Hong Kong, October 27, 2006 – The winner of the prestigious CASBAA Chairman’s Award 2006 for “the outstanding contribution to the Asia Pacific multi-channel cable, satellite and broadband pay-TV industries in the previous 12 months.” was made today to Peter Jackson, CEO of satellite system operator AsiaSat.

Mr. Jackson has been a member of CASBAA for almost all of the Association¡¯s 15-year history and a Member of the Board of Directors for seven years.

The CASBAA Chairman’s Award 2006 was presented at the conclusion of the CASBAA TV Advertising Awards held on the final day of the CASBAA Convention 2006 in Hong Kong.

Marcel Fenez, the Chairman of CASBAA, said: “For more than a decade Peter Jackson has been an outstanding executive in one of our industry’s most commercially and technically challenging sectors, satellite services. With his pan-regional responsibilities and a background in telecommunications, Peter has developed an almost unique understanding of media and telecoms issues which has hugely benefited our industry and the Association.”

The formal citation for Mr Jackson’s Award reads: “In recognition of Peter Jackson’s unparalleled professionalism and integrity in one of the most competitive sectors within our industry and his on-going commitment to the Association.”

“Beyond that, Peter’s contribution’s to the Association as a Board Member and the leading representative of the satellite sector has helped enormously to create the credible industry voice that we are today,” said Mr Fenez. “Peter is greatly respected by his peers, by government officials and by a client base drawn from around the world.”

Mr. Jackson said, “I am honoured to receive this award. But the honour is as much for the team at AsiaSat as it is for me. I also think the Award is an endorsement of the general achievements of CASBAA itself in the years that I have been involved. ”

Prior to joining the listed AsiaSat as CEO in 1993, Mr Jackson was the Regional Director, Asia Pacific of Cable & Wireless, which he joined in 1970 with responsibilities for several satellite telecom ventures around the region. He has also worked in the Caribbean, the United Arab Emirates and China.

The other nominees for the 2006 CASBAA Chairman’s Award were:

HBO
For the launch (and marketing) of the new HBO multiplexes which maintain programming quality whilst adding to customer choice and ease of proposition understanding.

Nokia
For the promotion of the DVB-supported DVB-H standard and its efforts to generate a greater understating of the mobile TV opportunity to both mobile platform operators and content providers.

PCCW-NOW TV
In the past 12 months Now TV has evangelized the broadband TV model, energizing the entire sector. And for the continued expansion of its subscriber base and the pro-active marketing of a secure and advanced pay-TV platform with a growing interactive capability.

STAR TV
For establishing a broad range of tailored channels, often at a country level, to cater to specific needs (such as South India programming). The network has also demonstrated a deep understanding of the industry’s future, both on-air and into platforms such as mobile. And STAR TV has been a leader in branded content.

Starhub
For aggressively expanded its channel line-up and invested in enhancing and marketing its services. The total number of channels has increased to 94. Starhub recently introduced a digital video recorder set-top box; launched pay per view service, FlexiWatch; engaged in an HD trial; and, launched a new brand campaign ‘For the life that I love, I am a hub’ to drive subscription.

Marketing Magazine (Singapore)
In recognition of its excellent work in promoting the delivery of key demographics by cable and satellite channels to advertisers.
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ABOUT CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia 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 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Members include Asia Broadcast Satellite, Australia Network, ABN AMRO, AETN International (History Channel), AsiaSat, Astro (Malaysia), Bloomberg Television, Comverse, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia, Granada, EMC, HBO Asia, IBM, Macquarie Bank, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC (Thailand), Walt Disney Television International, Zonemedia, Anytime, BBC Global Channels, BBC World, Celestial Movies, CSM TNS, ESPN STAR Sports, Eurosports, Hallmark Channel, Hong Kong Cable, Intelsat, Irdeto, Harmonic, Lovells, MEASAT, Motorola, National Geographic, Paul Weiss, Playboy TV, Seagate, Sky News Australia, Standard Chartered Bank, Synovate and TimeWarner.

CONTACTS:
Rebecca Kennedy / Katie Wong
CASBAA
Tel : +852 2854 9913
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, 25 October 2006 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today announced the formal launch of the CASBAA Mobile Group, a team of CASBAA members dedicated to the effective, business-model focused deployment of Mobile TV services across the Asia Pacific. The announcement was made during first plenary day of the CASBAA Convention 2006 in Hong Kong.

Among the CASBAA Members participating in this CASBAA Group are mobile content providers such as Turner Broadcasting, ESPN Star Sports, CNBC Asia, BBC World, STAR Group, Walt Disney Television International and Sony Pictures TV International, as well as platform operator PCCW, handset manufacturer Nokia and chipset supplier Sun Microsystems.

