Boeing Delivers ABS-2A into Full Operation

Bermuda, January 23rd 2017 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] has delivered ABS-2A, an all-electric propulsion 702 satellite, to ABS which entered into commercial service on January 21st. This is the second of the pair of all-electric satellite Boeing has delivered to ABS. ABS-2A was launched in June 2016 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 and will provide enhanced satellite communications services, including direct-to-home television services.

Equipped with 48 Ku-band transponders, the satellite will serve ABS’ customers in Africa, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Russia, South Asia and South East Asia regions at 74.725 degrees east.

“We have completed our 3 satellite build investment in launching 3 satellites in 3 consecutive years (ABS-2 in 2014, ABS-3A in 2015 and ABS-2A in 2016). ABS-2A is the latest high-capacity satellite providing expansion capacity and continuity of satellite services at our prime gateway over the Indian Ocean region. It is located with ABS-2 at our premium neighborhood at 75°E, optimized for video services for growing CATV and DTH businesses,” said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS.

“Boeing is the first satellite manufacturer to build and deliver all-electric propulsion satellites, and this latest delivery reaffirms our leadership with all-electric propulsion,” said Mark Spiwak, president, Boeing Satellite Systems International. “The scalable 702 satellite, coupled with the efficiency of all-electric propulsion, allows two satellites to launch inside one rocket. This ability to stack and join the satellites using our patented design enables our customers to minimize the costs associated with launching a single satellite.”

###

About ABS:

ABS is one of the fastest growing global satellite operators in the world. ABS offers a complete range of tailored solutions including broadcasting, data and telecommunication services to broadcasters, service providers, enterprises and government organizations.

ABS operates a fleet of satellites; ABS-2, ABS-2A, ABS-3A, ABS-4/Mobisat-1, ABS-6 and ABS-7. The satellite fleet covers 93% of the world’s population across the Americas, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, CIS and Russia.

Headquartered in Bermuda, ABS has offices in the United States, UAE, South Africa and Asia. ABS is majority owned by funds managed by the European Private Equity firm Permira. The Permira funds acquired ABS in 2010.

For more information, visit www.absatellite.com

BBC Worldwide Signs Licensing Deal with Amazon India

Monday, January 23^rd 2017 (Mumbai, India) … BBC Worldwide today announced a deal with Amazon that will give Amazon Prime members in India access to more than 600 hours of award-winning and popular factual and pre-school content from the BBC.

Amazon Prime launched in India in July 2016, and launched its Prime Video streaming service in December 2016.

“In the last year or so, we have seen digital consumption in India increase exponentially,” said Myleeta Aga, SVP and GM of India, BBC Worldwide. “We are very excited to be partnering with Amazon Prime Video India to satisfy viewers’ demands for quality, premium programmes from the BBC.”

“We are pleased to work with BBC Worldwide to avail premium quality pre-school and documentary programmes to our Prime Video customers,” said Nitesh Kripalani, Director and Country Head, Amazon Prime Video India. “We are very humbled by the positive response from customers to Prime Video and we are confident that the BBC’s programmes will resonate with customers. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with BBC Worldwide.”

Indian subscribers to Amazon Prime Video now have access to CBeebies programmes never before broadcast in India – including Clangers – about the Clangers, pink, long-nosed, inventive and lovable mouse-shaped creatures who live on a little blue planet, out in the starry stretches of space, not far from Earth; Dinopaws – an animation series about the delightful adventures of a trio of very young, inquisitive dinos; and Hey Duggee, the animated series narrated by award-winning comedian Alexander Armstrong which features Duggee the pooch and his after-school club. Hey Duggee most recently won the Pre-School Animation of the year at the most 2017 BAFTA Children’s Awards.

Subscribers to the service are also able to watch award-winning and highly-rated BBC factual programmes including Gandhi, The World’s Weirdest Weapons and The Genius of Inventions. Gandhi is an in-depth look at the life of the ‘Father of a Nation’. It is the first definitive series on the life of Gandhi, examining his relationship with his wife, his controversial views on race and his role on the path to Indian independence; The World’s Weirdest Weapons explores the stranger side of warcraft – where the jet pack, the inflatable rubber plane, and the pigeon guided smart bomb, even a cat that eavesdrops on the enemy are some of the top secret devices designed to the give the West the edge against its enemies in World War Two and the Cold War; and The Genius of Invention, in which Dr Michael Mosley and his team explore 12 inventions how they have changed the way we live our lives. They explain how these inventions came about – from sparks of genius to steady incremental improvements hammered out in workshops – and separate myth from reality in the lives of the great inventors.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:

Jeanne Leong

BBC Worldwide Asia

Tel: +65 6849 5292

NOTES TO EDITORS

About BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.

