News

Sony Pictures, American Heart Association Partner for ‘Angry Birds’ Promotion

16 Aug, 2016 by: Erik Gruenwedel

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Aug. 16 announced a co-promotion with the American Heart Association for ‘The Angry Birds Movie,’ which is now available on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital HD.

Specifically, SPHE is assisting the AHA for the launch of the “Angry Birds, Happy Bodies” fitness initiative for children nationwide. The two entities are working with two-time Olympic (2008, 2012) swimmer Chloe Sutton, who served as ambassador of the initiative, making an appearance at the kick-off event in Los Angeles.

The national initiative launches with events from coast to coast, helping students kick off the new school year with healthy goals. Red, Chuck, Bomb and some of the green piggies are joined by AHA “jump teams,” in which students will participate in jump rope challenges that can be a part of their daily fitness routines. The campaign will continue through the school year to support school physical education programs.

“We love that Red, Chuck and Bomb are helping kids keep their minds and bodies happy and healthy,” Lexine Wong, senior EVP of worldwide marketing at SPHE, said in a statement. “With our release of The Angry Birds Movie timed around the global athletic events in Rio, it is the perfect time to encourage everyone to keep active.”

Zee Entertainment announces the first edition of ‘ZEE Mindspace Awards’ to be held at #ZEEMelt 2016

The first-of-its-kind awards property which aims at recognizing brands that have captured maximum ‘MindSpace’
Winning Brands identified based on a nationwide research executed by Nielsen
Online Survey conducted across the country, covering 288 Brands across 36 product categories

Mumbai, August 17, 2016: Leading content company, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) today announced the launch of the first edition of ‘ZEE Mindspace Awards’, a property which aims at recognizing brands, which have captured maximum ‘MindSpace’. The awards ceremony will be held on 27^th August 2016, at #ZEEMelt 2016 – India’s biggest festival for creativity and innovation in marketing and communications.

Commenting on ZEE Mindspace Awards 2016, Mr. Sunil Buch, Chief Business Officer, ZEEL said, “Achieving ‘consumer mindspace’ is every marketer’s ultimate goal. The thought of extending our 3-year old brand intellectual property ‘ZEE Mindspace’ also as an awards property, was based on this very essence. The marketing fraternity is an integral part of our overall business value chain and in today’s digital era it is indeed a challenge for the marketers to arrive at the right marketing mix. The proof of the pudding is being present in the ‘Mindspace’, which is the foundation of ZEE Mindspace Awards.”

ZEEL has partnered with renowned market research company Nielsen, to execute a nationwide research to identify brands which have created maximum impact on the minds of the consumers. While ‘Top of Mind Recall’ was the primary criteria to arrive at the winning brands, factors like Popularity, Advocacy, Desire and Buzz were also a part of the structured research methodology. Nielsen has targeted a sample size of 12000+ audiences, covering key zones across the country.

The winning brands will be awarded at the ZEE Mindspace Awards 2016 in the presence of 500+ CMOs and stalwarts from the marketing and advertising industry. Going forward, ZEE Mindspace Awards aims to serve as an additional independent barometer for marketers. While there are numerous awards targeted towards rewarding the creative campaigns undertaken by brands, ‘ZEE Mindspace Awards’ is the only property which recognizes the overall marketing mix implemented by the brand owners to carve a ‘Mindspace’ within the consumers.

Mr. Prashant Singh, Managing Director, South Asia, Nielsen said, “Nielsen’s research methodology is a brand assessment among consumers who have adopted new age media in addition to traditional media and provides brand owners’ insights into how brands are adapting to this fast-evolving space. More than 12000 online surveys were conducted to evaluate 288 brands across 36 categories. The research was broken into multiple phases – from initial screening of brands to final rounds focusing on understanding what makes a brand resonate in the consumer’s mind. The winners were identified after undertaking a rigorous process, based on top-of-mind recall, popularity, the kind of advocacy the brand commands, the desire to own the brand and finally the buzz it generates. Above all, it’s the brand’s ability to pop-up in mind at the first instance that holds maximum weightage.”

#ZEEMelt 2016 will also witness the 4^th edition of ZEEL’s brand intellectual property – ‘ZEE Mindspace Conference’, which aims at bringing the marketing fraternity together to connect, discuss and explore new possibilities. The sessions under ZEE Mindspace Conference comprise of two main themes, Previewing Tomorrow – where we get insights into the future of several areas in the industry and Open Possibilities – introducing us to the many advantages that data, content, consumer analysis and branding offer in transforming businesses.