The CASBAA Mobile Group today met with the DVB-H Asia Pacific Alliance (DAPA), which comprises DVB-H dedicated broadcast platform operators such as Bridge Networks of Australia, MiTV of Malaysia and MECA from Indonesia, as well as Nokia.

“The CASBAA objective is to create an environment where the regulatory and business issues surrounding Mobile TV can be debated with hard information exchanged to encourage the distribution of paid video content to as many Mobile TV subscribers as possible,” said CASBAA CEO, Simon Twiston Davies.

The CASBAA engagement with DAPA followed a meeting earlier in the year with the Asia Mobile Initiative (AMI), where video-to-mobile streaming information was exchanged with roaming platforms M1-Vodafone (Singapore), Celcom (Malaysia), DTAC (Thailand) and SMART (Philippines).

“As is demonstrated by the heavy emphasis on mobile issues in our the CASBAA Convention programme this year, the pay-TV industry places the development of a robust business model for Mobile TV as one of its highest priorities for our digital future,” said Mr Twiston Davies.

“There is a long-term commitment by the content industry to work more closely with mobile platforms and manufacturers to create an economically viable business for everyone. This is just the beginning of the development of new and substantive revenue stream for our industry.”

About CASBAA (www.casbaa.com)
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia 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 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Members include Asia Broadcast Satellite, Australia Network, ABN AMRO, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AETN International (History Channel), AsiaSat, Astro (Malaysia), Bloomberg Television, Comverse, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia, Granada, EMC, HBO Asia, IBM, Macquarie Bank, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC (Thailand), Walt Disney Television International, Zonemedia, Anytime, BBC Global Channels, BBC World, Celestial Movies, CSM TNS, ESPN STAR Sports, Eurosport, Hallmark Channel, Hong Kong Cable, Intelsat, Irdeto, Harmonic, Lovells, MEASAT, Motorola, National Geographic, Paul Weiss, Playboy TV, Seagate, Sky News Australia, Standard Chartered Bank, Synovate and TimeWarner.

For further information, please contact:
Liza Ng / Sovanna Fung
iPR communications
Tel: +852 3178 9010 / 2131 8962
Fax: +852 2131 8955
Email: lizang@iprcomm.com.hk
sovannafung@iprcomm.com.hk

Rebecca Kennedy / Katie Wong
Communications
CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9913
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, 24 October 2006 – The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (Standard Chartered) today released the Cost of Pay-TV Piracy study for the Asia Pacific region for 2006. The CASBAA Pay-TV Piracy Report 2006 was conducted by CASBAA in collaboration with its member organisations and assistance with validation of the findings from the Creative Industries Division of Standard Chartered specialising in the media & entertainment sector.

This is the fourth annual survey of the issue covering the various types of pay-TV piracy in markets including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and this year’s new additions, Australia and Macau. The study highlights the impact of pay-TV signal theft and unlicensed pay-TV operators on regional economies amid new technological developments.

The study estimates that the cost of pay-TV piracy in the region increased from US$1.06 billion in 2005 to US$1.13 billion in 2006. For four consecutive years the cost of pay-TV piracy has risen and in 2006 the number of illegal subscriptions across Asia Pacific is estimated to have increased by 20% in 2006 to 5.2 million connections.

The Report also highlights that pay-TV piracy will result in an estimated tax revenue loss of US$158 million to the region’s governments in 2006. In particular, the piracy situation in India, Hong Kong and Vietnam continues to worsen.

“Pay-TV piracy should raise an alarm not only in the pay-TV industry, but also for a range of Asian governments,” noted Mr Lee Beasley, Head of Media and Entertainment, Standard Chartered. “Having said that, we believe the pay-TV market still presents huge potential for growth.”

According to CASBAA, the rate of growth in the dollar value of pay-TV revenue leakage has slowed slightly, while the number of illegal connections across the region has jumped 20% and more markets are demonstrating worrying signs of serious revenue loss.

“As a result of this, pay-TV piracy is possibly the number one issue facing the entire industry in the Asia Pacific. Meanwhile, CASBAA will continue to work with the industry, regulators and the community at large to improve the situation,” said Mr Simon Twiston Davies, Chief Executive Officer of CASBAA.

In 2006, CASBAA has undertaken lobbying of governments in numerous markets and continued with legal actions against pirate operators and the commercial distribution of unauthorised signals in bars and clubs.

The new study estimates that the cost of pay-TV piracy in Hong Kong for 2006 will be US$32.4 million (HK$252.72 million), a hike of 29% over last year. “This could have a genuine impact on Hong Kong’s reputation as an intellectual property rights hub,” said Mr Twiston Davies.