In 2015/16 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC.

For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage: bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/.

bbcworldwide.com

twitter.com/bbcwpress

Telstra to broadcast Women’s Tennis Association tournaments for Perform Group globally from 2017

DATE – 23 January 2017 – Telstra has been awarded a six year multi-million dollar deal with Perform, a world-leading digital sports content and media group, for the delivery of a global media network solution for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) series of tournaments.

The special events agreement is the largest media broadcast deal since Telstra Broadcast Services was established, and ties in with Perform Group’s recently announced 10 year ($525m – the largest in the history of women’s sports) partnership with WTA, creating WTA Media, the tour’s dedicated media arm.

Telstra’s deal with Perform will span 47 rolling live global WTA events in 2017, including the Brisbane International, St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, Miami Open and WTA Finals in Singapore, and will increase to more than 50 tournaments by 2020.

Telstra will utilise its own world class network of global submarine fibre cable, satellite teleports, broadcast operations centres in Australia, Asia, Europe, and the United States and global field services teams to transmit live WTA tournament video and audio content across the globe to Perform’s diverse points of presence. The broadcast solution will utilise Telstra’s Global Media Network and Special Events offering, which provides simple and efficient delivery of live and file-based video content by combining Telstra’s world class network and broadcast expertise into one solution.

In a first for women’s tennis, Telstra will also deliver multiple simultaneous live feeds from concurrent WTA tournaments, enabling audiences to view greater amounts of high-quality live tennis content than in previous tournament years.

Dom Wedgwood, Perform Group’s Director of Content Operations, said “Perform is delighted to be working with Telstra. This new partnership enables us to deliver more WTA matches, to more clients globally, than ever before. Working with Telstra brings significant benefits as we continue to grow the Perform Sports Cloud.”

David Burns, Telstra’s Acting Group Executive for Global Enterprise and Services said partnering with Perform Group for the delivery of WTA global events builds upon Telstra’s reputation of delivering innovative and efficient broadcast services for large global sporting events.

“Having commenced the year-round WTA 2017 schedule at the Brisbane International, Telstra will support over 2,600 hours of live WTA coverage throughout the year spanning tournaments in Sydney to St. Petersburg, Auckland to Acapulco, New Haven to Nanchang to name a few.”

“Supporting an event of WTA’s global scale is a step-change for Telstra Broadcast Services and reaffirms the value of Telstra’s global reach and broadcast expertise as a top tier service provider. Expanding our presence in this market remains a key priority for Telstra’s Global Enterprise and Services business and Telstra is investing heavily to bring the best solutions and technology to market for broadcast customers.”

In addition to the WTA solution, Telstra has also signed a contract with Perform Group for core global network solutions which strengthens Telstra’s partnership with Perform Group into the future.

ENDS

Media contact: Gladys Kwok/ +852 2837 4730

Email: gladys.kwok@edelman.com

Comedy Central International’s Second Season Of “I Live With Models” Premieres In Asia On Saturday, 18 February

Season Two is Set in New York City and Features New Cast Including Lydia Rose Bewley (The Inbetweeners Movie, Drifters), Karan Soni (Deadpool, Office Christmas Party) and Kamilla Alnes (Norway’s Top Model, American Horror Story)

Tweet it: Comedy Central International’s 2nd season of “I Live with Models” premieres in Asia @comedycentralas 18 Feb!

SINGAPORE, 23 JANUARY 2017 – Comedy Central International’s sitcom I Live With Models returns for a second series in Asia on Saturday, 18 February at 8.10pm (TH/WIB), 9.10pm (HK/PH/SG/TW) and 10.10pm (MY). Hand model Tommy moves to New York City where he confronts new challenges, new roommates and a fierce new modelling scene.

Tommy (David Hoffman), a former barista who gets his big break as a hand model, and commercial model Scarlet (Brianne Howey) head to New York City, as they strive to make it big in the epicenter of fashion. The show airs every Saturday.

