Hong Kong, 28th October – The second day of the CASBAA Convention took an in-depth look at some of the technology as well as advertising models and revenue streams that are making waves in the new world of OTT. Gathering key players from the broadcast industry across the region, the convention discussed some of the most pertinent issues facing the broadcast industry today. A guest appearance from Hong Kong actor, Daniel Wu, also added a touch of Hollywood/HK movie style glamour to today’s event.

The session kicked off with a showcase of some of the latest technology that is sure to have a dramatic impact on the broadcast industry. The first was Twitter’s recently acquired Periscope. An app that lets the user broadcast live content from their phone, Periscope is already being employed by news organizations, celebrities and sporting events in the US. Rather than being a challenge to traditional broadcasts, “Periscope could compliment alternative forms of coverage at lower cost,” said Khush Kundi of Ericsson. Also under the spotlight was Accedo’s Virtual Reality headset. The headset incorporates the controls inside the VR for better user experience as well as second screen capability, which are becoming increasingly important. Accedo believes virtual reality will succeed over failed 3D offers as “it opens up new communication avenues, which can be driven by companies,” said Sushant Sharma of Accedo.

Audience measurement was a hot topic at today’s session, which much discussion on how best to assess audience demographics and behaviors. There was a general consensus that ‘joint industry committee models’ worked as they represented the majority of stakeholders, bringing robustness and validity to data but by their nature, they could be slow and cumbersome. Whilst there it is a challenge to pull together data from numerous sources, Lee Risk of GfK stated, “the more data you have the better. For accuracy, it’s important to have as many sources as you can but it needs the cooperation of whole industry.” Nick Burfitt from Kantar Media agreed that, while Asia is leading the way with ‘return path data’, audience measurement “will end up being a mix”. Also from Kantar, Keld Nielsen showcased some of the current audience measurement models for multiscreen viewing they have in place that incorporates a mix of people meters, portable meters and focal meters, which are attached to home wifi networks to track viewership across multiple screens.

Targeting viewers with specific advertising was also discussed, with David Downey from INVIDI introducing his addressable advertising model. Addressable advertising aims to eliminate the wastage of TV advertising by about 70%. This is accomplished through the use of data so media buyers can deliver an advert “with the right precision, the right reach and the right frequency.” Addressable advertising can run 10-15 adverts per commercial break to specific audiences with tailored content based on their behaviors and even produces the data metrics to justify ROI.

The types of content that engaged viewers was also on the agenda with the consensus that storytelling was paramount as long as brand visibility was kept very subtle. “Branded content is long-form advertising,” said Josh Black of GroupM though without the brand being front and center. Riaz Mehta of Imagine Group agreed, “for every production we maintain creative control. We ultimately have to draw the line when the client pushes for increased presence as we know this will not work to engage the consumer.” When reaching the consumer, “the hero of the story needs to be the consumer,” said Tony Chow of Marriott International. “You need to understand the consumer. If you talk too much about your brand, the consumer is not interested.” It was agreed that data would help facilitate the understanding of the target audience to find insights that would help drive strategic thinking and create relevant content. Distribution of content was also highly important where, despite the fact that brands were beginning to syndicate in-house, there was a reliance on media networks to get content to the right audience.

The moneymaking side of navigating the new OTT landscape was also a hot topic at today’s session. Sumeet Jaisinghani of Saban Capital Group felt optimistic that OTT spend was elevating overall media spend and that the “strategy needs to be multi-focused.” Fritz Demopoulos of Queen’s Road Capital believes there are comparisons with an ecommerce based revenue model. “There isn’t much difference between an ad-based business and an ecommerce business.” He also commented that the dollars in the distribution bucket were much larger than in the ad bucket providing more opportunity to increase revenue.

Raising capital in Asia was also discussed; Sander Hamersma of Barclays mentioned that “traditionally it has not been easy for content production companies in Asia to raise capital,” and while some have recently become successful in China, “multi-billion dollar production companies are really a first in Asia.” Interestingly though, he notes that M&A deals in Asia have been up. Improving broadband infrastructure was seen as key to growth but few companies had a long-term strategy to invest in this. “It’s only at the later stage that deep-pocketed institutions have the funds for broadband projects,” noted Demopoulos. A decline in subscriptions was raised as a concern though Jaisinghani saw that “pay TV isn’t a hard sell. Some pay-TV providers have been aggressive in rolling out direct to consumer content to their subscriber bases.” Demopoulos added “OTT providers need to look at the most scalable way to make more money. It is usually platforms that are scalable and content agnostic.”

When it comes to paying for content, Mark Britt from iflix believes consumers are keen to pay if they are “provided with a product that is compelling enough to be better than piracy at a price that everyone can afford.” Peter Bithos from HOOQ agreed, though said it was necessary to keep the model as simple as possible, “creating different payment layers is too complex for the customer to understand. The customer will work out what they want.” Ivy Wong from VS Media mentioned that “content could trigger different revenue models,” and also cited online to offline models as a key revenue driver. It was agreed that while payment models are being figured out, there is still some work to be done in emerging markets to recoup revenue as credit cards not prevalent.

Globally renowned Hong Kong actor, Daniel Wu, took to the stage with Bruce Tuchman of AMC, to discuss AMC’s latest epic series ‘Into the Badlands”. The series combines the best of Asian martial art with Hollywood storytelling and production. Daniel discussed how a compelling storyline was central to the series as focusing on martial arts alone would not be enough to sustain viewership. Tuchman commented that the venture was adventurous but a great one for AMC, “AMC is known for drama and breaking the mold so it made a lot of sense that our next budget drama is something that has never been done before.” The series will be launched simultaneously across the globe in 24 languages on November 16.