According to CASBAA, the rising level of Hong Kong losses can be partly attributed to increases in illegal set-top box use and to satellite overspill reception, as this year’s World Cup energised sales campaigns by criminal pirate syndicates.

Leading the region in dollar terms, India’s pay-TV revenue leakage has reached a massive US$685 million in net losses. The grey market deficit in India, due to “under-reporting” by “last mile cable operators”, has grown from US$632 million in 2005 to US$667 million in 2006.

Thailand also suffers from a rising cost of pay-TV piracy, at US$160 million, the second largest dollar loss in the region comprising an alarming 1.27 million unauthorised connections.

Other markets facing an uphill pay-TV piracy battle include Vietnam and the Philippines. The “greenfield” market of Vietnam has the worst ratio of piracy in the region with one legal pay-TV subscriber to 15 illegal connections. According to this year’s study, there are 90,000 authorised subscribers in Vietnam compared to 1.37 million illegal subscribers.

“The piracy issue notwithstanding, the pay-TV industry in Vietnam is growing fast and represents enormous potential. CASBAA has advised industry players to work together with the Vietnamese authorities to correct the situation as soon as possible,” said Mr Twiston Davies.

In the Philippines, there are few signs of improvement, with the number of illegal pay-TV subscribers increasing to 887,000. The estimated net piracy cost due to illegal distributors, largely in the provinces, has risen by 24% this year.

Despite being a fast-growing pay-TV market, Indonesia is suffering from a revenue leakage of US$23.8 million as government and industry insiders indicate a substantive piracy growth.

Macau, covered by the study for the first time, has the unenviable distinction of having the region’s second highest piracy rate with 10 pirated connections for every one legal subscriber. Last year the Macau government announced measures to deal with the problem, but to date the wholesale piracy of international content continues to be rampant.

Singapore is the only market covered by the Report that brings good news to the industry this year. As a result of the ongoing digitisation of the cable network, the number of pirated pay-TV subscriptions remains low. The piracy issue appears to be under control, with a 15.8% decline in pay-TV piracy cost.

“Nevertheless, more action is required from governments ¨C even the good ones ¨C to counter the corrosive effects of piracy on the pay-TV and related industries,” said Mr Twiston Davies.

Standard Chartered and CASBAA will release the full results of the latest pay-TV piracy study on October 25th at the Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong. A CASBAA Convention 2006 session on pay-TV piracy will feature a presentation by John Medeiros, the CASBAA VP for Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, who will look at the value of cooperation between government and the pay-TV industry and review challenges facing governments and industry.

The CASBAA Convention 2006 is Asia’s premier broadcasting event. Tagged “From Bandwidth to Brandwidth”, the CASBAA Convention 2006, to be held from 24 to 27 October, is poised to shed light on using advancements in digital technologies to maximise the value of newly-available communications bandwidth for sophisticated brand development, innovative marketing and premium content.

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 is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and is consistently ranked in the top 25 among FTSE-100 companies by market capitalisation.

Standard Chartered has a history of over 150 years in banking and is in many of the world’s fastest-growing markets with an extensive global network of over 1,200 branches (including subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures) in over 50 countries in the Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom and the Americas.

As one of the world’s most international banks, Standard Chartered employs almost 50,000 people, representing over 90 nationalities, worldwide. This diversity lies at the heart of the Bank’s values and supports the Bank’s growth as the world increasingly becomes one market.

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

STANDARD CHARTERED DISCLAIMER:
The information and statistical data herein have been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable but in no way are warranted by us as to accuracy or completeness. While all reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors of fact or for any opinion expressed herein. We do not undertake to advise you as to any change of our views. This is not a solicitation or any offer to buy or sell.

About CASBAA (www.casbaa.com)
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia 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 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Members include Asia Broadcast Satellite, Australia Network, ABN AMRO, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AETN International (History Channel), AsiaSat, Astro (Malaysia), Bloomberg Television, Comverse, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia, Granada, EMC, HBO Asia, IBM, Macquarie Bank, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC (Thailand), Walt Disney Television International, Zonemedia, Anytime, BBC Global Channels, BBC World, Celestial Movies, CSM TNS, ESPN STAR Sports, Eurosport, Hallmark Channel, Hong Kong Cable, Intelsat, Irdeto, Harmonic, Lovells, MEASAT, Motorola, National Geographic, Paul Weiss, Playboy TV, Seagate, Sky News Australia, Standard Chartered Bank, Synovate and TimeWarner.