Tommy and Scarlet quickly learn that their biggest challenge is living with their new roommates – a brash plus sized model named Jess (Lydia Rose Bewley) and a flighty runway model named Molly (Kamilla Alnes). Their dreams rest in the inexperienced hands of newbie model agent, Marshall (Karan Soni), who sets out to conquer the ruthless NYC modelling industry, one casting at a time.

Season two sees the models face some new and hilarious challenges. Tommy is cast as a hand double in a shaving commercial and does his best to shave the flawless face of famous model Max (guest star Andres Velencoso), but gets a little too close to his co-star. Molly tries to get over a break-up by leaning on Tommy (much to his delight), Jess attempts to boost her social media following by accompanying a nerd to his high school prom and Scarlet is given the true test of friendship when she is forced to choose between Tommy and a hunky male model to star alongside her in a commercial.

The brand new series sees Emmy nominated Mark Reisman (Frasier) join the team as Executive Producer and showrunner, along with Comedy Central’s Jill Offman and Ash Atalla and Dan Hine of Roughcut TV.

###

About Comedy Central

Comedy Central, the world’s biggest comedy network, has been making audiences laugh since it first launched in the United States in 1991. Renowned for featuring a stable of exclusive and tailor-made local and international comedy, the brand has become the ultimate destination for all kinds of humour, from traditional to satire to sketches to popular sitcoms. Outside of the United States, Comedy Central, seen in over 70 territories via more than 12 locally programmed and operated TV channels, is part of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information about Comedy Central in Asia, visit www.comedycentralasia.com.

About Roughcut TV

Roughcut Television is one of the fastest growing and most prolific independent production companies in the UK. Established in 2007 by Ash Atalla (THE OFFICE, THE IT CROWD) and Tim Sealey, Roughcut TV produce outstanding comedy and entertainment for all of the UK’s major broadcasters as well as internationally, including CUCKOO, starring Taylor Lautner and Greg Davies, SKY 1’s flagship comedy series TROLLIED and hit mockumentary PEOPLE JUST DO NOTHING.

In 2015 Roughcut was nominated for the Production Company of the Year Award at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

Media Contact

Viacom International Media Networks

Loh Bi Feng

Manager, Communications, Southeast Asia

t: +65 6420 7154 m: +65 9002 9607

e: loh.bifeng@vimn.com

Twitter: @VIMNAsia_PR

20 january, 2017

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Jan 20th. Curated by CASBAA, News Views keeps you in the loop. We always value your feedback, so tell us what you think!

Brought to you by:

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

The fun just keeps getting funner: we’ll be sending this out before the inauguration in Washington, which I’m sure will provide even more fun, but over the past week, the incoming President’s relationship with the media has definitely continued to make headlines. (Of course, that might just be because the media are the ones who come up with those headlines, but let’s not get too recursive before the weekend). The White House Press Corps is likely to stay in the White House after all, it seems, although they are most definitely not welcome at the President-elect’s new Washington, DC hotel. And while the outgoing President used his last press conference to thank the media for doing its job, the incoming Administration is asking CNN to retract a story about one of its Cabinet picks and tweeting misinformation about morning news shows. CNN chief Jeff Zucker has some interesting insights into last week’s news conference and how to cover the White House: “…the era of access journalism as we’ve known it is over.” Oh, and if you want to know how real fake news is made, here’s a great NYT story, with a great WaPo punchline — the kid got fired.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

The cogs are still turning on Net Neutrality (NN) issues, in both the US and India – but they seem to be turning in opposite directions. In the USA, outgoing FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler made an impassioned plea to keep the NN rules he wrote. And the FCC accused AT&T of violating those rules, in its DirectTVNow data plan. But both the accusation and the plea seem to be falling on deaf ears, as opponents of the Wheeler approach take positions of power in both Executive and Legislative branches. (It’s important to keep in mind that there is a lot more consensus about keeping the internet open, than about the Wheeler approach, which imposed unprecedented full-on regulation of ISPs in order to achieve that aim.) Meanwhile, in India, the TRAI is moving forward to formulate the details of its approach to NN
issues. (It’s under plenty of pressure from the NN mullahs.) Meanwhile, Star-TV filed a brief with strong argumentation on one aspect of NN — that ISPs shouldn’t be allowed to charge differently for different-origin data.