The UNICEF Child Rights Award for Television was also awarded at today’s session. The winner was GMA Networks from the Philippines for their emotionally compelling work on child manual labor in the Philippines, BAMBOO.

This year’s CASBAA Convention concluded with a fun debate on key statements regarding the future of the broadcasting industry for the audience to vote on. Propositions such as ‘mobile will be the predominant screen, the 30 second TV slot is dead and insightful curation is the future of television were posited with the audience mainly agreeing that the TV screen will prevail, as will the 30 sec ad slot, and that curation is essential to the future of TV. The audience was also in the majority agreement that content will go directly to consumers in the future and that the pay TV industry is in good health despite the new OTT landscape.

Sponsors for the CASBAA Convention 2015 include: ABS, Accedo, Akamai, AMC, APT Satellite, AsiaSat, Asia Television Limited, Brightcove, Conax, ContentWise, CreateHK, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat, France 24, Ideal Group, InvestHK, Irdeto, ITV Choice, Kantar Media, Letv, Lightning, MEASAT, MediaExcel, One Championship, Patron Spirits, PCCW, PwC, RTL CBS Asia, Scripps Networks Interactive, SES, TIME NOW, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Time Warner, True Visions, Turner, TV5Monde and Victorious.

For further information about the CASBAA Convention 2015, please visit www.casbaaconvention.com.

# # #

About CASBAA

CASBAA is the Asia Pacific region’s largest non-profit media association, serving the multi-channel audio-visual content creation and distribution industry. Established in 1991, CASBAA has grown with the industry to include digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising, and video delivery. Encompassing some 500 million connections within a footprint across the region, CASBAA works to be the authoritative voice for multichannel TV; promoting even-handed and market-friendly regulation, IP protection and revenue growth for subscription and advertising, while promoting global best practices. For more information, visit www.casbaa.com

—For enquiries, please contact:

Cynthia Wong
Member Relations & Marketing Director
CASBAA
Tel: +852 3929 1711
Email: cynthia@casbaa.com

Amy Chan/ Lucilla Lo
Ogilvy Public Relations
Tel: +852 2884 8421/ +852 2884 8651
Email: amy.chan@ogilvy.com / lucilla.lo@ogilvy.com

Hong Kong, 27th October – The annual CASBAA Convention kicked off today
in its new home at the Intercontinental Hotel, Hong Kong. The two-day
convention, with the theme ‘Making Waves’ brought together key industry
players in the broadcast, cable and satellite industry to discuss and debate
the hottest topics and latest developments in the industry today. With the
introduction of OTT and digital broadcast services now an established fact,
key themes of the day focused on creating quality and relevant content, as
well as localization, agile distribution and protection of content.

To kick-start the day, Chief Secretary for Administration for the Hong Kong
SAR Government, Carrie Lam, gave an introductory speech where she
underscored that the Rule of Law and freedom of expression were vital to the
fundamental strength of the HK broadcast industry. She also highlighted that
the HK SAR government believes that investing in creative talent is key to
driving growth of the creative industries and so launched the Create Smart
initiative which supports students in tertiary education focusing on TV or
media studies.

David Shing, the Digital Prophet of AOL, then looked at content consumption
from the audience perspective, highlighting how humans were at the heart of
everything and that “technology changes behavior not needs” when looking at
the key developments in the digital landscape. Also in a world where people
are creating and publishing their own content, it’s important to note that
“creativity still rules over technology” as content is now competing with
popular culture. Li Ruigang, Chairman of China Media Capital, commented
how there was huge demand from China for premium content yet “while
content is important, there is the need to build up a sustainable system to
continue to be able to create more content”. Ruigang also discussed how key
global partnerships such as Warner Bros, Dreamworks, and Legoland were
central to CMC’s strategy of establishing a solid content ecosystem. He also
took the opportunity to announce that his company is buying the China Soccer
League to further advance the company’s content and distribution strategy.

New content platforms in Asia were discussed when Janice Lee from PCCW
gave more detail on the company’s new global Viu OTT platform, announced
just yesterday. She mentioned how the company had to become extremely
agile in turning around their content in multiple languages to stay competitive
as well as beat illegal content, “Windowing has become very important, we
get our content out in multiple languages in just eight hours. Historically this
didn’t happen, which gave room for piracy.” Mike Hyun-dong Suh of CJ E&M
discussed how partnerships were also key to distribution of content, citing a
recent collaboration with Japanese app Naver as an example. He also
illustrated how taking content offline through events was also important to
engage fans. Greg Beitchman from CNN International discussed the need to
have content that worked across all their screens and that this was meeting
with success. “Digital touchpoints are enhancing our appeal rather than
cannibalizing what we do on TV,” he commented. CNNI also commented on
localization, highlighting how it had helped make them “more, not less,
relevant.”

Alon Shtruzman from Keshet Media, creator of Homeland and other key
global formats, maintains that content is, as ever, ‘king’. His company is
starting to look further afield for content and he believes ‘Asia is a goldmine
for content’ though not without some heavy legwork in understanding what
does and doesn’t work in the market.

How to engage with fans with content was discussed by Sam Rogoway, CEO,
Victorious who believed their creation of a community of superfans would
“change the way fans interact and engage with content.” The inception of the
‘passion graph’ would bring together like-minded individuals that would help
drive deeper engagement of content, even when there was no new content
available. Distribution of content was discussed by Gwynne Shotwell,
President and COO, SpaceX who’s company is investigating the feasibility of
launching 4,000 satellites into space with a view to connecting people in
remote areas throughout the planet.

Jay Samit, CEO, from SeaChange took a hard line on the future of the pay TV
business “the pay TV business as we know it is dead. The majority of content
is not linear and we need to adapt quickly or die.” With content now being
accessed increasingly online, it’s possible to work out who’s watching what at
home and provide relevant content based on that. “Pay TV will be completely
data driven,” he added. “With social analytics now shaping content offers, the
bottom line is you will go out of business if you don’t know who your consumer
is.”