For further information, please contact:
Liza Ng / Sovanna Fung
iPR communications
Tel: +852 3178 9010 / 2131 8962
Fax: +852 2131 8955
Email: lizang@iprcomm.com.hk
sovannafung@iprcomm.com.hk

Rebecca Kennedy / Katie Wong
Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9913
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

A unique showcase for transforming the TV business in a brand-rich world

Hong Kong, 10 October 2006 – Tagged “From Bandwidth to Brandwidth”, the CASBAA Convention 2006, to be held from 24 to 27 October, is poised to shed light on using advancements in digital technologies to maximise the value of newly-available communications bandwidth for sophisticated brand development, innovative marketing and premium content.

“Broadband and the multimedia revolution present immense opportunities for pay-TV platform operators, content providers and telcos of all types in Asia,” remarked Marcel Fenez, Chairman of the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA).

As Asia’s foremost broadcast industry event of the year, the Convention opens on 24 October with the CASBAA Technology Showcase 2006, focussing on the products and technical solutions revolutionising the world of pay-TV. This day-long session will feature presentations from the developers of global wireless, high definition, broadband and interactive technologies.

On the opening day of the Convention, 25 October, the CASBAA Pay-TV Piracy Survey 2006 will be unveiled. This fourth annual study conducted by Standard Chartered Bank in collaboration with CASBAA and its member organisations, reveals pay-TV piracy estimates for 2006-2007. John Medeiros, the CASBAA VP for Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, will look at the value of cooperation between government and the pay-TV industry and review government efforts to address the worsening problem of pay-TV piracy.

With regulation a crucial element for the broadcast industry, Kip Meek, Senior Partner for Competition & Content, OFCOM (UK) and Chairman of the European Regulators Group, will consider the need for regulatory supervision and effective governance and cast light on the relevance of a converged regulatory model to Asia. Mr. Meek will explore challenges and opportunities arising from the emergence of new media, technological innovations and the increasingly blurred distinction between carriers and content providers.

The following day, 26 October, Charlie Ergen, Co-founder & CEO, EchoStar Communications (US), will present delegates with the realities of operating one of the world’s most advanced Direct-to-Home satellite TV services and look at market opportunities in Asia Pacific, including how industry players can focus on ¡®brandwidth¡¯ rather than ‘bandwidth’ in their business operations today.

On the final day of the Convention, 27 October, Irwin Gotlieb, Global CEO of WPP’s Group M in New York, will discuss the future of advertising and of media in the changing landscape, providing insights into effective strategies and tactics for pay-TV operators.

“This year’s programme will offer delegates fresh perspectives on branding and the opportunities it provides in this new paradigm of abundant bandwidth and technological advancements. To make immediate and enormous strides towards becoming a digital leader, domestic markets should operate in sync with the rest of the world and gain the full benefit of a global marketplace,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA. “Regulators will see the benefits of loosening restraints on industry growth, while industry players will gain insights into the latest business and technology trends as well as the hot issues of today.”

The CASBAA Convention 2006 will be held at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from 24 to 27 October, and is presented by InvestHK, with Star TV and now TV as the official partners.

For the full agenda and further information on the CASBAA Convention 2006, please visit http://www.casbaaconvention.com.
###

About CASBAA (www.casbaa.com)
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia 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 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Members include Australia Network, ABN AMRO, AETN International (History Channel), AsiaSat, Astro (Malaysia), Bloomberg Television, Comverse, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia, Granada, EMC, HBO Asia, IBM, Macquarie Bank, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC (Thailand), Walt Disney Television International, Zonemedia, Anytime, BBC Global Channels, BBC World, Celestial, CMS TNS, ESPN STAR Sports, Eurosports, Hallmark Channel, Intelsat, Irdeto, Harmonic, Lovells, MEASAT, Motorola, National Geographic, Paul Weiss, Playboy TV, Seagate, Sky News Australia, Standard Chartered Bank, Starhub, Synovate and TimeWarner.

For further information, please contact:
Liza Ng / Sovanna Fung
iPR communications
Tel: +852 3178 9010 / 2131 8962
Fax: +852 2131 8955
Email: lizang@iprcomm.com.hk
sovannafung@iprcomm.com.hk

Rebecca Kennedy / Katie Wong
Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9913
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

October 9, 2006, Manila, Philippines – With piracy holding back development of the cable and satellite TV industry to just 8% of all TV households in the Philippines, the Intellectual Property Office is bolstering its efforts to curb the problem.

The IPO today united with industry groups led by the Philippine Cable TV Association (PCTA) and the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) to organize the second part of its Intellectual Property Rights Protection Training Program (I-PROTECT).

The I-PROTECT program aims to broaden the competency of government officials processing intellectual property rights legal cases.

Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr., the Director General of IP Philippines said, “Enforcing intellectual property rights is fundamental in promoting respect for the creative work of artists, writers, inventors and scientists. I-PROTECT helps ensure that our laws are properly and fairly enforced by systematically and continuously upgrading the knowledge and skills of those responsible for implementing these laws.”

“It is important that we are aware of the social and economic impact of the cable and satellite industry in our society and its contribution to national development so that our campaign against piracy makes sense,” said Director General Cristobal.

Participants in the high-level seminar for officials and industry players heard how stronger protections of IP rights within the Philippines will deliver more investment, improved communications infrastructure and more consumer choice.

“Philippine cable operators have invested substantial sums to give their customers choice of a wider range of programming for a range of different prices. This is exactly the kind of communications service that will develop further, and faster, if the piracy challenge can be met,” said Allan Dungao, President of PCTA.

According to the PCTA, piracy is causing program providers to suffer from lost revenues; legitimate cable operators to suffer in terms of lost market and higher programming costs; and the Philippine government to suffer from lost revenues in terms of taxes.

The seminar involved the participation of Senator Ramon Magsaysay, Jr., a recognized advocate of growth in the industry. International and local resource speakers shared knowledge on the legal and technical aspects of existing IP laws and regulations and how these are applied to the industry.

Seminar participants also included lawyers and technical officers from the IPO-Bureau of Legal Affairs and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC); law enforcement officers from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); lawyers and hearing officers of the Department of Justice (DOJ); and representatives from allied agencies such as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Optical Media Board (OMB).

This pay-TV-focused I-PROTECT training follows an education project staged by the IPO, the PCTA and CASBAA in July, shortly after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the IPO and the NTC, a launch seminar was held specifically for IPO’s Bureau of Legal Affairs.

Simon Twiston Davies, Chief Executive Officer of CASBAA, expressed the industry’s appreciation for the government’s efforts to address the worsening cases of piracy in the cable and satellite industry.

“We thank the IP Philippines for fulfilling a government commitment to creating a new awareness of the intellectual property challenges that face our industry. This seminar exemplifies how cooperation between government and the private sector can, in turn, lead to the cable and satellite TV sector becoming a key contributor to Philippine national progress,” Mr. Twiston Davies said.

###

ABOUT CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia 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 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Members include Australia Network, ABN AMRO, AETN International (History Channel), AsiaSat, Astro, Bloomberg Television, China Entertainment Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Comverse, Discovery Networks Asia, EMC, Granada, HBO Asia, IBM, Macquarie Bank, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC, Walt Disney Television International, Zonemedia, AGB Nielsen, Asian Food Channel, BBC Global Channels, ESPN STAR Sports, Eurosport, Hallmark Channel, Hong Kong Cable, HSBC Bank, Lovells, National Geographic, Paul Weiss, StarHub and TimeWarner.

CONTACTS:
Rebecca Kennedy / Katie Wong
CASBAA
Tel : +852 2854 9913
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

New Delhi, September 21, 2006 – The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today called on the Government of India to make a shift in its regulatory approach to the pay-TV industry.

“The Indian authorities’ current positioning is holding back the industry and introducing significant new constraints of the kind that slowed India’s economic development for decades,” said Simon Twiston Davies, the CASBAA CEO.

According to CASBAA, recent initiatives by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) and the Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will severely limit development, not just of pay-TV, but of the entire Indian communications industry.

Speaking at a conference in Delhi organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), CASBAA said it would like to see more emphasis on promoting growth, rather than on restricting market flexibility, adding that international and domestic examples of thriving, lightly regulated markets are plentiful.

A CASBAA study last year entitled “Regulating for Growth” clearly demonstrated this linkage, under-scoring the success of markets such as Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

“India can make immediate and enormous strides towards becoming a digital leader – if it takes fundamental steps to loosen restraints on industry growth,” said Mr Twiston Davies. “The size of Malaysia’s pay-TV market, for instance, has doubled in the last three years.”

In other Asian markets bidding for cable systems is generating offers of more than US$1.5 billion each, yet there is little encouragement of fresh domestic or foreign investment into the India market.

Meanwhile, CASBAA believes that the proposed Broadcast Services Bill would create a new pay-TV industry regulator potentially subject to political interference.

“India needs to install a truly independent communications industry regulator,” said Mr Twiston Davies. “Regulatory decisions should be technical and quasi-judicial, responding to the demands of the fast-changing media environment, and not subject to transient political pressures.”

CASBAA also highlighted items such as the recent TRAI decision to set maximum retail prices for all pay-TV channels at Rs5 ($US 0.11) each and the draft Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill (2006) – which mandates local content requirements for every pay-TV channel.