The renowned speakers at the conference will include:

R Ray Wang, Principal Analyst, Founder & Chairman, Constellation Research
Vanessa Clifford, Deputy Chief Executive, News Works
Tom Goodwin, SVP of Strategy & Innovation, Havas Media
Jeff Bullas, Blogger, Strategist and Speaker
Tom Betts, Chief Data Officer, Financial Times
Per Nilsson, Corporate Communication & Marketing Director, Semcon
Brian Gleason, Global CEO, XAxis
Tomi Ahonen, Technology & Media Author + Strategy Consultant

To create a nationwide buzz across the marketing and advertising fraternity about #ZEEMelt, #ZEEMindspace Conference & #ZEEMindspace Awards, ZEEL has embarked on an extensive promotion campaign in key markets targeting print, outdoor, digital, social media platforms and PR. Further, as a part of an integration with Twitter, the awards ceremony will be live-streamed on Periscope and extensively promoted on the social media platform. Actor and Television presenter, Gaurav Kapur who would be the event anchor, will also interact with the users through Twitter’s #BlueRoom this evening, 17^th August at 6.30 pm. Catch all the action on ZEEL’s official Twitter Handle @ZEECorporate

For more details on #ZEEMelt, please visit http://readytomelt.com

You can also follow ZEE on:

Facebook: @ZEECorporate

Twitter: @ZEECorporate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeecorporate/

====================ENDS==================

Note to Editors

About Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL):

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 222,000 hours of television content. With rights to more than 3,818 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film stars, ZEE houses the world’s largest Hindi film library. Through its strong presence worldwide, ZEE entertains over 1 billion viewers across 171 countries.

Pioneer of television entertainment industry in India, ZEE’s well-known brands include Zee TV, &tv, Zee Cinema, Zee Action, Zee Classic, &pictures, Zee Anmol, Ten 1, Ten 2, Ten 3, Zee Cafe, Zee Studio, Zee Salaam, Zing, ETC Bollywood, Zee Q and Zindagi. The company also has a strong offering in the regional language domain with channels such as Zee Marathi, Zee Talkies, Zee Bangla, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada, Zee Tamil and Sarthak TV. The company’s HD offerings include Zee TV HD, Zee Cinema HD, &tv HD, Zee Studio HD, Zee Café HD, &pictures HD, Ten 1 HD and Ten Golf HD.

ZEE and its affiliate companies have leading presence across the media value chain including television broadcasting, cable distribution, direct-to-home satellite services, digital media and print media amongst others. ZEEL also operates its own digital platforms with OTT offerings on OZEE, DittoTV and india.com. More information about ZEE and its businesses is available on www.zeetelevision.com

=============================================================================

Media Contact:

Jayshree Kumar / Arantxa Gonsalves

Corporate Brand – Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL)

Mobile: +91 9769286661 / +91 9820336890

Landline: +91-22-7106 1367 / 7108 5464

Email: jayshree.kumar@zee.esselgroup.com / arantxa.gonsalves@zee.esselgroup.com

New Cinemax Original Drama Series Quarry

PREMIERES SAME TIME AS THE U.S. ON SEPTEMBER 10 AT 10AM (9AM THAI/JKT) ON CINEMAX

SINGAPORE, AUGUST 16, 2016 – A brand-new eight-episode thrilling action drama series, QUARRY, will premiere in Asia at the same time as the U.S., on Saturday, September 10 at 10am (9am Thai/ Jkt) with a same day primetime encore at 10pm (9pm Thai/Jkt), exclusively on CINEMAX. Subsequent new episodes of QUARRY will air on Saturdays at the same time.

Set in and around Memphis during the early 1970s, QUARRY tells the story of Mac Conway, a Marine who returns home from a second tour of duty in Vietnam, only to find himself stigmatised by his involvement in a highly publicised massacre while fighting abroad. Though he and his fellow Marine Arthur Solomon have been exonerated of wrongdoing, they are greeted with hostility and rejection in Memphis, with neither able to land a decent job.

With Mac’s relationship with his wife Joni growing tenuous, he and Arthur are tempted by a lucrative offer from The Broker, a shady criminal involved in a network of killing and corruption that spans the length of the Mississippi River. At first, Mac refuses to offer up his services to The Broker, but after Arthur opts to trade his principles for quick cash, Mac – whom The Broker codenames “Quarry” – finds himself conscripted against his better judgment into The Broker’s crew, a turn of events that has dire consequences for both himself and Joni.

QUARRY stars Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus, 24, Spider-Man: Homecoming) as Mac Conway, whose decision to return to Vietnam cost him a “normal” life; Jodi Balfour (Final Destination 5) as Mac’s wife Joni, whose job at a local newspaper led to a regrettable decision during Mac’s absence; Peter Mullan (Olive Kitteridge) as The Broker, whose promises come with cruel demands; Nikki Amuka-Bird (Luther) as Ruth Solomon, wife to Mac’s Marine pal Arthur and mother of two; and Damon Herriman (Justified) as Buddy, an eccentric member of The Broker’s team.

