13 May, 2016

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending May 6th. 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	It’s official: the US has a new #2 broadband provider and #3 video provider, now that the Charter/TimeWarner Cable merger has overcome its final regulatory hurdle. The California Public Utility Commission gave the greenlight this week, after the FCC approved the deal earlier. That’s only a year after the deal was first announced, and it still came with conditions that Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai described as “extortion.”
John Medeiros Chief Policy Officer	Meanwhile, here in the region, the big merger proposed between SK Telecom and CJ Hellovision has not been making rapid progress. (It requires approval from three different South Korean government agencies.) The agencies, led by the KCC, are saying the matter has to be taken seriously, and approval – if it comes – will take time. SK Telecom not surprisingly is pushing the deal, saying it will result in healthy competition and give consumers more content choices. Both sides are citing parallel foreign decisions as supporting their point of view: SK likes the FCC’s approval of the Charter/Time Warner cable merger. The KCC cites the UK regulator’s seeking to block a merger between mobile firms O2 and 3UK. (Bloomberg reports that deal may be going belly up.) To sum up: lots of precedent-citing, but no clarity yet, in Korea.
Christopher Slaughter CEO	It’s nice to see the industry warming to a theme, especially when it’s calling bullshit on digital ad metrics. Some fairly spurious claims have been made at the Digital Content Newfronts, and it's good to see that the ratings jigger-pokery is eliciting a proper backlash. (Of course, the original disinformation will still continue to be soberly passed along as The Truth, but then again, the Internet.)
Jane Buckthought Advertising Consultant	Indeed, the REAL truth must come out. TV researchers have been campaigning to redress the oversell of digital, and although it is not quite the “epic battle" that Campaign would have it be, the head of Thinkbox, the UK’s marketing body for commercial TV, made the case very cogently last week. But back to that Gawker piece; among its best lines: “The conflation of digital and traditional viewership metrics has gotten under the skin of TV people, and for good reason. If advertisers can be hoodwinked into believing that a sizable number of people are actually watching things on Facebook Live, they will direct their money online, where the ad rates are much, much lower than they are on TV. The thing here is that the TV people are right—even serious online video hits deliver numbers that would barely register if measured the same way TV programming is."
Mark Lay Vice President, Singapore	Redef’s Matthew Ball has penned another “Original” this week where he looks forward in time to “Disney as a Service”. Ball believes that "Disney's future (is) bright, it's closer than ever to fulfilling Walt's own vision for the storied 'House of Mouse’.” Jason Hirschhorn adds, "It’s not only one of the few media brands that audiences actually care for, they were able to forge direct-to-consumer relationships decades before “D2C” entertainment became an imperative.” Also, Disney’s earnings were released this week with $12.97 billion in revenue for its fiscal 2016 second quarter.
John Medeiros Chief Policy Officer	Veterans of the policy wars will recall that back in 2007, CASBAA was urging India’s TRAI to loosen the reins of cable regulation, to allow the industry to generate enough revenue and become a modern digital broadband powerhouse. Here we are almost a decade later and the current Chairman of TRAI is saying it’s really too bad that India has not ”been able to leverage the 100 million cable TV homes in India to deliver broadband, which would have given us very fast internet.” Nice to have our concepts acknowledged, even 9 years late. But unfortunately TRAI still hasn’t learned the “light-touch” lesson and it is proposing to substantially INCREASE the burden of its controls on contracts between media industry players, under its “Interconnect” rules (which are a legacy of telephone regulation it is seeking to transfer into the media industry.) I fear for the future.
Christopher Slaughter CEO	In these troubled times of ubiquitous social media chatter, it seems like it’s almost impossible to avoid spoilers. And while it turns out that quite a few people don’t think spoilers are necessarily a bad thing, the complicated co-existence of linear and on-demand programming means sometimes content owners have just got to take a stand. Meanwhile, spoiler-hating fans can always download a Google Chrome extension, or go to more ridiculous extremes to avoid harshing their buzz. Likewise, for those who love spoilers, there are plenty of options online, including this handy service provided by none other than Netflix.
Kevin Jennings Vice President, Programme	To mark the 90th birthday of the iconic broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, the BBC has announced it plans to launch an app called The Story of Life. The free mobile app will be available globally and offer the largest digital release of Attenborough’s work with around 1,000 clips encompassing over 60 years of natural history film making with the BBC. The “Attenborough App” is scheduled to be released in the Autumn and is aimed at re-engaging with an audience more familiar with using smart devices to watch video. Perhaps wisely, the powers that be did not let the public vote for a name for the app, after the UK's new polar research ship was named RRS Sir David Attenborough, despite the voting public choosing something …different.
Mark Lay Vice President, Singapore	I’m starting to think that Shane Smith, Vice CEO, was extremely well behaved in Bali at APOS earlier this month. He didn’t seem to have had a “few ales” before his talk on stage and there were no claims of Vice being “the fastest-growing network in the f—ing history of TV.” He saved this for Vice’s Digital Content NewFront presentation in New York last week where he announced that Vice would launch 20 TV channels worldwide this year, some being in Asia. In Bali, maybe he was just saving himself for the HBO party where he was seen at the bar doing tequila shots with a number of CASBAA members. You know who you are.
John Medeiros Chief Policy Officer	The pernicious role of politics in the Indian cable industry was highlighted by a Times of India report that there are more than 50 unauthorized cable channels being aired in the city of Puducherry alone. Such channels, says the Times “are often run by politicians or their supporters” and they are used to unfairly tout the candidate’s achievements.