“Does the Government of India really believe that all TV channels have the same value; that a high cost movie channel should be priced in the same way as a channel dedicated to low cost chat shows? This makes no sense,” said Mr Twiston Davies.

According to CASBAA, investment in high-quality content could quickly dry up as channel providers find they cannot make a return on their investment. The rate cap decision could quickly produce a race to the bottom in terms of content, to the detriment of viewers.

The maximum retail price directive ignores market realities: “It is now over two years since TRAI first instituted a cable price freeze which it said would be temporary until the launch of DTH satellite services. Unfortunately, that understanding seems to have evaporated, even though we have two DTH platforms that are now competing ferociously – with each other and with cable providers,” said Mr Twiston Davies.

CASBAA also has serious concerns over a proposed fifteen percent “local content” requirement for all channels aired in India, another example of regulation that will restrict the access of Indian viewers to premium content, especially international news, documentaries, sports and entertainment.

Many internationally focussed channels do not have India-specific feeds. “How can a global news channel meet a fifteen percent local content requirement,” asked Mr Twiston Davies. “News happens where it happens. The same applies to international sports. And how reasonable is it to expect niche channels from Italy, or Australia, or Germany, or China to carry Indian programming?”

According to CASBAA, India’s content industries are already strong and don’t need artificial life-support. “India’s film and television industry is now an export market and part of the global industry. Indeed, it benefits from the airing of Indian-generated TV programming in jurisdictions that don’t impose content quotas. The domestic market should operate in sync with the rest of the world and gain the full benefit of a global marketplace,” added Mr Twiston Davies.

“Without taking account of the new digital world, India’s pay-TV regulators will fall further and further behind global trends.”

# # #

ABOUT CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia 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 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Members include Australia Network, ABN AMRO, AETN International (History Channel), AsiaSat, Astro (Malaysia), Bloomberg Television, Comverse, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia, Granada, EMC, HBO Asia, IBM, Macquarie Bank, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC (Thailand), Walt Disney Television International, Zonemedia, AGB Nielsen, Asian Food Channel, BBC World, China Entertainment Television, ESPN STAR Sports, Hallmark Channel, HSBC Bank, Irdeto, Harmonic, National Geographic, NDS, Starhub, Taj TV and TimeWarner.

CONTACTS
Rebecca Kennedy / Katie Wong
Communications
CASBAA
Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2854 9971
Fax: (852) 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Manila, September 5, 2006 – In a bid to broaden the effectiveness of government when dealing with intellectual property rights (IPR) cases involving the Philippines cable and satellite TV industry, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), with support from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Philippine Cable TV Association (PCTA), recently staged a high level legal training seminar in Makati City.

The seminar, specifically designed to support IPO and NTC officers, brought together pay-TV industry experts, including cable operators, content creators and program distributors, along with IPR experts from law firm Quisumbing Torres.

Participants from both the government and the private sector highlighted the importance of building strong IPR protection to spur industry growth and boost its contribution to national progress.

“This is the first of a series of seminars that IP Philippines will undertake in partnership with the NTC and the pay-TV industry through CASBAA and the PCTA. The objective is to advance our common goal of curbing IP violations,” said IP Philippines Deputy Director General Pacifico Avenido.

The training session came on the heels of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the IPO and the NTC, which transfers the investigation and resolution of pay-TV industry IP cases to the IPO.

“As soon as the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the MoA are approved, the cases pending at the NTC will be transferred to the IPO”, said Mr Avenido.

“Thus, there’s an urgent need for our Bureau of Legal Affairs hearing lawyers to be trained comprehensively on pay-TV industry IP issues and the technical processes in broadcasting relevant to understanding the issues.”

Meanwhile, John Medeiros, the CASBAA VP for Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, expressed industry appreciation for the government’s efforts to address the worsening problem of pay-TV piracy.

“We thank the IPO and the NTC for co-sponsoring this seminar, a truly positive step that demonstrates the value of cooperation between the government and the pay-TV industry,” said Mr Medeiros.

PCTA President Allan Dungao echoed CASBAA’s call for the government of the Philippines to fortify the industry’s anti-piracy cause.

“Industry estimates place pay-TV signal theft losses at billions of pesos. With the support of the NTC, the IPO, the different legislative bodies and local government units, laws and ordinances have been passed rendering signal theft a crime punishable with imprisonment. More intervention through further government legislation is required, particularly in addressing program piracy in the Philippines,” said Mr Dungao.

Star TV Philippines Vice President, Liza Latinazo, with Tim Bautista, the COO of pay-TV channel distributor Cable Boss, joined Mr. Dungao on a panel of industry speakers during the training.