Based on the novels of Max Allan Collins (who also wrote Road to Perdition), the eight episodes of QUARRY are directed and executive produced by Greg Yaitanes (CINEMAX’s Emmy®-winning “Banshee”; Emmy® winner for directing “House, M.D.”), along with executive producer Steve Golin (HBO’s Emmy®-nominated “True Detective”; “Mr. Robot”; the Oscar®-winning “Spotlight”; the Oscar®-nominated “The Revenant”). It is created, written and executive produced by Graham Gordy & Michael D. Fuller (“Rectify”).

# # #

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.

Kids’ Media Consumption In Australia Up As Spending Power Rises To A$1.8 Billion

Cartoon Network’s New Generations latest study reveals trends and media habits of Australian kids

Kids media consumption has increased
TV still the most influential channel for reaching kids with viewing up 8% on last year
Twice as many children notice ads on TV compared to social media
Kids’ pocket money is up 7% on last year, to A$1.8 billion annually including gift money
86% of kids went online in the past month with a 33% increase in kids watching and posting online videos

SYDNEY (August 16, 2016) – Kids’ media consumption in Australia has increased over the past year, with their total spending power rising to A$1.8 billion annually, Cartoon Network’s annual leading research study into children and parents New Generations 2016 has found.

The report revealed that TV ads are still the most effective for reaching children, with watching TV remaining the top media consumption activity for kids. An impressive 92% of children watched TV in the last month – up 8%, with most tuning in to watch cartoons. The report also highlighted that kids prefer ads that feature comedy and characters, with Captain Risky (Budget Direct) the most liked ad for kids, followed by Unicorn Pooping (Squatty Potty) and McDonald’s.

Three times more kids find ads on TV funny compared to ads on social media and twice as many children notice ads on TV compared to social media. A significant 58% of parents surveyed cited TV as the most influential advertising platform for kids.

David Webb, Director of Research at Turner Asia Pacific, parent company of Cartoon Network and sister-brands Boomerang, POGO and Toonami, commented on the results, saying: “This year, the theme of the study was ‘connecting with kids’ and it was interesting to see that, even as children are creating their own online video content, and despite the popularity of social media, TV ads are still significantly more effective for reaching them. Also, that regardless of the platform, relatable and humorous content generally cuts through and resonates with young audiences – a demographic with considerable purchasing influence.”

The report uncovered a 33% increase in kids watching and posting videos online and a 7% increase in kids’ pocket money, to an average of A$556 a year including gift money. Kids are also well connected, with 86% jumping online in the past month, up 12%.

When it comes to social media, Facebook is still the number one platform for kids, but children spend more time on Snapchat. Almost a third of Snapchat users spend up to an hour and a half on the platform each day, compared to a quarter of Facebook users. The social media usage increases dramatically with age – multiplying by five times as children grow from 7-9 years old to 13 years of age. Parents have the most safety concerns for children with YouTube and Facebook, with kids’ TV channels the most trusted media.

The New Generations report also highlighted key concerns of Australian parents in relation to their kids’ financial futures, revealing that 70% of parents are worried about their kids’ capacity to buy property in the future. This was the primary concern, ahead of their children’s ability to save money (56%), afford university tuition (50%) and support a family/kids of their own (46%).

It surfaced that parents are looking to banks for education on financial literacy, with 42% saying that banks should take the lead on educating children on the topic. This has highlighted an opportunity for financial institutions to attract more customers, with almost half of parents responding that they would be more likely to open an account with a bank that offered educational programs.

The study, now in its 12th year, was released in Sydney today. It surveyed a group of more than 1,000 individuals, comprising children aged 4-14 and their parents, to gain insights into kids’ media habits and trends.

-ENDS-

For media enquiries or interview requests, please contact:

James Moore

Director of Communications, Turner Asia Pacific

+852 3128-3720 / James.Moore@turner.com

About Cartoon Network’s New Generations 2016

New Generations is Cartoon Network’s pioneering and patented kids’ survey to better understand Australian kids’ lifestyle – their values, aspirations, media habits, consumption, pocket money, opinions, preferences and parental influence. Celebrating its 12th edition in Australia, the long established and respected research has interviewed nearly 20,000 child and parent pairs since inception.

About Cartoon Network Asia Pacific

Cartoon Network, the number one kids’ channel in Asia Pacific, offers the best in original animated content including the multi-award-winning global hits Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball and Adventure Time and new comedy We Bare Bears. In 2016, the network welcomes back new series of popular franchises Ben 10 and The Powerpuff Girls. Cartoon Network is available in 31 countries throughout Asia Pacific and is currently seen in more than 88 million pay-TV homes. Internationally, it is seen in 192 countries and over 370 million homes, and is an industry leader with a global offering of the best in award-winning animated entertainment for kids and families, known for putting its fans at the center of everything by applying creative thinking and innovation across multiple platforms. Cartoon Network also reaches millions more through its websites, games and apps, including Cartoon Network Watch and Play and Cartoon Network Anything. Cartoon Network, sister company to Boomerang, POGO and Toonami, is a brand created and distributed by Turner, a Time Warner Company.