Piracy of content was next on the agenda with Mark Mulready of Irdeto
showcasing just how difficult it is to distinguish legal from illegal content sites.
The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit example from the UK, where an
infringing website list of illegal websites is published and flagged to
advertising brands, was flagged a great initiative to disrupt pirate sites.
“Through working with the advertising industry, we can remove the incoming
revenue to these illegal sites,” commented Det. Chief Supt. David Clark of
City of London Police. It was also agreed that it was everyone’s responsibility
– whether channel or creator – to protect the value of content. Are Mathisen
from Conax AS encouraged all content owners to embrace new technology to
combat content theft.

With piracy followed the issue if regulation where Ajit Pai from the US Federal
Communications Commission and R.S. Sharma from the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India both agreeing that governments should take a less
restrictive approach to regulation to allow new business models to take shape.
A video note from UK actor and writer, James Corden, now host of the US
The Late Late Show, concluded today’s session at the convention. Corden
discussed how he saw his task was making a brilliant hour of TV every night.
“All we really want to do is make a show that is different and feels fresh every
night. If you think about it from the internet first then you will come unstuck.”
He emphasized the importance of a great creative team and how they try to
innovate with new features constantly to be as entertaining as possible.
Finally when asked if he was tired doing 44 shows a year, he commented “It’s
a luxury to be tired from doing something you love and always dreamt of.”

Sponsors for the CASBAA Convention 2015 include: ABS, Accedo, Akamai,
AMC, APT Satellite, AsiaSat, Asia Television Limited, Brightcove, Conax,
ContentWise, CreateHK, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat, France
24, Ideal Group, InvestHK, Irdeto, ITV Choice, Kantar Media, Letv, Lightning,
MEASAT, MediaExcel, One Championship, Patron Spirits, PCCW, PwC, RTL
CBS Asia, Scripps Networks Interactive, SES, TIME NOW, The University of
Chicago Booth School of Business, Time Warner, True Visions, Turner,
TV5Monde and Victorious.

For further information about the CASBAA Convention 2015, please visit
www.casbaaconvention.com.

# # #

About CASBAA
CASBAA is the Asia Pacific region’s largest non-profit media association,
serving the multi-channel audio-visual content creation and distribution
industry. Established in 1991, CASBAA has grown with the industry to
include digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising, and
video delivery. Encompassing some 500 million connections within a footprint
across the region, CASBAA works to be the authoritative voice for
multichannel TV; promoting even-handed and market-friendly regulation, IP
protection and revenue growth for subscription and advertising, while
promoting global best practices. For more information, visit www.casbaa.com

—For enquiries, please contact:
Cynthia Wong
Member Relations & Marketing Director
CASBAA
Tel: +852 3929 1711
Email: cynthia@casbaa.com

Amy Chan/ Lucilla Lo
Ogilvy Public Relations
Tel: +852 2884 8421/ +852 2884 8651
Email: amy.chan@ogilvy.com / lucilla.lo@ogilvy.com

Major mainstream brands inadvertently appear on illegal sites across Asia
Study reveals that the complex ad ecosystem is not doing enough to protect brand integrity online

Hong Kong, 26th October – Ad networks, major global brands and other players across the online advertising industry need to take more concrete steps to ensure their adverts are not appearing on illegal or criminally exploitative internet sites in Asia, concluded a study released today by Dr. Paul A. Watters of New Zealand’s Massey University. The findings from the study were revealed at an international conference ‘Making Online Advertising Click’ in Hong Kong’s Sheraton hotel today. Hosted by CASBAA, in partnership with the Motion Picture Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the conference focused on some of the critical legal and safety issues facing the internet today and how brands can inadvertently be associated with crime online.

“Dr. Watters’ study flags some worrying trends in the Asia online advertising landscape,” said John Medeiros, Chief Policy Officer at CASBAA. “Due to the opaque nature of multi-level transactions through online advertising networks, often brands can appear on illegal sites without their knowledge, which not only damages their reputation but brings them perilously close to criminal networks online.”

Speaking through a video to the conference, John Montgomery, Chairman of GroupM Connect North America, commented that online ad risk “really worries our clients, and is eroding confidence in the digital channel. The same people are perpetrating piracy, spreading malware, stealing users’ identities, and launching “botnets” to defraud advertisers through fake clicks. All of what is being discussed is linked. It’s the whole evil thread that runs through the net.”

Medeiros added, “CASBAA hopes that by highlighting how brands are inadvertently exposed to these risks and by sharing best practices from organizations across the world that are taking steps to prevent this, mainstream brands in Asia will have a more comprehensive understanding of how they can protect their integrity online, and governments will understand what they can do to help.”

As part of the conference’s focus on best practices, Det. Chief Supt. David Clark from the City of London Police discussed the formation of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) and its work to develop an Infringing Website List that helps advertisers and agencies differentiate between legal and illegal internet content sites. Illegal sites are placed on the list by the police, which is made available to brands and online advertising networks who have pledged not to advertise on these sites. “It is an ongoing process,” he commented. “With new internet sites springing up all the time, it is a challenge to keep the list of illegal sites current and updated. However, we see this as imperative, not only to protect brands’ integrity, but, more importantly, to prevent the public’s exposure to risk when interacting with illegal sites.”

Chief Inspector Sean Lin from the Hong Kong Police underlined the very real risks to the public from clicking on illegal sites, where ads frequently contain malware, viruses and fraud “phishing” attempts.