As a follow-up, the IPO, NTC, CASBAA and the PCTA are planning a follow-up IP law seminar open to industry and public sector groups in October as part of the IPO’s IP Protect educational lecture series.

###

About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia 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 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Members include Australia Network, ABN AMRO, AETN International (History Channel), AsiaSat, Astro (Malaysia), Bloomberg Television, China Entertainment Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Comverse, Discovery Networks Asia, EMC, Granada International / ITV Worldwide, HBO Asia, IBM, Macquarie, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC (Thailand), Walt Disney Television International, Zonemedia, AGB Nielsen, Asian Food Channel, BBC Prime, ESPN STAR Sports, Eurosport, Hallmark Channel, Hong Kong Cable, HSBC Bank, Lovells, National Geographic, Paul Weiss, SkyCable, TimeWarner, TVBI and TVB Pay Vision.

CONTACTS:
Rebecca Kennedy / Katie Wong
CASBAA
Tel : +852 2854 9913
Fax: +852 2854 9530
Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, August 29th, 2006 — The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today announced details of the CASBAA TV Advertising Awards 2006 in recognition of creative excellence in multi-channel television. Supported by a month-long campaign featuring three specially developed TVCs to be carried on more than 20 Asian TV networks, the CASBAA TV Advertising Awards ceremony will be the climax of the CASBAA Convention 2006 in Hong Kong, October 24th-27th.

“The 2006 Awards have been designed to celebrate a burst of regional creativity in the wake of the digital TV revolution,” said Marcel Fenez, the Chairman of CASBAA, “This years awards will feature recognition of eye-catching campaigns as measured across a range of advertising principles.”

The CASBAA TV Advertising Awards program will also feature a special address by Irwin Gotlieb, the New York-based, Worldwide CEO of GroupM.

The CASBAA TV Advertising Awards, which are staged in association with Media magazine, will be given for the categories listed below with Certificates awarded for the best in a particular sub-category.

“The playground of creativity is changing as fast as the Asian media environment,” said Mr Fenez. “Great ideas are permeating further and more vitally than ever before as they ignite the value of products through the insightful delivery of the relationships between consumers, brands and channels.”

“With the CASBAA TV Advertising Awards ranging from those for the ‘Best Under 18s TVC’ to the ‘Most Creative use of TV’, we believe that the recognition of imaginative and flexible campaigns carried on TV will be given significant a boost. We expect some very exciting entries this year,” said Kevin Jennings, the CASBAA Director of Events.

A final feature of the CASBAA TV Advertising Awards on October 27th will be the presentation of the CASBAA Chairmans Award 2006 for the most outstanding contribution to the Asian pay-TV industry in the past 12 months.

CATEGORIES:

Best Under-18s TVC

Best Business / Corporate TVC

Best Travel & Tourism TVC

Best Sports & Leisure TVC

Best TVC India / South Asia

Best TVC Greater China

Best TVC SE Asia

Most Creative Use of TV

Best Use of Sponsorship

Campaign of the Year Award

Hong Kong, August 29th, 2006 — The importance of China as a global growth market for Sports TV services was highlighted during the August 24th international industry summit in Beijing.

The meeting was hosted by the State Administration for Radio Film and Television (SARFT) and organised by the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) with media partner CCTV-5, the sports network of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

The audience of more than 400 international and China-based sports broadcasting executives was dominated by discussion of the potential for the Asian sports TV market and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which are now less than two years away.

With speakers drawn from World Cup soccer organisers FIFA, the UKs FA Premier League, ESPN STAR Sports, Total Sports Asia and the International Olympic Committee, the conference was keynoted by Dave Gordon, the Head of Major Events at BBC Sport, following an introduction to CCTVs plans for 2008 by network vice president Sun Yu Sheng.

“Our biggest advantage is that we have between 300 to 400 million TV sets and one billion viewers in China,” said Mr Sheng. “Meanwhile, I can assure you that China will have five dedicated Olympic TV channels as well as a channel for High Definition TV for 2008, allowing us to screen some 3,800 hours of Olympic programming.”

Touching on an assurance repeated throughout the conference, Alex Gilady, a member of the International Olympics Committee and the Vice President of NBC Sports, noted that “Sports remains the premium content that viewers have proven they are willing to pay for. In 25 years time, we are not sure whether commercial free-to-air programming will still exist. But we do know that pay-TV (and premium sports TV) will still be around.”

The value of the television rights that underpin the global sports market was highlighted by Phil Lines, the Head of International Broadcasting & Media Operations FA Premier League: “In 2003, our total revenue from overseas broadcast rights went up from just over 170 million pounds to more than 300 million pounds for three years. We sell the rights to 25 countries in Asia providing 31% of our total worldwide audience. Given that we are nearly always shown on pay TV channels in Asia this is a remarkable feat.”