About Turner Asia Pacific

Turner Asia Pacific creates and distributes award-winning brands throughout the region, running 63 channels in 14 languages in 37 countries. These include CNN International, CNNj, CNN, HLN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, POGO, Toonami, World Heritage Channel, Warner TV, Oh!K, TCM Turner Classic Movies, truTV, MondoTV, TABI Channel, and HBO and WB in South Asia. Turner manages the business of Pay- and Free-TV-channels, as well as Internet-based services, and oversees commercial partnerships with various third-party media ventures; it teams with Warner Bros. and HBO to leverage Time Warner’s global reach. Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. (“Turner Asia Pacific”) is a Time Warner company.

James Moore
Director · Communications · Asia Pacific
Turner International Asia Pacific Limited

36/F Oxford House, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
T: +852 3128 3720 M: +852 6323 7550

This email and any attachment is intended only for the addressee and may be confidential, legally privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure. If it has been sent to you in error, please delete it and notify us, and do not copy or disclose the contents of this email and any attachment to any other person. Please consider the environment before printing this email.

Babytv sets record viewing figures in Indonesia

FOX-owned toddler channel becomes most-watched Entertainment Channel

London, 02 August 2016: BabyTV, the award-winning baby and toddler channel from FOX Networks Group, delivered its best month yet in June, reaching #1 position among the Entertainment Genre and #1 among All People (excluding terrestrial) on top Indonesian platform PT MNC Sky Vision Tbk (MSKY) with their brand Indovision.

Since it launched over a decade ago, BabyTV has always rated amongst the top kids’ channels, continuously increasing its viewing figures and strengthening its presence in the territory.

Most popular programmes include favorites such as Billy BamBam, Hungry Henry, Oliver and brand new series Little Lola Visits the Farm.

Maya Talit, SVP Affiliate Sales and Marketing, said, “We are incredibly pleased by these impressive results and we believe they are due to our continuous efforts to provide parents and children with fresh, quality and safe content. Our channel is truly unique and we pride ourselves in offering an unrivalled TV experience for families.”

“We are very grateful to Indovision for this successful long-term collaboration and we are convinced our new upcoming shows will carry on drawing more viewers”, she added.

“We are extremely happy with the achievement we have working together exclusively with Baby TV for almost a decade. We hope that our long term partnership will continue to inspire Indonesian children to ideas and information in a friendly way, that opens the door for future learning”, said Dhini W. Prayogo, Director of Marketing and Programming MSKY.

BabyTV is launching a whole host of exclusive new programmes and episodes such as Look What I Found!, The Post Train and Grandpa Joe’s Magical Playground so families can look forward to more fun and entertainment.

ENDS

Notes To Editors

ABOUT BABYTV:

BabyTV is the world’s leading baby and toddler network for children aged 4 & under and their parents, airing 24 hours a day, and completely commercial free. A FOX Channel, BabyTV is available in over 100 countries, via 700+ platforms and in 20 languages. BabyTV features top quality, original & exclusive shows, created by child development experts and designed for child & parent to enjoy together. Each hour on BabyTV is an enriching journey full of stories, songs, rhymes & lovable characters.

For more information, please visit: www.babytv.com, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT FOX NETWORKS GROUP:

FOX Networks Group (FNG) is 21st Century FOX’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 300+ wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, sports, factual and movie channels in 45 languages across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. FNG’s core channel brands include FOX, FOX Sports, FOX Life, FOX+ and National Geographic Channel. FNG’s movie channels include FOX Movies, FOX Movies Premium and SCM (formerly Star Chinese Movies). Our non-linear brands include FOX Play, FOX Play+ and Nat Geo Play. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high- definition extensions, reach over 1.825 billion cumulative households worldwide. In addition, FNG owns and operates two production studios and produces thousands of local programming hours for its wholly owned channels and third parties.

For further information:

Anne Le Sinq

Marketing Manager

anne.lesinq@babytv.com

+44 20 3426 7091

ABOUT PT. MNC SKYVISION, TBK. (MSKY)

MSKY is the largest pay-TV Company in Indonesia, MSKY uses S-band satellite technology, the best in its class, with high resistance against weather disruption and superior broadcast capability. In terms of channel, MSKY owns the largest channel line-up, with 146 channels in its portfolio, 38 of which are exclusive channels that can only be seen on MSKY’s platforms. Various genres are offered by MSKY’s brand, skewed especially for children and families. Today MSKY is the leader of Indonesia’s pay-TV, market share more than 70% of 4 leading players pay-TV in Indonesia based on the report from the media partners Asia.