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

According to a report in the New York Post Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam recently said that he wants to buy into one of the major cable companies. According to the Post’s sources, it could be a company as huge as Charter or Comcast. Any cable deal would help the company grow the demand for its wireless data products and answer rival AT&T’s moves to buy DirecTV and Time Warner. McAdam has already given Wall Street and investors an indication that he’s looking for the right opportunity, telling Wall Street analysts it “makes industrial sense.”

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

As someone who has been known to dabble in stocks, I noticed a huge move in Netflix yesterday as it was up about 8%. According to CNBC, “The company said it added 7.05 million subscribers during the fiscal fourth quarter…that figure well above its own expectations of 5.2 million…was the largest-ever quarterly subscriber growth in its history….added 1.93 million memberships in the U.S. and 5.12 million internationally ” But maybe the “Bulls Are Making A Big Leap of Faith.” As is Jerry Seinfeld who just inked a deal with Netflix encompassing new stand-up specials, scripted and non-scripted series as well as new episodes of Comedians in Cars.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

It took a little longer than expected, but Space X has successfully returned to flight, launching an Iridium satellite this past weekend. Having completed the investigation into last year’s explosion (which it refers to as an “anomaly”), the launch company is about to get very busy; and that’s even before it begins its ambitious (understatement) plan to launch 4,425 satellites to provide “a ubiquitous global service”. It still has to absorb the cost of the explosion, though, and it’s still got a way to go before it proves to NASA that it is safe enough to launch astronauts into space.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

There’s been some attention this week to the corollary damage done by piracy. In the UK, the Industry Trust spoke out, warning that “the vast majority of parents who engage in digital TV piracy have no idea of the associated risks to their families.” Kids who got ISD boxes and sticks for Christmas are exposed to pornography and malware, said the trust. In South Africa, there was a different warning: a consultant’s report warned that 1 in 3 torrent sites contain dangerous malware, and 45 percent of the malware found on the sites was of the “drive-by” type that infected a computer just from viewing the material – no supplementary clicks required.

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

Stratechery has a very thoughtful piece this week titled The Great Unbundling. It looks at media models of the past and present and then tries to define how the future will look. It’s fantastic piece for those responsible for taking their media business forward. “Once those (behavioural) shifts start to happen in earnest there will be feedback loops in everything from advertising to content production to consumption that will only accelerate the changes, resulting in a transformed media landscape that will impact all parts of society. I’m starting to agree that the end is nearer than many think.”

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

True Visions is still being threatened with big fines by the consumer advocate lobby in Bangkok, over its rejiggering of its content bouquet. The platform operator pointed out that relatively few consumers seem upset, as only 500 subscribers (of 300,000) have cancelled their contracts and asked for a refund. But the upset ones are the loud ones, it seems.

Andrew Lin

Regulatory Assistant

Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) is preparing a draft media funding bill for public discussion in the next legislative session. Currently, the government military, and political parties are banned from investing in media companies, and NCC Chairwoman Nicole Chan says there is no plan to change that in the near term. However, the NCC acknowledges that media companies need access to funding to produce high quality content, and is therefore proposing a public fund be established to invest in content development. In other Taiwan cable news, the NCC is predicting that the island’s cable networks will be full digitised by the end of 2017.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

A little light reading: Paramount and CBS are pursuing a copyright action to block production of a feature film using the world of “Star Trek” and made by a so-called fan-fiction outfit. But this outfit was aiming to make money, by using professional actors (including some who actually appeared in previous Star Trek series), paying lavish attention to detail, achieving high production values and marshalling a proposed production budget of just under US$2 million. So…..is this “fair” use of the established copyrights????? I sure don’t think so…..but in the U.S., only the court knows for sure.

Member News

Additional News

HBO is once again the home of the Oscars® in Asia

The Ultimate Oscars^® Experience On HBO Starts With The Live Nominee Announcement On January 24 at 9.18pm

SINGAPORE, January 20, 2017 – HBO is once again the home of the Oscars^® in Asia this year. Subscribers across Asia can get the ultimate Oscars^®experience of the 89^th Academy Awards direct from Hollywood across multiple screens on TV and connected mobile devices, in addition to red carpet exclusives and backstage interviews on the network’s website and social platforms.