The research described by Dr. Paul Watters revealed a selection of online advertising networks that have been placing mainstream ads on the top piracy sites across the region – along with ads for pornography, malware and illegal gambling. His researchers inspected the code of mainstream ads that appeared online to determine which advertising network they came from. The ads came from banks, food suppliers, fashion retailers, oil companies, airlines – a broad range of legitimate industries. “Given the attention to this issue in other parts of the world, we have been surprised to find major Asian advertising networks continuing to place ads on rogue sites,” he commented. “It seems to be a much bigger problem in Asia.”

While there was much discussion about the best way for brands to limit their exposure on illegal internet sites, the conference concluded that an emulation of the UK approach, such as the development of an Asian list of infringing sites, would be a significant first step that would be as useful to advertisers in Asia as it is in Europe.

# # #

Videos for reference

Digital Citizens Alliance video “Good Money Gone Bad” – https://youtu.be/EasHgWfoOck

Internet Advertising Bureau HK video “The Evolution of Online Display Advertising” – http://www.iabuk.net/video/the-evolution-of-online-display-advertising#51eYAfttw9xYGKqz.97

John Montgomery, Chairman of GroupM Connect North America Video Interview – https://youtu.be/1V0lyAsolgU

About CASBAA

CASBAA is the Asia Pacific region’s largest non-profit media association, serving the multi-channel audio-visual content creation and distribution industry. Established in 1991, CASBAA has grown with the industry to include digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising, and video delivery. Encompassing some 500 million connections within a footprint across the region, CASBAA works to be the authoritative voice for multichannel TV; promoting even-handed and market-friendly regulation, IP protection and revenue growth for subscription and advertising, while promoting global best practices. For more information, visit www.casbaa.com

—For enquiries, please contact:

Cynthia Wong
Member Relations & Marketing Director
CASBAA
Tel: +852 3929 1711
Email: cynthia@casbaa.com

Amy Chan/ Lucilla Lo
Ogilvy Public Relations
Tel: +852 2884 8421/ +852 2884 8651
Email: amy.chan@ogilvy.com / lucilla.lo@ogilvy.com

Hong Kong, 29 September, 2015 – In a year of undeniable sea-change within the broadcast industry, the debate at this year’s CASBAA Convention at its new venue at Hong Kong’s Intercontinental Hotel promises to be hotter than ever. With the theme ‘Making Waves’, the convention has secured an impressive line up of speakers comprising of key industry players from all over the world. From global media giants such as AOL and Virgin Media to regional players such as China Media Capital, this year’s convention will waste no time in getting to the heart of the most pertinent issues facing the cable and satellite industry today.

With over-the-top – or OTT – in all its forms and formats being one of the biggest stories on the broadcast industry landscape this year, the topic will take pride of place at this year’s convention. Over the course of the convention, a wide range of issues related to OTT such as content, revenue-drivers, technologies, audience behaviors and regulation will be on the agenda.

“Whilst we cannot deny the role that linear TV will continue to play a role in the region, we must face the reality that OTT is here to stay and adapt accordingly,” said Christopher Slaughter, CEO, CASBAA. “The simple truth is that companies that fail to evolve will be left behind. By taking a look at some of the best practices in the industry, both in our neck of the woods and further afield, it is our belief that the CASBAA Convention will help our members find ways to navigate – and even conquer – these unchartered seas.”

Following an official welcome from Carrie Lam, Chief Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR Government, AOL’s Digital Prophet, David Shing will kick-start proceedings with an overview of the ever-evolving landscape, focusing on how OTT is now permeating every aspect of the content industry. Giving a UK perspective, Tom Mockridge of Virgin Media will discuss how the broadcast and digital landscapes have become increasingly intertwined and how Virgin has become a leader in this space.

With news hot off the press of his new venture with Warner Bros., Li Ruigang of China Media Capital will be giving the China keynote speech. He will discuss how his investment strategy has helped establish him as one of the major players in the region bridging both the Chinese and international media landscape. Greg Beitchman from CNN and Mark Howard from Forbes will look at driving revenue streams in what is becoming an increasingly digital landscape, while content providers Alon Shtruzman from Keshet Media and Mike Hyun-dong Suh from CJ E&M will look at key trends in the content market across Asia. Covering off the latest developments in how technology is being used in the broadcast arena will be David Downey from Invidi and Sam Rogoway from Victorious. Gwynne Shotwell from SpaceX will be boldly going where no CASBAA speaker has gone before to look at how space technology will not only revolutionize the media industry but life as we know it. Please see the table below for full Keynote and InConversation speaker line-up.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers and In Conversation Line-up To Date:

Name	Company	Topic
David Shing	Digital Prophet, AOL	The television industry is experiencing a sea-change with the introduction of online, on demand and TV Everywhere. Audiences are both expanding and fracturing simultaneously but those bold enough to embrace the change could reap rewards.
Li Ruigang	Chairman, China Media Capital	Under Li Ruigang’s stewardship, China Media Capital has been making strategic investments in local broadcasters and distributors, as well as establishing partnerships with major global content and formats companies, all with an eye on the China market.
Tom Mockridge	CEO, Virgin Media	As a quad-play service provider offering fixed and mobile voice services, multichannel television, and broadband internet services, Virgin Media is a leader in the UK digital space.
Greg Beitchman	Vice President, Content Sales and Partnerships, CNN International	Already a global leader, CNNI has been exploring new approaches to monetizing news content, particularly in local markets. Deals in the Philippines and Indonesia have already been established, but it’s a great big world out there.
Mark Howard	Chief Revenue Officer, Forbes Media	In Conversation Are the economics of journalism broken? Not if you’re Forbes Media, a 98- year-old print publication that currently earns 70% of its revenue from digital – and increasingly, from video. Learn how a legacy brand has been reinvented with original thinking and strategic innovation.
Alon Shtruzman	CEO International, Keshet Media	With some of the hottest formats around, Keshet Media has a massive catalogue of tried and tested properties that appeal to audiences worldwide across all genres. How is the content market shaping up in Asia? Are there new trends to watch out for?
Mike Hyun-dong Suh	SVP, Head of Global Business, CJ E&M	As one of the largest content and entertainment providers in Asia, CJ E&M has helped build the phenomenon that is K Culture and is uniquely positioned to spread Asia Pop Culture throughout the world.
Gwynne Shotwell	President & COO, SpaceX	SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. Disrupting long established patterns, they have succeeded in bringing advanced tech to the launching pad at a fraction of historic costs. The company is revolutionizing space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.
Jay Samit	CEO, SeaChange	“Disruption causes vast sums of money to flow from existing businesses and business models to new entrants.” Miss this exchange of ideas at your peril.
David Downey	CEO, Invidi	Can better data solve one of the biggest — and most expensive — mysteries in advertising? Addressable TV advertising is moving from a CMO’s dream to reality. Here’s what you need to know.
Sam Rogoway	CEO, Victorious	Audience, schmaudience, give me SUPERFANS. Victorious is all about building communities and driving deeper engagement with the most passionate of audiences. Leading online pioneer Sam Rogoway discusses the finer points of controlling a brand’s digital destiny.

The CASBAA Convention also provides plenty of opportunity for members and delegates to meet and interact with industry colleagues. As well as the booth display area and networking lounges for guests to relax, there are the popular networking parties.

This year, CASBAA will also hold an additional conference on the Monday prior to the convention at the Sheraton Hong Kong to discuss the topic ‘Making Online Advertising Click’. With a view to looking at best practices in the online advertising space, Detective Chief Superintendent, David Clark from the City of London Police Force will discuss what policies have worked for them in the UK, while Dr. Paul Watters will release some updated research on the nefarious places respectable brands can appear online. A host of other speakers from the media to welfare sectors will also take part in this session.

Sponsors for the CASBAA Convention 2015 include: ABS, Accedo, Akamai, AMC, APT Satellite, AsiaSat, Brightcove, Conax, France 24, Ideal Group, InvestHK, Irdeto, ITV Choice, Kantar Media, Letv, MEASAT, MediaExcel, nowTV, PwC, RTL CBS Asia, Scripps Networks Interactive, SES, Time Warner, True Visions, Turner and TV5Monde.

For further information about the CASBAA Convention 2015, please visit www.casbaaconvention.com.

# # #

About CASBAA

CASBAA is the Asia Pacific region’s largest non-profit media association, serving the multi-channel audio-visual content creation and distribution industry. Established in 1991, CASBAA has grown with the industry to include digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising, and video delivery. Encompassing some 500 million connections within a footprint across the region, CASBAA works to be the authoritative voice for multichannel TV; promoting even-handed and market-friendly regulation, IP protection and revenue growth for subscription and advertising, while promoting global best practices. For more information, visit www.casbaa.com

—For enquiries, please contact:

Cynthia Wong
Member Relations & Marketing Director
CASBAA
Tel: +852 3929 1711
Email:
cynthia@casbaa.com

Amy Chan/Lucilla Lo
Ogilvy Public Relations
Tel: +852 2884 8421/ +852 2884 8651
Email: amy.chan@ogilvy.com / lucilla.lo@ogilvy.com

Hong Kong, 21st July, 2015 – This year’s CASBAA Convention looks at the monumental sea change that is being experienced by the TV industry, and will explore how technologies, content, and services are leading the charge as the broadcast and digital landscapes become increasingly intertwined.

With the theme ‘Making Waves’, the convention will highlight how new business models are helping companies navigate these uncharted seas and take a look at the disruptors who are churning up the waters of business as usual.

One of the must-attend events on the Asia Pacific broadcast industry calendar, the annual CASBAA Convention is renowned for gathering a heavyweight speaker line up from key organizations across the industry to discuss the pertinent issues facing the TV business now and in years to come. With the convention moving to a new venue at the Intercontinental Hotel, participants won’t fail to be impressed by the stunning views over Hong Kong harbour as well as the inspiring speaker and plenary sessions.

“Linear TV is still a major force in the Asia Pacific region, but there is no denying that the industry today is in a state of flux,” said Christopher Slaughter, CEO, CASBAA. “These are very exciting times. Never before has there been such a strong opportunity to provide and distribute content to the consumer when, and where, they want it.

“With this rapidly evolving landscape, we encourage our members to make waves of their own by exploring new business models and strategies that will help provide dynamic content across a number of different screens.”

This year’s convention has the underlying theme of “disruption” running through all the sessions, which will include the latest developments in over-the-top (OTT) services, new programme formats, the role of venture capital in the TV industry and the latest advancements in technology, as well as the ever-critical matters of piracy, broadcast rights, and licensing issues.

The impressive list of speakers who have signed up to date to share their views include: Li Ruigang, Chairman, China Media Capital; Tom Mockridge CEO, Virgin Media; Dominic Proctor, Global President GroupM; Alon Shtruzman, CEO International, Keshet Media; David Shing, Digital Prophet, AOL; Jay Samit, CEO Seachange; Lauren Zalaznick, founder of the LZ Sunday Paper; Sam Rogoway, CEO, Victorious; Partho Dasgupta, CEO BARC India; and Mark Howard, Chief Revenue Officer, Forbes Media.

The CASBAA Convention also provides plenty of opportunity for members and delegates to meet and interact with industry colleagues. As well as the booth display area and networking lounges for guests to relax, there are the popular networking parties.