For more information, please visit: www.indovision.tv, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

For further information:

Domas Bathoro

Head of Brand Activation and PR Department

domas.bathoro@mncgroup.com

+62 21 5828000 Ext. 8105

BBC Pashto TV programme on Mashriq TV in Pakistan

12 August 2016. The BBC Pashto TV programme BBC Naray Da Wakht (BBC World Right Now) will be part of the daily schedule of Pakistan’s new Pashto-language channel, Mashriq TV, which starts broadcasting on Sunday 14 August.

Broadcast live from London in prime time – 18.30 Pakistan Standard Time – and presented by Sana Safi and Amanullah Atta, BBC Naray Da Wakht brings 24 minutes of key global and regional news reporting. The Friday sports supplement, Lobay, includes in-depth coverage of sporting developments that are of special interest to regional audiences.

The move to bring BBC Naray Da Wakht to Pashto-speakers in Pakistan via Mashriq TV builds on the show’s success in Afghanistan where it has a weekly viewership of 1.6 million via Shamshad TV. It adds to the BBC’ presence in Pakistan where it reaches a weekly audience of 13.1 million people on TV, radio and digital platforms, in Urdu, Pashto and English (2015).

BBC Afghan Editor, Meena Baktash, said: “We are proud that Mashriq TV will carry BBC Naray Da Wakht as part of its inaugural broadcast. A quarter of BBC Pashto’s global weekly audience of 6.7 million people is in Pakistan, and we hope that our programme’s daily broadcasts via Mashriq TV will make our content even more accessible to them. We are looking forward to this collaboration.”

Based in Peshawar, Mashriq TV aims at reaching Pashto-speaking audiences in north-western Pakistan and Islamabad. CEO, Mashriq TV, Syed Ayaz Badshah commented: “Launching a channel from Peshawar has been a great endeavour which we hope will help revive the entrepreneurial spirit in the region. We welcome this rebroadcasting collaboration with the BBC and are looking forward to the daily broadcasts of the BBC Pashto programme – they set a high standard for our editorial team to live up to.”

BBC Naray Da Wakht is also available on demand via the BBC Pashto channel on YouTube and the website bbcpashto.com. BBC Pashto is part of BBC World Service.

Ends//

For more information, please contact:

BBC World Service Group Communications – Lala Najafova lala.najafova@bbc.co.uk

Notes to editors:

BBC World Service delivers news content around the world, on radio, TV and digital, reaching a weekly audience of 246 million. As part of BBC World Service, BBC Learning English teaches English to global audiences. The BBC World Service Group operates around the world in 30 languages, on radio, TV and digital. The BBC attracts a weekly global news audience of 320 million people to its international news services including BBC World Service, BBC World News television channel and bbc.com/news.

12 August, 2016

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending August 12th. 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

Disney is getting serious about streaming, buying a 33% stake in Major League Baseball’s BAM Tech, and announcing plans to set up an OTT version of ESPN “…probably by the end of the year.” We’ve talked a lot about BAM Tech, which the MLB recently spun off as a separate company. Rumours of Disney’s interest had been circulating for a while, too, almost certainly because they are the platform that launched HBO Now in three months, among their other massive live-streaming successes. Oh, and repeated mentions in CASBAA’s News Views probably didn’t hurt, either.

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

For those thinking that Disney is planning on offering ESPN as a standalone service, don’t get your hopes up. Further to the announcement, ESPN clarified things by saying that “Our linear ESPN networks content will NOT be part of the service. We see it as a complementary service to WatchESPN”. FierceCable clarified further: “the new platform will, however, be available direct-to-consumer, without a pay-TV subscription.” What it looks like is that ESPN will continue with their existing B2B linear services (including the OTT authenticated WatchESPN), and use the new BAMTech services to build a D2C business.

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

Elsewhere in the US, Hulu has announced that it’s discontinuing its free streaming service, pushing users into signing up for its more premium options instead. Hulu said it its free option “became very limited and no longer aligned with the Hulu experience or content strategy.” In fairness Hulu has been quietly phasing out free content for some time, as it started offering more original programming to paying subscribers. The end of Hulu’s free service also coincides with a new partnership as Yahoo has announced a new streaming service, “Yahoo View,” which, somewhat confusingly “features” Hulu, meaning that essentially, Hulu’s free content has moved from Hulu.com to Yahoo View.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Dish TV in the USA has been the most active industry player anywhere in the world in going after “black box” streaming media box piracy. Dish and its partners from TVB, CCTV and Korean broadcasters filed suit a year ago in California against the TVPad piracy syndicate, and won a couple of very hefty judgements. In April Dish, TVB and CCTV again filed suit, this time in New York against the promoters of the h.tv box. And last week Dish and Arabic content providers went after the promoters of the “loolbox,” which specializes in piracy of Middle Eastern content. The action was welcomed by a coalition of ethnic content broadcasters in the USA (which includes a number of CASBAA member affiliates).