Starting with the 89th Oscars^® Nominations, several Oscar^®-winning and nominated Academy members including Jennifer Hudson, Brie Larson, Emmanuel Lubezki, Jason Reitman and Ken Watanabe will join Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs to reveal the 24 Oscar^® award categories at the 89th Oscars^® Nominations. Watch it live on HBO and on HBO Go* at 9.18pm on January 24, 2017.

The 89^th Academy Awards will broadcast on February 27 live across Asia on HBO and streamed live HBO Go* starting with the Oscars^® Red Carpet ‘Live’ from 8am followed by the 89^th Oscars^®at 9.30am. Both programs will encore that same night on HBO at 7pm and 8pm respectively. Held at the Dolby Theatre^® at Hollywood & Highland Center^® in Hollywood, the 89^th Oscars will be hosted by the late-night talk show host, producer and comedian Jimmy Kimmel. This will be Jimmy Kimmel’s first time hosting the Academy Awards.

In honour of past winners, HBO will be airing a series of Oscar-winning movies on HBO, HBO FAMILY and HBO SIGNATURE. Refer to the full line up of Oscars^® programming below:

Date	Time (SGT)	Title
Live on HBO
January 24	9.18pmon HBO	*LIVE NOMINEE ANNOUNCEMENT OF 89TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS^® 2017*
Oscar^® winning movies on HBO:
January 26	10.50pmon HBO	*ARGO* – Winner of 2013 Oscars^®· Best Picture (Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers)· Best Film Editing (William Goldenberg) · Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Screenplay by Chris Terrio)
February 1	9.45pm on HBO	*INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS* – Winner of 2010 Oscars^®· Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Christoph Waltz)
February 22	8.25pmon HBO FAMILY	*BIG HERO 6* – Winner of 2015 Oscars^®· Best Animated Feature Film (Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli)
February 24	7.15pmon HBO SIGNATURE	*A GIRL IN THE RIVER: THE PRICE OF FORGIVENESS* – Winner of 2016 Oscars^®· Best Documentary (Short Subject) (Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy)
February 25	11pmon HBO	*THE DANISH GIRL* – Winner of 2016 Oscars^® [ALL TERRITORIES EXCEPT SINGAPORE, INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA]Best Actress In A Supporting Role (Alicia Vikander)
February 25	5.30pm on HBO SIGNATURE	*DREAMGIRLS* – Winner of 2007 Oscars^®· Best Actress In A Supporting Role (Jennifer Hudson)· Best Sound Mixing (Michael Minkler, Bob Beemer and Willie Burton)
February 26	3.20pmon HBO	*SHREK* – Winner of 2002 Oscars^®· Best Animated Feature Film (Aron Warner)
	6.50pmon HBO	*AMERICAN SNIPER* – Winner of 2015 Oscars^®· Best Sound Editing (Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman)
	10.35pmon HBO	*MAD MAX: FURY ROAD –* Winner of 2016 Oscars^®· Best Costume Design (Jenny Beavan)· Best Film Editing (Margaret Sixel) · Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin) · Best Production Design (Production Design: Colin Gibson; Set Decoration: Lisa Thompson) · Best Sound Editing (Mark Mangini and David White) · Best Sound Mixing (Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo)
Live on HBO / HBO Go*
February 27	8am	*OSCARS^® RED CARPET ‘LIVE’ 2017*
February 27	9.30am	*THE 89TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS^® ‘LIVE’*
Same night primetime encore on HBO
February 27	7pm	*OSCARS^® RED CARPET 2017*
February 27	8pm	*THE 89^TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS*^®

*Live streaming of the Oscars^® on HBO Go is available in Hong Kong. Live streaming is also available to HBO subscribers on StarHub Go in Singapore and Astro On The GO in Malaysia.

Join the conversation: #HBOAsiaOscars17

About HBO ASIA

Singapore-based HBO Asia brings the best of Hollywood to Asia first through its exclusive licensing deals with major Hollywood and independent studios, including Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and Lionsgate. HBO Asia has proprietary and award-winning HBO and HBO Asia Original programmes produced exclusively for HBO viewers. Wholly owned by HBO (a Time Warner company), HBO Asia reaches 23 territories across Asia with six 24-hour commercial-free subscription movie channels: HBO, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Hits and Cinemax, as well as Red by HBO, internet streaming platform, HBO GO, subscription video on demand service, HBO On Demand, and in China, 鼎级剧场 (ding ji ju chang). HBO Asia is also the exclusive distributor of BabyFirst and the DreamWorks channel in the region. Log on to www.hboasia.com for more information.