Ma Guo Li, the COO of Beijing Olympic Broadcasting, the organisation that will coordinate all the official Olympic broadcasts, said that in the run up to the Olympics in 2008, “We are in a very important time right now. But the true outcome of the Beijing Olympics wont be felt until long afterwards. Then we will see what we have achieved and how it will change Chinas sports TV industry forever.”

At the conclusion of the conference, Marcel Fenez, the chairman of CASBAA, thanked co-organisers CCTV-5 and CITV, as well as the official Host, SARFT. “This event, the second in a series as we run-up to the Beijing Olympics, has demonstrated once again the strength of Chinas sports TV industry, as well as its regional importance,” he said.

ENDS

ABOUT CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia 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 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Members include Australia Network, ABN AMRO, AETN International (History Channel), AsiaSat, Astro (Malaysia), Bloomberg Television, China Entertainment Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Comverse, Discovery Networks Asia, EMC, HBO Asia, IBM, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC (Thailand), Walt Disney Television International, Zone Vision, Asian Food Channel, BBC World, Cosmedia, CSM Media Research, ESPN STAR Sports, HSBC Bank, National Geographic, Starhub, Taj TV and TimeWarner.

CONTACTS:

Rebecca Kennedy / Katie Wong

Communications

Tel: +852 2854 9913

Fax: +852 2854 9530

Email: pr@casbaa.com

Hong Kong, August 22nd, 2006 — The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has unveiled its conference program for the CASBAA Convention 2006 in Hong Kong, tagged From Bandwidth to Brandwidth.

Focusing on maximising the value of newly-available communications bandwidth via sophisticated brand development and innovative marketing, the CASBAA Convention 2006 October 24th-27th will feature global heavyweight speakers:

Charlie Ergen, Chairman and Founder of US DTH pioneer, Echostar
Michael Fries, CEO of multi-national pay-TV platform operator Liberty Global
Ho-Chen Tan, Chairman of Taiwans Chunghwa Telecom
Irwin Gotlieb, Global CEO of WPP media investment arm, GroupM
Kip Meek, Chief Policy Partner of trend-setting UK regulator OFCOM
Randall Dark, President, HD Vision Studios
Sofyan Djalil, Minister of State for Information & Communications, Indonesia,
and
Ou Yangchanglin, President of Hunan TV Station

“Annually, this is the most important gathering for our industry in Asia,” said the CASBAA Chairman, “Marcel Fenez. While the market is rightly dazzled by the promise of the new technologies, our most urgent task is to identify new business models and the most creative content as we develop a better understanding of what is achievable within the diverse Asian marketplace. Thats the theme for CASBAA 2006.”

While featuring dedicated sessions on South Asia (India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and a look at the key emerging markets of Indonesia and Vietnam, along with special Forums on IPTV, Mobile Video and HDTV, the annual CASBAA Convention is an unparalleled meeting place and a Must Attend date for everyones diary, said Mr Fenez.

As ever, CASBAAs must have markets of China and India will be heavily featured, along with a special Session on Japan.

CASBAA also announced details of the CASBAA TV Advertising Awards 2006, which this year are supported by an innovative, month-long CASBAA advertising campaign targeted at creative directors and scheduled to run on more than 20 regional pay-TV channels.

“We believe that our campaign, developed with a worldwide agency partner to promote the Awards, will attract a record number of amazing entries to this years competition,” said Kevin Jennings, the CASBAA Director of Events.

“The CASBAA TV Awards 2006 have been designed to highlight that marrying creative options with the power of television remains the most inventive of advertising mediums as the industry moves beyond traditional ad placement into on-line integration, program sponsorship, ad-funded content production and off-air events and promotions.”

For more information on the CASBAA Convention 2006 and the CASBAA TV Advertising Awards 2006 visit www.casbaaconvention.com.

Its all there!

ABOUT CASBAA – www.casbaa.com

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia 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 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Members include Australia Network, ABN AMRO, AETN International (History Channel), AsiaSat, Astro, Bloomberg Television, China Entertainment Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Comverse, Discovery Networks Asia, EMC, HBO Asia, IBM, Macquarie, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC, Walt Disney Television International, Zone Vision, Anytime, Measat, Asian Food Channel, BBC Prime, ESPN STAR Sports, Eurosport, Granada Hallmark Channel, Hong Kong Cable, HSBC Bank, Lovells, National Geographic, Paul Weiss, Sky News Australia, Synovate and TimeWarner.