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Sometimes the print media is not exactly a defender of IP rights. Magazines (and websites), delight in telling people how to find the latest pirate devices and services. (In Canada, even the CBC joins in. I guess if your iron rice bowl comes from the government, you don’t have to worry about monetizing your creations.) But this week in Singapore the Straits Times actually had an insightful opinion piece. The writer observes that sports rights costs are now too high for Singapore media distributors to monetize, drawing on a customer base that is shrinking because so many people are watching pirate black boxes that are openly flaunted in Singapore. The article quotes Aravind Venugopal as saying the government “…should be able to act against these manufacturers and providers (of black boxes).” Yeah. It should. Why doesn’t it?

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

The Olympics still have another week to go, and if the 20% drop in US ratings are anything to go by, the Games “…are not immune to the tectonic changes in consumer media behavior.” Still, there remains an argument in favour of good old-fashioned TV: “…regular people don’t actually want a river of raw video.” But either way, Comcast’s cross-platform experiments with its X1 cable box could lead to further innovations in monetisation, providing a chance to capture more of the ad-spend from the many advertisers who are already using multiple channels for their Olympic campaigns.

Elsewhere, there’s a lot of other experimentation going on, especially in digital coverage of the Rio Games, at least some of which is being driven by the need to avoid infringing on copyrighted images. However, even with thousands of hours of competition being streamed, it’s worth bearing in mind that the audiences watching eSports are still bigger.

Andrew Lin

Regulatory Assistant

Just a day before the Rio Olympics’ opening ceremony, MediaCorp was able to negotiate and clinch a deal with Dentsu Inc. for live coverage of the Olympic games in Singapore. Events will be broadcasted through MediaCorp’s sports channel, Okto, and its OTT platform, Toggle. The two companies were unable to reach a deal earlier, as both groups could not settle with an agreeable price. The Singapore government has also made it clear that no additional funding will be provided for live broadcast rights.

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

With the Rio Olympics in full swing there’s reports of an online spreadsheet being kept by netizens in South Korea recording all the sexist remarks made by Korean commentators during the competition; and there’s a lot! Perhaps predictably, most of the comments come from male presenters describing female athletes. The Korean blogger who started the spreadsheet has announced plans to make an official complaint to broadcasters once the offending remarks have been collated. Korean commentators aren’t the only ones being called out for sexist or inappropriate comments from presenters, and sadly sexist language is not a new phenomenon at the Olympic Games.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

In these troubled times of digital shift in ad spend, it’s comforting to know that the FMCG behemoth Procter & Gamble is scaling back its targeted Facebook ads: “…we targeted too much, and we went too narrow.” Read a bit more closely to discover that P&G isn’t actually cutting its spend on Facebook, just re-focusing it; but at the same time, it’s also increasing its TV ad budgets as part of a broader strategic shift. Meanwhile, Facebook is shifting its own advertising strategy, developing ways to get its ads past ad-blocking software. At the same time, however, it’s also overhauling its ad preferences tool, to let users opt out of certain types of ads: “We want people to help us do a better job with ads, rather than to fundamentally alter the way the service is rendered.”

Jane Buckthought

Advertising Consultant

It’s time agencies and advertisers asked themselves serious questions about the media world they are creating through their investment decisions, writes Tess Alps, The chair of Thinkbox. The internet was supposed to be ‘for everyone’ but the idealism of an open web has mutated into an increasingly closed and unpoliced world of apps, and a world dominated by a very few quasi-monopolies.

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

For those News Views readers who don’t often get to sit around a table and chat about the TV business with leaders of the industry, The Hollywood Reporter has put together a TV Titans Roundtable video where you can be a fly on the wall. Ted Sarandos talks about Netflix’s “one-on-one relationship with our subscribers.” NBCUniversal’s Bonnie Hammer tells us that “The crap is going to fail.” A+E’s Nancy Dubuc, commenting on ratings to Sarandos says, “I’ll tell you mine if you’ll tell me yours!” Lots of great stuff in this fifty minute video.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Back when CASBAA had a Council of Governors, Time Warner’s Hugh Stephens was one of the leading lights. Now retired home in Canada, Hugh writes an occasional blog on copyright matters. This week’s entry talks about how technology is a two-edged sword…..solving some piracy problems and creating others, using the Indian cable industry as an example. In that connection, another article highlighted this week that India now has 160 million broadband connections. Wow, a really big number. But 142 million of those are wireless connections, and how dysfunctional they are (for watching TV) is a much-discussed topic. (BTW, if you’re a data junkie, the TRAI press releases giving Indian telecom data are a mine of interesting snippets.)