HBO and Home Box Office are trademarks of Home Box Office, Inc. Used with permission.

Irdeto and Harmonic Team Up to Support CSA3, The Most Secure Scrambling Algorithm on the Market, to Enable Premium Ultra HD Content Distribution

First-of-its-Kind Integrated CSA3 Solution Provides Advanced Encryption Technology Empowering Pay TV Operators with the Freedom to Innovate

AMSTERDAM – 19 January 2016 – Irdeto, the world leader in digital platform security, today announced it is working with Harmonic, the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure, to provide the world’s first integrated and proven Common Scrambling Algorithm v3 (CSA3) solution. This next-generation encryption technology enables pay TV operators to securely launch advanced formats like 4K UHD. The implementation of robust encryption technology combines Harmonic’s, ProStream® X next generation stream processing platform with Irdeto’s Conditional Access solution.

A recent survey by Irdeto and SNL Kagan found that 96% of video service providers and content producers believe that a majority of consumers and operators will adopt 4K UHD TV by 2020. While the growing adoption of 4K UHD is great news for consumers and content providers alike, pirates are evolving their piracy strategies to offer this premium content as a part of their growing illegal business. With CSA1 and CSA2 content encryption becoming increasingly more vulnerable, it is becoming essential for operators to adopt CSA3 to protect premium content.

“Operators are under constant pressure to not only offer innovative solutions and services to customers, but also maintain optimal security to protect valuable content assets,” said Steeve Huin, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Irdeto. “As a result, operators must implement a 360-degree security strategy that includes the most advanced content encryption technology available. Our partnership with Harmonic provides operators with advanced Conditional Access technology with support for CSA3, allowing them to innovate freely and continuously improve upon their robust service offerings.”

Irdeto’s Conditional Access solution provides the most stringent content security for pay TV operations, encompassing the MovieLabs Specification for Enhanced Content Protection. It also enables pay TV operators and broadcasters to offer more services, payment options and device support to provide the content, value and convenience that consumers expect when selecting a pay TV service. The combination of CSA3 encryption technology from Harmonic and Irdeto’s flexible solutions enable broadcasters to easily deploy new TV services and support new devices without interrupting existing subscriber services or compromising their digital assets.

“As 4K UHD becomes more common, it is increasingly important for operators to implement future-proof technology to prevent theft of valuable content,” said Bart Spriester, senior vice president, video products, Harmonic. “By partnering with Irdeto, we are enabling operators to expand offerings to meet consumer demand by providing the most advanced encryption technology in the market. This is critical to protect both current and future premium content formats.”

About Irdeto
Irdeto. Building a Secure Future.™
Irdeto is the world leader digital platform security, protecting platforms and applications across multiple industries, such as media & entertainment, payments and automotive. Our solutions and services enable customers to protect their revenue, create new offerings and fight cybercrime. With nearly 50 years of expertise in security, Irdeto’s software security technology and cyber services protect over 5 billion devices and applications for some of the world’s best known brands. Our unique heritage as a subsidiary of multinational media group Naspers (JSE: NPN) means that we are a well-established and reliable partner to help build a more secure future. Please visit Irdeto at www.irdeto.com.

###
For further information, please contact:

Crystal Kung
Account Manager
WE Communications
P: +65 303 8472
Email: ckung@we-worldwide.com

Katie Walsh
Director, Corporate Communications, Irdeto
Mobile: +1 603-738-9599
Email: Katherine.walsh@irdeto.com

Watch The First Episode Of The HBO Asia Original Series HALFWORLDS Season 2 For Free On The HBO Asia Website

SINGAPORE, JANUARY 17, 2017 – From January 30, the first episode of the HBO Asia Original HALFWORLDS Season 2 will be available for free to all viewers across Asia*, both subscribers and non-subscribers alike, for a week on www.hboasia.com. The eight-part, hour-long dark action fantasy drama – the network’s first returnable series – follows a researcher who tries to uncover the secret world of demons as she searches for an ancient artefact of great power.

Season 2 widens the universe established in the first season, transiting from the alleys of Jakarta, to the neon light-bathed streets of Bangkok. Directed by renowned Thai filmmaker Ekachai Uekrongtham (Beautiful Boxer, Skin Trade), this season features a stellar cast of leading Asian actors from Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan.

