2012/9/13: The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said it would set up a special task force to draft regulations governing cross-media ownership

The decision comes in the wake of calls by civic groups following protests that the Want Want China Times Group’s purchase of China Network Systems’ (CNS) cable television services would create a media monster. Calls for stricter regulatory action have intensified after media reports that Fubon Group, which already owns telecommunications and cable television services, intends to buy the Next Media Group — which includes the Chinese-language Apple Daily (Taiwan), Sharp Daily and Next Magazine — for NT$9.5 billion (US$316 million).

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/09/13/2003542643

Ineptitude, ill-grace may cost KCC its regulatory powers

September 9, 2012 – The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) may lose its power to make and revise broadcasting laws, according to industry sources Sunday.

The nation’s converged regulator for broadcasting and telecommunications is under fire for its recent revision of the broadcasting law that many speculate unduly favors CJ Group, which has affiliates with considerable power both in content and services in the media market.

The regulator’s laws are signed off on by the National Assembly Committee on Culture, Sports, Tourism, Broadcasting and Communications. This is made up of 30 lawmakers that judge whether law proposed by the KCC are fair and reasonable. The meetings are overseen by the Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism.

Read more at The Korea Times

(8 September 2012) New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has expressed surprise at the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry’s failure to check the sources that carry non-permitted television channels other than the cable operators.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has said it cannot understand the reason behind the I&B Ministry’s assertion that the cable operators were to be blamed for the carriage of illegal television channels.

The Parliamentary committee has said that a document prepared by the I&B Ministry had stated, while explaining how illegal channels reach subscribers’ homes through cable networks, that the source can be broadband, internet, IPTV, mobile TV, video streaming, etc.

Read more at Indiantelevision.com

5th September 2012: French owned satellite operator EutelSat is poised to beam into the Australian market after securing a carrier licence and announcing that it will launch a new satellite covering Australia by year’s end.

In late August, EutelSat’s US arm EutelSat America was granted an Australian telecommunications carrier licence by ACMA. Eutelsat currently has a network of 28 satellites which broadcast 4,000 digital television channels over Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas.

Speaking in the session The Rise and Rise of Broadcasting, Catherine Powell, general manager, media distribution, Europe, Walt Disney Company said although the majority of programming was watched live, for some shows 50% of the audience was timeshifted.

Disney supports its TV partners through social media and second screen activity. “We as content providers give exclusive clips, access to talent, and sneak previews.” She said that the launch of on demand portals within a branded area helps new content to be discovered and drives viewers back to linear partners.

In the US ‘Watch’ apps have been devised with operator Comcast, giving access to sixty or seventy episodes per channel, once the customer has been authenticated.

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2012/09/06/broadcasters-face-up-to-world-of-ott/

2012/09/06: Thailand is entitled to the 50.5 degrees east slot, but the satellite it wants to place into the slot cannot be launched much before 2014. Under ITU regulations that’s too late, and Thailand risks losing its rights to the highly valuable slot which expire towards the end of this year.

Consequently, Thaicom is reportedly leasing a satellite from Luxembourg-based SES to place into the position and thus preserve its orbital rights.

http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/09/06/ses-lends-satellite-to-thailand/

September 05, 2012

Shares of pay-television operator i-Cable Communications (1097) soared as much as 43 percent in afternoon trading yesterday on rumors that the Executive Council has discussed the granting of free TV licenses in the SAR.

The stock hit 41 HK cents at 2.30pm, compared with Monday’s closing of 29 HK cents. It later closed at 37 HK cents yesterday, up 29 percent.

“There are no negotiations or agreements relating to intended acquisitions or realizations which are discloseable under Rule 13.23 of the Listing Rules,” i-Cable said in a filing announcement, explaining it had no idea why its shares had surged.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=2&art_id=126151&sid=37550823&con_type=1&fc=2

2012/08/31: India’s government is getting tough over its analogue-to-digital plans. Two Delhi-based cable operators have just had their licences revoked because of their failure to report progress – if any – on their obligations.

India’s Information & Broadcasting Ministry has cancelled the licenses held by Home Cable Network and Swami Cable Network, citing their failure for not providing information on how ready they are for digital transmission, slated to happen from November 1st this year. The ministry said the pair “lacked seriousness” and had failed to comply with the Cable Act.

http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/08/31/india-bans-two-cable-msos/

September 5, 2012 LOS ANGELES: A regional office has been established in Singapore by CBS Studios International, with Nicole Sinclair tapped to lead the new hub.

Sinclair is currently the director of sales in the Asia Pacific for the company. She will now be relocating from Australia to Singapore to take on the new role.

The effort by CBS Studios International is to build closer relationships with clients in the region and expand the company’s presence there. The company recently opened an office in Beijing, China.

http://www.worldscreen.com/articles/display/2012-9-5-cbs-studios-international-singapore

Aug 30, 2012 New Delhi: The attempt by Antrix Corporation to lease transponder capacity on foreign satellites has invoked sharp criticism from the domestic DTH and VSAT operators, who want the intervention from department of space in correcting ‘several anomalies’ in the request for proposal (RFP) floated by Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

Stakeholders, including DTH operators, have termed the Antrix’s RFP as “incomplete” and “riddled with anomalies”. They have also underlined key shortcomings and omissions that may prove counterproductive in meeting the pressing industry requirements.

Both VSAT and DTH industry are facing acute shortage of satellite spectrum, which is now threatening to wipe out services impacting over 50 million customers.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/dth-operators-term-antrix-rfp-incomplete/995184/0