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Don’t even get me started about certain US Presidential candidates — really, don’t. But every four years, US television networks have been used to getting a fairly hefty chunk of change from both parties in the form of campaign ads; this year, not so much. In fact, so far, Donald Trump’s campaign has spent exactly US$0.00 on TV spots. Part of the reason, of course, is that every time he opens his mouth, there are cameras nearby; even five months ago, he was estimated to have “earned” US$2 billion worth of free air time. Add to that the value of lost productivity in offices all over the world as people ponder what a Trump Presidency would actually mean, and we’re talking trillions… seriously, YUGE numbers.

Member News

Additional News

PCCW Media collaborates with STX Entertainment to bring unique content to enrich its service offerings

PCCW (SEHK: 0008) – HONG KONG, August 12, 2016 – PCCW Media has collaborated with STX Entertainment to bring more premium content to viewers in Hong Kong, South East Asia and India.

PCCW has acquired an equity interest in US-based STX Entertainment, a fully integrated, diversified, global media company designed from inception to unlock value from the 21^st century’s changed media landscape. STX specializes in the development, production, marketing and distribution of talent-driven films, television, and digital media content, with a unique ability to maximize the impact of content across worldwide, multiplatform distribution channels. STX Entertainment is led by Mr. Robert Simonds, one of Hollywood’s most prolific and profitable film producers and entrepreneurs, and co-founded by Mr. Bill McGlashan, Managing Partner of TPG Growth.

In connection with the investment, PCCW has signed an overseas content distribution agreement with STX Entertainment to bring original and first-run Hollywood content, including recent US hit “Bad Moms” starring Mila Kunis, as well as co-produce regionally tailored programmes for PCCW to distribute across its pay-TV and OTT services in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and India further strengthening its content offerings of its OTT and pay-TV businesses.

Ms. Janice Lee, Managing Director of PCCW Media Group, said, “The new alliance represents an important milestone in expanding PCCW’s strategic investments into compelling content creation, not only for audience in Hong Kong but also for international audiences in markets which we operate. Furthermore, STX’s wide release of films and scripted television series can also be distributed across PCCW’s pay-TV and OTT platforms, thus bringing the best content to viewers in Hong Kong and in the region.”

The transaction does not constitute a notifiable transaction of PCCW Limited under Chapter 14 of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

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For more information, please contact:

Stella Wong

Group Communications

Tel: +852 2888 2253

Email: stella.wm.wong@pccw.com

Ivan Ho

Group Communications

Tel: +852 2883 8747
Email: ivan.wy.ho@pccw.com

Virginia Lim promoted to Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production & Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia

SINGAPORE, August 10, 2016 — Virginia Lim has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing at Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia, it was announced today by Ang Hui Keng, Senior Vice President and General Manager for SPT Networks, Asia.

Based in Singapore, Lim continues to oversee the entire network portfolio of Asian and English content channels, including leading general entertainment powerhouses AXN and ONE, as well as Animax, Sony Channel and GEM. Specifically, Lim is responsible for the overall content management for the five channels, including programming, acquisitions and original productions; as well as brand marketing and on-air promotions.

“Since taking over the consolidated content group in April 2015, Virginia has made an outstanding contribution to growing SPT Networks’ business in Asia, ensuring our channels remain leaders in their respective genres and that we continue to deliver entertainment that is multi-screen, locally relevant and engaging for our viewers in Asia,” said Ang.

“It is highly satisfying to select and deliver engaging content to expand our presence in Asia,” said Lim. “In this dynamic industry, we must remain nimble, so we’ll be rolling out a pipeline of initiatives in the near future that will bring our stories, talent and brands even closer to our viewers across the region.”

In the past year, Lim has spearheaded several key initiatives for SPT Networks, Asia. For AXN, Lim oversaw the pan-regional roll out of the channel’s brand refresh, complementing the dynamic new look with a stellar programming lineup that included the premiere of the highly anticipated FBI drama, Quantico. On the original programming front, Lim led the local adaptation of Cash Cab for AXN in the Philippines and the return of the hit-rated series, The Amazing Race Asia Season 5, which premieres this October.

In addition, Lim has cemented ONE’s leading position in Southeast Asia, introducing the express telecast primetime belt “Ppalli Ppalli” (“quick, quick” in Korean), and a major schedule refresh earlier this year to better reflect the needs of ONE’s viewers. The recent premiere of the wildly popular Doctors, which stars Park Shin Hye (Pinocchio) and TV veteran Kim Rae Won (Punch), was the highest rated Korean drama series in Singapore and Malaysia this year across all Korean channels. Later this month, ONE will premiere the region’s first ever same-time-as-Korea drama telecast of Scarlet Heart, the highly anticipated South Korean remake of the similarly titled Chinese series.

