multi-channel television in Asia,” said Marcel Fenez, the Chairman of CASBAA. “Steve’s tireless commitment to deepening the effectiveness of pay television from India to Japan has been recognised by the industry across our entire region.” “I am very honored to be recognized by my industry colleagues at CASBAA,” said Marcopoto, “but all the contributions I have been able to make are really the product of the dedicated team at Turner. I look forward to continuing our efforts to strengthen our exciting, evolving industry.” The CASBAA Chairman’s Award 2008 to Hary Tanoe was made for his contribution to the remarkable recent development of the Indonesian DTH market, which has seen almost a doubling of the national subscriber base to almost one million connections over the past 12 months. While leading MNC, Hary Tanoe is responsible for terrestrial network Rajawali Citra Televise Indonesia (RCTI) as well as Indovision’s development. “Without Hary Tanoe the world’s long-standing vision of a thriving Indonesian pay-TV market might not be a reality,” said Fenez. Mr. Tanoe responded: “I must acknowledge that this achievement was not contributed by myself alone. It’s because of my team, as well as the support of many of our stakeholders. I humbly thank the CASBAA Council of Governors for choosing me as the joint winner.” The CASBAA Chairman’s Award 2008 was presented at the conclusion of the CASBAA Convention 2008 in Hong Kong. Marcel Fenez, the Chairman of CASBAA, said: “It is always a pleasure to be involved in the selection of the annual CASBAA Chairman’s Award. But this year was notable for the variety of amazing candidates. “We greatly congratulate both Steve and Hary Tanoe and recognise the hard work and creativity from which all of us have benefited. “The joint winners come from different parts of the pay-TV business, one representing an important growth market and the other a leading regional network. This is reflective of the rich diversity of our industry.” ### 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 135 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera International, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television, Genesis Networks, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., HBO Asia, Intelsat, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Macquarie Group, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Motorola, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SES NEW SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Tom Group, TrueVisions, Turner International Asia Pacific and VOOM HD Networks Asia. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here. For enquiries, please contact: CASBAA Helen Shek / Carmen Mak Tel: +852 2854 9943 Fax: +852 2854 9530 Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, October 29, 2008 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today released a new report highlighting the threat to television services posed by the deployment of Broadband Wireless Access services (such as WiMax) in the radio frequency band used for the wholesale distribution of satellite television signals in Asia.

The “Transmission Troubles” report provides the first region-wide survey of “real world” experiences of licensing conflicts over wireless spectrum normally used by satellite operators.

Headlining the CASBAA report is a list of six high-risk markets where cable systems, hotels and other wholesale broadcast customers are likely to experience outages over the next three years: India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand.

“Given the central role that satellites play in the delivery of television services to hundreds of millions of pay-TV subscribers in Asian markets, the risk of regional broadcasts ‘going to black’ is unacceptable,” said CASBAA in a statement.

“This is no false alarm. In the report we tabulate the rising incidence of interference in the ‘C-band’ used by satellite operators as recorded by repeated tests, extensive technical modeling, along with the growing numbers of ‘uncontrolled’ outages.”

According to CASBAA, Pakistan and Australia have licensed systems in the C-band already producing signal interference. In India, there are significant pressures to allocate vital broadcast spectrum currently used by satellite operators. In Indonesia – while the government has drafted decrees to separate wireless and satellite transmissions – carriers are reporting widespread on-the-ground interference.

CASBAA, meanwhile, underlined that governments do not need to sacrifice digital development goals to preserve satellite communications. “There are readily-available frequency alternatives for broadband wireless systems.”

For instance, CASBAA judged Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Malaysia as ‘low risk’ markets because the regulatory authorities there have assigned other frequencies for broadband wireless deployments, in part mitigating widespread industry concerns.

Indeed, following a 2007 meeting of the UN-based International Telecommunications Union’s World Radiocommunication Conference, there was a sense that C-band satellite spectrum in Asia would remain secure from interference.

“As you will see from our report, it is not,” said Gregg Daffner, the Chairman of CASBAA’s Wireless Action Group for satellite operators.

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To view the full “Transmission Troubles” report please click 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 135 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera International, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television, Genesis Networks, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., HBO Asia, Intelsat, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Macquarie Group, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Motorola, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SES NEW SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Tom Group, TrueVisions, Turner International Asia Pacific and VOOM HD Networks Asia. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

For enquiries, please contact:

CASBAA
Helen Shek / Carmen Mak
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, October 28, 2008 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today announced new data for Asia’s pay-TV market, showing 71 million digital pay-TV households out of 300 million pay-TV subscriptions across Asia.

“The increase in digital pay-TV market penetration represents a tipping point for our industry in Asia,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman of CASBAA.

“This is especially relevant with regards to the control of revenue leakage since digital pay-TV creates far greater transparency – what might be termed a ‘digital cushion’ — which can slow the growth of pay-TV piracy, while accurately tracking pay-TV subscriptions,” said Lee Beasley, Head of Media & Entertainment at Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong.

CASBAA noted that the Asian pay-TV markets with the lowest level of revenue leakage (or piracy) are generally those with the highest percentages of digital deployment, according to the findings of the 2008 Pay-TV Piracy Survey, conducted by CASBAA in collaboration with the Creative Industries Division of Standard Chartered Bank.