Supporters for the CASBAA Convention 2015 include: ABS, APT Satellite, France 24, InvestHK, ITV Choice, MEASAT, PwC, RTL CBS Asia, Scripps, Networks Interactive, SES, Time Warner, True Visions and Turner.

For further information about the CASBAA Convention 2015, please visit www.casbaaconvention.com.

# # #

About CASBAA
CASBAA is the association for multichannel TV in Asia. Established in 1991 CASBAA has grown with the industry to include digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery. Covering Asia and encompassing some 500 million connections within a footprint across the region, CASBAA works to be the authoritative voice for multichannel TV promoting even-handed and market-friendly regulation, IP protection and revenue growth for subscription and advertising, while promoting global best practices. To view the full list of CASBAA members please visit here.

www.casbaa.com

—For enquiries, please contact:

Kevin Jennings
Programme Director,
CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9913
Email:
kevin@casbaa.com

Amy Chan/Lucilla Lo
Ogilvy Public Relations
Tel: +852 2884 8421/ +852 2884 8651
Email: amy.chan@ogilvy.com / lucilla.lo@ogilvy.com

Hong Kong, 12 June 2015 – On June 1, more than 150 industry speakers and delegates gathered at Grand Hyatt Singapore for the Satellite Industry Forum 2015. This year’s CASBAA event included a number of keynotes and panels exploring the question, “Is the satellite game changing?”

Stephen Spengler, CEO, Intelsat, gave an opening keynote outlining the wave of changes currently affecting the satellite sector. Technological progress is increasing competition and generating shifts in consumption patterns, and he emphasized the ever-growing need to innovate in order to keep up. “To compete, we need to improve performance, economics, and accessibility,” he said.

Top executives then shared their insights on incoming industry trends during the Asia Pacific Satellite Leadership Round Table. The panel members were optimistic about opportunities for increased satellite usage in the Asia Pacific region, but also saw regulatory challenges ahead for efforts to consolidate. Thomas Choi, Co-founder & CEO, ABS, commented, “As long as regulations don’t change, consolidation will not happen.”

In the next panel, Game Changers?, several officials executing “left field” satellite projects spoke on how these developments will impact the industry. Each panelist described their business ventures and their relevance to the Asia Pacific.

With the advancement of technology also comes new forms of content distribution such as OTT and IPTV. The third panel, Staring the Future of TV in the Face – A Watershed for the Satellite Industry?, discussed the distinct preferences of millennials and how these consumers could be captured in the satellite industry, as well as debated the importance of on-demand vs. linear television.

Michel de Rosen, Chairman & CEO, Eutelsat, delivered an emphatic speech to engage delegates with the issue of protection of C-band for exclusive satellite industry use at the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC ’15). In the face of the pending legislative change, which would transfer more spectrum to mobile service providers, he asserted the need for a unified front to protect the industry. “It’s a collective challenge as an industry,” he said. “If we don’t fight it today, they will only be back for more tomorrow.”

The following panel discussed in more detail the steps to be taken before the WRC ’15. “We must convince the government of the important usage of C-band,” said Ali Ebadi, SVP, Space Systems Development, MEASAT.

Regulations aren’t the only obstacle satellite service providers face; at the same time, customers are also raising their expectations. Another set of panelists discussed cost-effective provision of service in Reducing Costs for Consumers: Are High Throughput Satellites the Answer? “Customers will expect more and more without expecting to pay more,” commented Erwin Hudson, Programme Manager, Viasat.

The discussion was followed by an interview with U Thaung Tin, Myanmar’s Deputy Minister for ICT. He described the current state of satellite in Myanmar, as well as national goals to develop the domestic industry and institutional challenges that must be met.

To close the forum, the final panel answered questions about the next 10-15 years for the satellite industry, expressing optimism for the development of new technology and the continued robustness of satellite in the Asia-Pacific market.

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About CASBAA:
Established in 1991, CASBAA is the association for the multi-channel audio-visual content creation and distribution industry across Asia. The CASBAA mission is to promote industry growth in the region. In so doing, it seeks to:

Represent: via government advocacy and interaction with trade organisations
Inform: via conferences, roundtables, newsletters & publications
Connect: via networking opportunities and informal gatherings.

CASBAA and its members reach over 500 million households within a regional footprint ranging from China to Australasia, Japan to Pakistan.

More information about CASBAA can be found at www.casbaa.com

For enquiries, please contact:

Kevin Jennings
Programme Director
Email: kevin@casbaa.com

(Hong Kong 1 June 2015) – Nobody knows TV content in China like Molly Mei Nie, Vice President, Hunan Broadcasting Station and Executive Director , Mango Media. Unless it’s Anke Redl, Managing Director and Partner of China Media Management (CMM-I). Both are featured as top speakers at China and the World in Shanghai, 10 June 2015 at Swissotel.

It’s often said China will be the 2nd largest TV market on the planet by 2016 but what is less known is how much China will change the global landscape of TV and online video. We present In Conversation with Molly Mei Nie for answers.

In China Going Global – Opportunities and Challenges, Anke Redl joins Dennis Young, founder and CEO of Glocal Media, and Bruce Tuchman, President, AMC Global and Sundance Channel Global. Dennis is an expert at exporting Chinese and Asian content to the US and around the world. Bruce is a specialist on the global footprint for content. What are China’s ambitions? And what are the best opportunities?

And what about the regulatory front? Are you where you should be? Yan Bo, Deputy Director, Copyright Management Dept., CCTV (and Chairman, Copyright Committee, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union) joins us as an exclusive speaker.