HALFWORLDS Season 2 (#HALFWORLDS) premieres with double back-to-back episodes at 9pm exclusively on HBO on Sunday, January 22, 2017. A new episode will premiere on subsequent Sundays at the same time concluding with two back-to-back episodes on February 26, 2017. HALFWORLDS Season 2 will also be available on HBO GO.

In this season, Indonesians Reza Rahadian (Habibie & Ainun) and Arifin Putra (The Raid 2) reprise their roles as Tony and Barata. New cast members from Thailand include Peem Jaiyen (Hormones 3), Tia Tavee (Asia’s Next Top Model 2), Emma Grant (The Idol Game), Myra Molloy (Thailand’s Got Talent), Nicole Theriault (Phobia 2), Jeeja Yanin (Chocolate), David Asavanond (The Last Executioner) and Charlie Ruedpokanon (Only God Forgives). Filipino Jake Macapagal (Metro Manila), and Taiwanese Teresa Daley (Transformers: Age of Extinction), who also starred in HBO Asia’s GRACE, join the ensemble cast.

HALFWORLDS S201 Episodic Synopsis
Premieres on Sunday, January 22 at 9pm on HBO
Other HBO play times: January 25 (9pm), January 28 (2.25pm)

Set in Bangkok, Halfworlds 2 follows Juliet, a tenacious researcher trying to uncover the hidden world of the Peesaj – demons who look like humans and live amongst them. Juliet’s world is soon turned upside down when her curiosity attracts the attention of these immortal beings, and a Peesaj named Fyter is sent to kill her.

Follow Season 2 of #HALFWORLDS on the following #HBOAsia online platforms:
• HBO Asia website (http://hboasia.com/HBO/en-sg/shows/halfworlds/season2/)
• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HalfworldsHBO/)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/halfworldshbo/)
• Twitter (https://twitter.com/halfworldshbo)

*Available in 17 territories across Asia including Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Vietnam.

# # #
About HBO ASIA
Singapore-based HBO Asia brings the best of Hollywood to Asia first through its exclusive licensing deals with major Hollywood and independent studios, including Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and Lionsgate. HBO Asia has proprietary and award-winning HBO and HBO Asia Original programmes produced exclusively for HBO viewers. Wholly owned by HBO (a Time Warner company), HBO Asia reaches 23 territories across Asia with six 24-hour commercial-free subscription movie channels: HBO, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Hits, Cinemax and Red by HBO, internet streaming platform, HBO GO, subscription video on demand service, HBO On Demand, and in China, 鼎级剧场 (ding ji ju chang). HBO Asia is also the exclusive distributor of BabyFirst and the DreamWorks channel in the region. Log on to www.hboasia.com for more information.

HBO, Home Box Office and HBO Asia Originals are service marks of Home Box Office, Inc.
Halfworlds is a service mark of HBO Pacific Partners, v.o.f. © 2016 HBO Asia. Used with permission.

For more information, please contact HBO Asia:
Karen Lai
Director, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1796
Email: karen.lai@hboasia.com

Chan Zi Ning
Executive, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1746
Email: zining.chan@hboasia.com

ABS Issued Operator Licenses for Papua New Guinea

Photo - Rights granted to ABS licenses

Photo: Left to Right:

Garie Pimental, MD of SE Asia – ABS, Charles Punaha, CEO of NICTA, Kila Gulo Vui, Director Economics, Consumer, & International Affairs of NICTA, Sinton Spence, Director, AGSL.

Bermuda – January 17th, 2017 – ABS announced it has been granted the Network, Applications and Gateway Operator licenses to serve Papua New Guinea (PNG) from the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA). The licenses awarded will allow ABS to operate as a telecom operator as well as a satellite service provider.

ABS is the first international satellite operator to incorporate a company in PNG, known as ABS Global Satellite Limited (AGSL) to provide information communication technology (ICT) services, registered with the Investment Promotions Authority. ABS has been in partnership with NICTA since 2008, which has resulted in a number of orbital slot positions around the world brought into use by ABS by deploying several satellites currently at such orbital locations. AGSL has met all due diligence requirements and its license applications were approved by the NICTA Board on December 16, 2016. The three Individual Operator Licenses granted by NICTA are technology neutral and now give AGSL the rights to provide ICT services in accordance with NICT (Operator Licensing) Regulation 2010.