“For instance, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore and New Zealand are almost 100% digital and have the lowest piracy levels,” added Beasley.

CASBAA also highlighted that digital infrastructure provides pay-TV operators and cable channels the greatest opportunity to deliver sophisticated high-value pay-TV packages to consumers, including HDTV and interactive offerings.

Just as importantly, according to CASBAA, the mega-markets of India and China are demonstrating an increased pick-up for digital pay-TV services. India now has 8.5 million digital pay-TV households, while China represents 34 million digital cable connections.

“India’s digital pay-TV market has been driven by the recent exceptional growth in the digital DTH market but, at last, with 1.7 million digital cable subscriptions, India is finally taking off,” said Fenez.

While China’s most recent growth was clearly driven by the Olympics, “the next trick will be to enable new premium content to enter the market to encourage increased ARPU and to stimulate additional demand,” said Fenez.

While the pay-TV market has grown to almost 300 million subscribers across the region, CASBAA also revealed that the net cost of pay-TV piracy in 2008 will top US$1.7 billion this year, up from US$1.5 billion in 2007. “Nevertheless, this is in line with market growth while digital deployment should slow piracy as net subscriptions continue to grow,” said Beasley.

In India, the grey market for cable TV services has grown proportionally to the rapid growth in the overall market, topping US$1.1 billion. This grey market in India largely consists of cable connections that are under reported by cable operators.

Meanwhile, in Thailand and the Philippines the outright commercial theft and unauthorized redistribution of cable programming remains a serious issue. Piracy in Thailand will result in net industry losses of US$184 million by year-end 2008, while the piracy figure for the Philippines will stand at US$94 million.

In emerging pay-TV markets such as Vietnam and Pakistan, industry growth remains strong. In Vietnam, the legitimate market has more than doubled this year. In Pakistan, which is now estimated by CASBAA to have up to eight million connections to pay-TV services, only a small minority of these is legitimate, and the net losses to industry have increased to US$126 million, the equivalent of 7.2 million subscriptions.

In some markets technological advances have impacted the level of revenue leakage. For instance, in urban Indonesia and the Philippines, ongoing conversions of analogue networks to digital have reduced individual household “line-tapping”.

Hong Kong’s increasing reliance on digital TV systems has also made it more difficult for pirates to tap into pay-TV networks with piracy now accounting for US$20 million, down from US$26 million last year.

Overall according to CASBAA, pay-TV piracy in Asia seems set to stabilize in a digital world even as the Asian market remains on track for growth.

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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 135 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera International, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television, Genesis Networks, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., HBO Asia, Intelsat, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Macquarie Group, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Motorola, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SES NEW SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Tom Group, TrueVisions, Turner International Asia Pacific and VOOM HD Networks Asia. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

Standard Chartered – Leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
The history of Standard Chartered in Hong Kong dates back to 1859. It is currently one of the SAR’s three note-issuing banks. Standard Chartered incorporated its Hong Kong business on 1 July 2004, and now operates as a licensed bank in Hong Kong under the name of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered PLC.

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.

Standard Chartered aspires to be the best international bank in its markets through leading by example to be the right partner for its stakeholders. The group now employs 75,000 people, representing 115 nationalities, in more than 1,750 branches and outlets located in over 70 countries.

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited was named the “Employer of Choice” at the prestigious Hong Kong HR Awards 2008, and also named by The Gallup Organisation as a winner of the Gallup Great Workplace Award.

For more information, please visit: www.standardchartered.com

For enquiries, please contact:
CASBAA
Helen Shek / Carmen Mak
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, October 20, 2008 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today announced the addition of two new Corporate members – Manila-based media service provider Mediascape (part of leading Philippines telco PLDT) and Malaysian Internet and multimedia solutions provider TM Net Sdn Bhd (TM Net).

CASBAA also announced that China Entertainment Television (CETV), a Mandarin Chinese-language satellite TV channel in the Greater China region, has upgraded its Corporate membership to Patron status under the brand name “Tom Group”.

“To date, some 20 organisations have joined the Association in 2008, taking total membership to 135 companies,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman of CASBAA. “This is a record for annual growth in the Association’s 17-year history.”

According to CASBAA, the continued upward curve in membership is a clear indicator that the market remains confident of the future of Asia’s communications industry. “This also reflects the increasing value of the CASBAA membership,” said Fenez.

Meanwhile, CASBAA has seen more European networks entering in the Asian market. “Reflecting this, during next week’s CASBAA Convention 2008 in Hong Kong, we will be looking at this outbreak of Euro Euphoria,” added Fenez.

Senior executives from European channels including Philippe Cayla, President, Euronews and Peter Iacono, President of ITV Global Entertainment will participate in keynotes and panel discussions at the CASBAA Convention 2008 to share insights on the Asia market, as well as their positioning strategies.

For more information about the CASBAA Convention 2008 please visit www.casbaaconvention.com .

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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 135 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera International, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia, Disney-ABC International Television, Genesis Networks, Granada International/ITV Worldwide, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Lionsgate, Macquarie Group, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, Motorola, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SES NEW SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Tom Group, TrueVisions, Turner International Asia Pacific and VOOM HD Networks Asia. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

For enquiries, please contact:
CASBAA
Helen Shek / Carmen Mak
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com