China and the World, organised by Lightning International and CASBAA. A truly unique perspective on great TV. Don’t miss it.

www.chinaandtheworld.tv

– Ends –

About Lightning International

LIGHTNING INTERNATIONAL is a content distribution company. We find and distribute TV channels, Programmes, Movies and Formats within the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. Pay TV revenues in Asia grow around 10% a year, outpacing Europe and the US. LI’s team has more than 30 years of TV experience in Asia. We offer a stepping stone into the fastest growing market for content owners, producers and broadcasters. We also advise and consult on a range of Content & Media Solutions and can develop your strategies for Asia. More information at www.lightninginternational.net.

About CASBAA

Established in 1991, CASBAA is the Association for digital multichannel TV, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery across geographic markets throughout the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA and its members reach nearly 470 million connections within a regional footprint ranging from China to Australasia, Japan to Pakistan. The CASBAA mission is to promote the growth of multichannel TV and video content via industry information, networking exchanges and events while promoting global best practices. For more information and to view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit www.casbaa.com.

(Hong Kong, 13th May 2015) The Inaugural China and the World conference draws together broadcasters, content owners, production companies and advertisers to crack the code in what is fast becoming the world’s most complex yet lucrative TV and online video market. In addition to traditional powers, online giants such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu look to change the landscape and disrupt current models.

China and the World is organised by Lightning International in partnership with CASBAA. It will be the industry’s premier platform in 2015, bringing together buyers and sellers of high quality TV and video content as China tilts toward “going global”. Is this shift a ‘threat’ or an ‘opportunity’? It is both.

Topics will include:
• China as the world’s second largest market by 2016
• To Pay or Not to Pay – Is a Lockdown Coming?
• Monetising Online and TV Businesses – New Dimensions
• The Ad-Funded Model
• The Online Video Behemoths – Whose Lunch Do They Eat?
• Investing – In and Out of China
The conference will serve as a top networking opportunity for industry participants and sponsors will be able to highlight their areas of focus during the event.

Guests include:
• Bruce Tuchman, President, AMC Global and Sundance Channel Global
• Pierre Cheung, BBC Worldwide – In Conversation
• Sara Jen, Director of Business Development, Viki.com
• Dennis Young, Founder and CEO, Glocal Media
• Kelvin Wu, Co-Founder and CEO, AID Partners
• Edwina Ngao, Territory Head, China, A+E Networks Asia
• Ming Chow, VP Digital Home, Huawei
• Jill Grinda, Head of Asia Sales, Thomson Reuters
• James Ross, CEO, Lightning International said, “If you’re in our industry, miss this conference at your peril. Our panelists will probe the intricacies of the Chinese market and tease out the puzzle.”

“The China and the World event is testament to China’s development as a global TV and online video powerhouse,” said Christopher Slaughter, CEO, CASBAA. “It’s a great opportunity for participants to find a dialogue on solutions.”

Participation in China and the World is by invitation from CASBAA and Lightning International. For more details see www.chinaandtheworld.tv

– Ends –

About Lightning International

LIGHTNING INTERNATIONAL is a content distribution, acquisition and consulting company. We find and distribute TV channels, Programmes, Movies and Formats within the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. The consumption of video in many forms continues to grow. Pay TV revenues in Asia increase around 10% a year, outpacing Europe and the US. LI’s team has more than 30 years of TV experience in Asia. We offer a stepping stone into the fastest growing market for content owners, producers and broadcasters. We also advise and consult on a range of Content & Media Solutions and can develop your strategies for Asia. More information at www.lightninginternational.net.

About CASBAA

CASBAA is the association for multichannel TV in Asia. Established in 1991 CASBAA has grown with the industry to include digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery. Covering Asia and encompassing some 500 million connections within a footprint across the region, CASBAA works to be the authoritative voice for multichannel TV promoting even-handed and market-friendly regulation, IP protection and revenue growth for subscription and advertising. For more information and to view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit www.casbaa.com.

Hong Kong, 12 May – CASBAA’s annual Satellite Industry Forum is once again being held in Singapore at the beginning of June. The conference explores the latest developments and issues affecting the satellite industry in the Asia Pacific. Taking place on June 1st at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, the CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum 2015 is a one day event that brings together industry experts to examine a variety of hot topics and to exchange and discuss information critical to the development of the communications sector and related services across the Asia-Pacific.

The conference continues to grow from strength to strength with an impressive lineup of speakers and a good mix of Asian and global players in attendance. Last year around one hundred companies were represented with almost half of delegates coming from the US and Europe – with most of the balance coming from Asia.

“Satellite services are instrumental in delivering television signals to the bulk of viewers across the region, and the satellite sector is an integral component of the multichannel TV industry in Asia.” said Christopher Slaughter, CEO, CASBAA. “The annual CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum is an extremely important event in our calendar, a fact that is reflected by our very active Satellite Industry Committee, as well as by the number of satellite-related companies that are CASBAA members”.

This year’s welcoming Keynote will be delivered by Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the ITU. “Zhao only took office in January this year so for many this will be the first opportunity for people to see him in this capacity”, said Kevin Jennings, Programme Director, CASBAA.

In addition, CASBAA announced that Stephen Spengler, Chief Executive Officer of Intelsat is delivering the Industry Keynote. Spengler is a satellite and telecommunications industry veteran with experience in the media, broadband, government and internet sectors and is a driving force behind Intelsat’s next generation of satellite solutions.

The Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology Myanmar, U Thaung Tin, will also speak at the Forum and discuss Myanmar’s plans to launch its own satellite and how a the role of a sovereign satellite will impact the country.

The theme for 2015 asks “Is The Satellite Game Changing?” in acknowledgement of the ever-evolving industry landscape. The agenda for this year’s forum will touch upon the challenges the industry is facing as the very definition of television changes to embrace new technologies, delivery methods and consumer habits.

As well as speaking with game changers and new kids on the block, the forum will discuss whether high throughput satellites the answer to reducing costs for customers. Another panel session is provocatively titled “Staring the Future of TV in the Face – A Watershed for the Satellite Industry?”

