January 14, 2012 – SECURING exclusive content to differentiate themselves from their competitors can be a challenge for broadcasters and Internet protocol TV (IPTV) operators as it can also mean investing top dollar for the content.

Telekom Malaysia Bhd’s (TM) venture into the IPTV market has not come easy, it is a new area of business, and though it has hired some experienced people, it still doesn’t have the coveted content that would make people rush to watch the content.

It is offering some content, but getting into the big boys’ game of bidding for content like the English Premier League (EPL) football can be costly. Although TM has deep pockets, for now it is not justified to make the move.

To view the full article, please visit http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/14/business/10255624

January 11, 2012 – Widely used domestic video portals UUSee, VeryCD and Xunlei were recently warned by the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) because they failed to supply required copyright documentation for many of the online movies and TV dramas offered on their websites.

The warnings were issued after the NCAC launched a copyright examination campaign last April asking 18 national video websites to hand in lists of their 50 most popular movies and top 50 TV dramas, along with proof of authorization from copyright owners.

Source:
http://www.china.org.cn/business/2012-01/11/content_24380184.htm 

January 11, 2012 – On Monday the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism set up an inspection team to look into the football broadcasting contract signed by the Vietnam Football Federation and the Audio Vision Global (AVG) Company last year.

The decision was made given the on-going conflict between AVG and the Vietnam Professional Football (VPF) company on football broadcasting rights.

Source:
http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/sports/exclusive-tv-rights-contract-to-be-inspected-1.58063  

January 14, 2012 – The Asian pay-TV market is fast coming of age, and local adaptations of unscripted formats look set to play a key role. Andrew McDonald reports.

Improvements in technology and infrastructure and a growing middle class have seen the pay-TV market rise rapidly across Asia in recent years. In October, regional pay-TV body Casbaa said multi-channel TV distribution had grown 12% in the past year, and that there are now more than 420 million non-terrestrial TV connections in the Asia-Pacific region. This is more than in the rest of the world combined, according to researcher SNL Kagan.

This boom has produced growth in channel numbers and new opportunities for content owners – both locally and further afield. But with a glut of Western channels already filling Asian EPGs, how important is local content in attracting subscribers in the region? And what role will international formats play in feeding that demand for local content?

To view the complete article, please visit http://www.c21media.net/archives/74722?utm_source=C21Media&utm_campaign=833069385c-&utm_medium=email

January 6, 2012 – Delhi High Court has published a permanent injunction stopping any cable operator from illegally airing ESPN Star Sports’ ongoing telecast of India’s cricket tour to Australia.

The notification forbids cable operators, hotels and Internet websites from unauthorized broadcast of the series in any manner.

Earlier, ESPN Star Sports’ (ESS) had filed a permanent injunction against cable ops before the Delhi HC claiming the defendants, approximately 63 named cable operators, hotels and Internet websites may take unauthorized connections and may access signals of ESIPL without taking license from the company.

To view the full article, please visit http://www.mediamughals.com/News/1/1/Article/8864/Delhi_HC_forbids_cable_ops_from_unauthorized_airing_of_Ind-Aus_Series.htm

January 6, 2012 – Reinforcing remarks mid-December that creative technology and creative content were “absolutely essential to each other”, Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the MPAA has stated that the future of commerce and content on the Internet will be guided by technology companies and the entertainment industry growing together.

Speaking on Bloomberg TV’s Bloomberg West, Dodd talked about the importance of Congress acting now to pass legislation to target foreign criminal websites that profit from stolen American goods and content at the cost of American jobs.

To view the complete article, please visit http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/01/06/mpaas-dodd-targeted-legislation-needed-for-rogue-sites/

January 10, 2012 – PEMRA – the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority – has revealed that enforcement teams raided numbers of cable TV networks in various parts of country on January 5, 2012 in a bid to stop illegal satellite and CD channels shown by the cable operators, despite repeated warnings to stop them. According to PEMRA, excessive CD channels on cable networks are not only a peril to social fabric but also a main source of content piracy and plagiarism which PEMRA was addressing seriously.

To view the complete article, please visit http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/01/09/pakistan-regulator-acts-against-illegal-services/

Media regulator mulls adding TV program ratings

FINDING A BALANCE:The regulator will also regulate adverts on children’s TV, after complaints from parents about adverts for underwear and fast food

By Shelley Shan / Staff Reporter (January 5, 2012)

The media regulator yesterday announced it would add additional ratings to the current television program rating system.

Jason Ho (何吉森), director of the National Communications Commission’s communication content department, said the department would likely produce a draft of the new ratings system in the middle of this year.

Ho made the comments after MOMO Kids TV (MOMO) sparked criticism earlier this week for airing a Japanese cartoon containing content that was deemed inappropriate for children.

To view the full article, please visit http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/01/05/2003522476

January 3, 2012 – So-called ‘Dreamboxes’, the STBs that can illegally access scrambled pay-TV signals, have been banned in Brazil. The country’s Federal Justice Ministry is backing moves by the Brazilian Pay-TV Association to have the boxes outlawed.

The Ministry has specifically named one such device, the AZBox, as being to blame for losses of some US$53 million in lost revenues. There are an estimated 500,000-700,000 illegal boxes in use in Brazil. Other devices include the Luxusbox, Azamerica box and others, all of which are now deemed illegal.

To view the complete article, please visit http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/01/03/brazil-bans-pirate-stbs/

Convergence Review: complete, spectacular failure

December 21, 2011 – The Convergence Review “has assembled what could be a workable model for regulating the converged media environment,” said Greens Senator Scott Ludlam last week.

Really? The review’s interim report, released on Thursday, is a lot of things but “workable” isn’t one of them.

To view the full article, please visit http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3742152.html