ABS initially plans to set up a major teleport in Port Moresby to provide connectivity from its Asian gateway though the ABS-6 satellite which will bring cost effective internet connectivity and VSAT services into the country. From the gateway hub, we will also offer more affordable internet access to remotes in underserved rural regions and outlying islands transforming the market with accessible and reliable services.

ABS will be primarily engaged in satellite based or satellite support telecom infrastructure, but where necessary will deploy fiber or microwave to complement the connectivity requirements. Cellular mobile service is also allowed under the license and may be contemplated in the future.

“The approval of the telecommunication licenses is an important milestone and development for ABS in the South Pacific region. The challenge in the Pacific has been to deliver high quality resilient and cost effective voice and data solutions. Improvement in connectivity paves an opportunity for sustainable growth in PNG and is central to bridging the gap with its rural areas and neighboring countries,” said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS. “PNG is the land of the unexpected, and we at ABS are happy to bring competition into the market place to enable the provision of more affordable telecom services to the ultimate benefit of the PNG populace.”

Mr. Charles Punaha, CEO of NICTA, commented, “PNG internet penetration remains below 10%, which is very low on a global scale. This is mainly because the cost of rolling out a network in PNG is very expensive, compounded by the topographical conditions of the country, with isolated communities. We are pleased at the entry of the first satellite operator into the country to bring competition for the provision of ICT services which will result in more economical pricing. This will in turn trigger a higher demand for services supporting the development of the country.”

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ONE Reigns Supreme as the #1 Korean Entertainment Channel in South East Asia

Legend of the Blue Sea and Scarlet Heart Beat Rivals Descendants of the Sun and Goblin as the Top Korean Dramas of 2016

SINGAPORE (January 17, 2017) Sony’s powerhouse ONE Channel dominated the Korean entertainment genre in 2016, doubling the ratings of its closest competitor in Singapore and Malaysia.

Unleashing an arsenal of groundbreaking Korean dramas throughout the year, including the epic blockbusters Legend of the Blue Sea and Scarlet Heart, ONE commanded a 66 per cent share of viewing among the four Korean channels in Malaysia, and was ranked #2 during primetime viewing (6pm-1am) among all pay-TV channels on Astro.

ONE mania extended to Singapore where it scooped a 51 per cent share of the Korean genre and took the crown as the #1 pay-TV channel among female audiences. The allure of ONE and its premium programming also secured its place as the #3 pay TV channel in Singapore, ahead of movies and kids’ channels.

In Indonesia, ONE was consistently the #1 entertainment channel on leading platform, Indovision, in 2016. It was also among the top three pay-TV channels on the platform.

“ONE’s channel name consistently lives up to expectations, bringing viewers Korea’s hottest content first to South East Asia. Our viewers know and trust that ONE is the top destination for the latest in Korean talent, storytelling and high value productions and they expect only the best. We’ll continue to deliver on this expectation so viewers do not need to go anywhere else for their daily fix of Korean entertainment,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

Despite fierce competition from other high profile dramas, ONE’s 2016 epic showstoppers Legend of the Blue Sea and Scarlet Heart were the undisputed new darlings of Korean entertainment.

In Malaysia, the average rating of Legend of the Blue Sea was three times the average rating of rival Descendants of the Sun and more than 10 times the average rating of Goblin.¹

The series performed equally well in Singapore, with both Legend of the Blue Sea and Scarlet Heart doubling the average ratings of Love in the Moonlight and Goblin. ²

“ONE is not just a TV channel it’s a lifestyle for lovers of Korean entertainment and culture. We go beyond the screen to immerse viewers in the world of Korean drama via fan meets, roadshows and social conversations. ONE is South East Asia’s gateway to Korea,” said Lim.

Source: Kantar Media, Malaysia DTAM 2016, combined HD and SD ratings for channels with same HD and SD content / Singapore SG-TAM Oct-Dec 2016, combined rating of ONE Mandarin/Malay and Oh!K Mandarin/Malay / Indovision Nielsen Rating Report. Target: Pay TV 4+. Consolidated activities run on Jan 9 2017.

Average consolidated premiere timeslot ratings of Legend of the Blue Sea until episode 13 and Goblin until episode 10, full season of Descendants of the Sun
Average consolidated premiere timeslot ratings of Legend of the Blue Sea until episode 13 and Goblin until episode 10, full season of Love in the Moonlight

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