The roster of speakers encompasses the whole value chain of the satellite industry including:

• Mitsutoshi Akao, Exec Officer Space & Satellite Bus Group, SKY Perfect JSAT
• PJ Beylier, CEO, SpeedCast
• Terry Bleakley, Regional VP, Asia Pacific, Intelsat
• Paul Brown-Kenyon, CEO, MEASAT
• Richard Currier, SVP, Business Development, SSL
• Thomas Choi, CEO, ABS
• Gregg Daffner, CEO, GapSat;
• Gonzalo de Dios, Associate General Counsel, Intelsat
• Michel de Rosen, CEO, Eutelsat
• Dr. Ali Ebadi, SVP, Space Systems Development, MEASAT
• Vern Fotheringham, CEO, LeoSat
• Yvon Henri, Chief, Space Services Department, ITU
• Huang Baozhong, EVP, APT Satellite
• Erwin Hudson, Programme Manager, ViaSat
• Ferdinand Kayser, CCO, SES
• Ethan Lavan, Director of Orbital Resources, Eutelsat,
• Deepak Mathur, SVP Commercial, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, SES
• Barry Matsumori, SVP, Commercial Sales & Business Development, SpaceX
• Deepakjit Singh, MD, Asia, Encompass Digital Media
• Soo Yew Weng, MD, Globecast Asia
• Dave Ulmer, SVP& GM Asia, SeaChange International
• Bill Wade, President & CEO, AsiaSat
• Plus many others

The CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum 2015 also recognizes the generous support of the sponsors for this year’s event:

ABS, AsiaSat, Boeing, Eutelsat, Intelsat, JSat, Lockheed Martin, Marsh, Measat, SES, SSL, and Telstra.

For more information about the event, please visit
http://www.casbaa.com/events/events-calendar/details/508-casbaa-satellite-industry-forum-2015

# # #

About CASBAA:
CASBAA is the association for multichannel TV in Asia. Established in 1991 CASBAA has grown with the industry to include digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery. Covering Asia and encompassing some 500 million connections within a footprint across the region, CASBAA works to be the authoritative voice for multichannel TV promoting even-handed and market-friendly regulation, IP protection and revenue growth for subscription and advertising.

To view the full list of CASBAA members please visit here.

More information about CASBAA can be found at www.casbaa.com

For enquiries, please contact:

Kevin Jennings
Programme Director
Email: kevin@casbaa.com

1 April 2015, Hong Kong/Bangkok/Kuala Lumpur – The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), CASBAA and UNICEF are inviting broadcasters and producers to submit entries to the Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award for Television 2015.

The award is given each year to the best television programming on children’s rights produced in the Asia-Pacific region. It recognizes the efforts of broadcasters and producers in pursuing high quality children’s programming and better coverage of children’s issues.

“Child rights have never been more important, but people need to know about the issues affecting children and television has a vital role to play in this,” Christopher de Bono, UNICEF Regional Chief of Communication, said. “This award recognises the contribution that the TV industry in the Asia-Pacific region makes to child rights by highlighting important issues in a serious and responsible way.”

Programmes both for and about children are eligible, and can cover any child rights issue. Entries can include documentaries that detail the plight of children, dramas that help break down stereotypes and discrimination, or animation that teaches and entertains.

Entries must have been broadcast between June 2014 and May 2015 and must be received by 15 June 2015. The award will be presented during the CASBAA Convention in October 2015, in Hong Kong.

Past winners include:

• ‘All I Need’, by MTV EXIT (2009)
• ‘Front Row: Orphaned’, by GMA Network, the Philippines (2014)
• ‘Let Them Touch the Sky’, by the Smile Foundation, India (2010)
• ‘I-Witness: Piggy Bank’, by GMA Network, the Philippines (2012)
• ‘Iori and Ibuki – Why We Were Born’, by Shizuoka Telecasting, Japan (2011)
• ‘Reel Time: Bone Dry’, by GMA Network, the Philippines (2013).

This competition is open to all ABU and CASBAA members in the Asia-Pacific region. A full list of countries can be found on the website.

To enter, please visit http://childrightsaward.org/ and download the entry form, or email kjirathun@unicef.org

The winning and shortlisted programmes from 2014 can be watched online at:http://ow.ly/IjI2A

Notes for editors

About Asia–Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)
ABU is a non-profit, non-government, professional association of broadcasting organizations, formed in 1964 to facilitate the development of broadcasting in the Asia–Pacific region. It provides a forum for promoting the collective interests of television and radio broadcasters and engages in activities to encourage regional and international cooperation between broadcasters. It currently has more than 260 members from 64 countries. It organizes activities and projects to promote excellence in broadcasting and to improve technical and programming skills of its members, including the ABU Children’s TV Programme Item Exchange.

www.abu.org.my

About CASBAA
CASBAA is the association for the multichannel audiovisual content creation and distribution industry across Asia.

The CASBAA mission is to promote industry growth in the region. In so doing, it seeks to:

Represent: via government advocacy and interaction with trade organisations
Inform: via conferences, roundtables, newsletters & publications
Connect: via networking opportunities and informal gatherings

www.casbaa.com

About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

East Asia and Pacific: http://www.unicef.org/eapro/
South Asia: http://www.unicef.org/rosa/
Central Asia: http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/

For further information, please contact:

• Hanizah Hamzah, ABU (Kuala Lumpur), + 603 22822480,hanizah@abu.org.my
• Kevin Jennings, CASBAA (Hong Kong), + 852 3929 1730,kevin@casbaa.com
• Kritsada Jirathun, UNICEF (Bangkok), +66 2 356 92 49,kjirathun@unicef.org