SPT Network’s portfolio was further strengthened by the launch of GEM in October 2015, with Lim collaborating with the channel’s joint venture partner, Nippon Television Network Corporation, to ensure a steady pipeline of prime Japanese content. A relative newcomer to the Asian entertainment genre, GEM recently expanded its distribution footprint to include Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, in addition to its launch markets of Cambodia, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Lim joined SPT Networks, Asia in 2008 as Director of Programming for Animax and became Vice President of Asian Content in 2012. In this capacity, Lim oversaw the programming, marketing and on air promotions for ONE, Animax and GEM. In 2015, Lim was promoted to Vice President, Content and Marketing where she oversaw all functions of programming and marketing for the entire networks portfolio. Prior to joining SPT Networks, Asia, Lim worked with StarHub for over 10 years.

Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia is a leading operator of ad-supported channels including English general entertainment powerhouses AXN and Sony Channel; and Asian content giants Animax, GEM and ONE. SPT Networks’ portfolio collectively features the biggest and best titles from Korea, Japan and the U.S that are first run, exclusive and aired close to the original telecast. Taking the content beyond the screen, SPT Networks immerses viewers in its premium entertainment via large-scale festivals, celebrity fan meets and social platform conversations. In Asia, SPT Networks’ portfolio is available across 19 territories and in over 42 million homes.
www.SonyPicturesTelevision.com

Media Enquiries:
Jennifer Doig
Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia
jennifer_doig@spe.sony.com / +65 6622 4278

Music for your eyes – Channel V transitions into a definitive 24 hours music channel for the youth

Mumbai, 8 August 2016: Star India’s Channel V has made the much-awaited transition into a 24 hours music channel this August, continuing with its legacy. With this, Channel V promises to introduce the Indian youth to the future of music entertainment in India where content will be curated for visual delight. The programming will focus on music videos that not only sound good but look good as well, presenting them in the most clutter free environment offering its viewers a great viewing experience.

According to our research, music channels rarely look different from one another. Not only do they lack a unique voice, but they also feature a cluttered environment where the visual experience is compromised. With an idea of actively involving audiences, rather than just passively consuming music, the new look of Channel V is refreshing. Uncluttered look, great music videos, minimal graphics on screen will ensure a high-quality experience to the viewer, promising an unparalleled visual experience.

The global Indian youth today enjoys latest Indian hits as well as popular international music. Staying true to its image, V will be the only channel to deliver a complete package at the consumers doorstep.

With the foray back into the music television industry, Hemal Jhaveri, General Manager and Executive Vice President – Channel V, Star Gold, Movies OK & Utsav movies said, “Channel V has been a strong brand synonymous with music in India. We at V are keen on changing the music videos viewing experience. Last few years the TV music category has been dormant. With the revamp of Channel V, we aim to redefine the music video experience by delivering an uncluttered high-quality experience, with curated content for a visual delight.”

The new logo and channel packaging have been created by the in-house design team. In a beautiful mix of the real world meets contemporary digital design. The origami-inspired logo manages to create a distinct, youthful and approachable form that connects perfectly with today’s youth. The packaging is bold, vibrant, yet simple while building upon the ‘V’ form.

Along with a new look and programming, Channel V will also launch a high decibel 360 marketing campaign across key metros. With prime focus on the digital medium, the campaign will also have a presence on TV, radio and outdoor sites. Other than this the channel will also participate in some exciting on ground activities to tap into young audiences at major youth hangouts across key metros.

About STAR India
STAR India has defined the Indian media landscape since 1991 and today is one of the country’s leading media conglomerates, reaching approximately 650 million viewers a month across India and more than 100 other countries. STAR generates 20,000 hours of content every year and broadcasts 40+ channels in 8 different languages, reaching 9 out of 10 C&S TV homes in India.

The network’s entertainment channel portfolio includes STAR Gold, Channel V, STAR World, STAR Movies, STAR Utsav, Star Utsav Movies, Life OK, Movies OK and STAR Plus, India’s No. 1 Hindi General Entertainment Channel. It has a leading presence in regional broadcasting as well, through a bouquet of affiliate channels which includes STAR Jalsha, Jalsha Movies, STAR Pravah, Asianet, Asianet Plus, Suvarna, Suvarna Plus, Vijay and now Maa. It is also present in the Indian movie production and distribution space through Fox STAR Studios, an affiliate joint venture company.

STAR India is making quantum leaps in transforming sports in the country by leveraging the group’s strengths in superior content and audience engagement. STAR’s sports business has grown rapidly to 8 channel properties (STAR Sports 1, 2, 3, 4 and STAR Sports HD1, HD2, HD3 and HD4), making it the leading sports network in the country.

STAR is set to drive the agenda on digital content consumption in the country with Hotstar, STAR’s revolutionary digital platform that brings your favourite TV shows, movies and sports in one destination.

STAR India is a fully owned subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.

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