Some additional links you might be interested in:

Member News

Eurovision and ABS partner on new satellite capacity ABS-3A at 3° West

Bermuda – 11 May 2016, Eurovision and ABS have announced that they have signed a capacity agreement for a multi-transponder, multi-year deal on ABS-3A, the latest addition to the ABS fleet. The capacity will be used for broadcasting content to Eurovision customers in 56 countries across Europe and beyond. Distribution of content will include live coverage of major sporting events and news content, making ABS-3A at 3° West a prime broadcast location for Europe.

ABS-3A is equipped with 48 C and Ku-band transponders (96 x 36MHz equivalent) serving rapidly growing markets in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. ABS-3A provides capacity to reach markets serving video, data, mobility and government applications.

“The new capacity on ABS-3A will support Eurovision’s substantial growth of media content delivery services in Europe. We look forward to renewing our relationship with ABS to deliver high-quality services to the media community reliably and cost-effectively,” said Eurovision Network Director Graham Warren.

“We are very pleased to partner again with Eurovision, using the excellent coverage of the ABS-3A European beam to provide optimal coverage for the diverse media requirements of Eurovision,” said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS. “We are seeing an increasing demand for broadcasting services in Europe as well as MENA and Africa. ABS-3A at 3° West is strategically located for continental contribution and distribution of live sports, news and entertainment programmes. With our established broadcasting platform at 75° East, ABS-3A expands our video neighbourhoods into these new markets. We look forward to building our collaboration with Eurovision in the future to serve a wider audience.”

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-3A, ABS-4/Mobisat-1, ABS-6, ABS-7. The satellite fleet covers 80% 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, Dubai, South Africa, Germany, Philippines, Indonesia and Hong Kong. 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 About the European Broadcasting Union

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world’s foremost alliance of public service media (PSM). Our mission is to make PSM indispensable.

We have 73 Members in 56 countries in Europe, and an additional 34 Associates in Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Our Members operate over 1,800 television and radio channels, broadcasting in more than 120 different languages. They reach audiences of more than one billion people around the world.

Our television and radio services operate under the trademarks of Eurovision and Euroradio.

Eurovision is the media industry’s premier distributor and producer of top-quality live news, sport, entertainment, culture and music content.

Euroradio enhances public service radio with music and news exchanges, professional networking, and by promoting digital and hybrid radio.

We have offices in Brussels, Rome, Moscow New York, Washington DC, Singapore, and Beijing. Our headquarters are in Geneva.

Discover more about the EBU on www.ebu.ch. Extra Info on Sports

• The EBU’s Sports Rights portfolio is extensive working with more than 25 international sports federations and handling more than 30 contracts. This represents around 150 events including approximately 680 competition days which they may also produce and distribute.
• In 2015, the Eurovision worldwide network distributed more than 90’000 hours of footage; 75.000 hours of it were sports.

New Research Shows Widespread International Interest In U.S. Election With Cnn As #1 News Destination

US Election research

CNN named #1 international news destination for U.S. Election coverage
Network to launch nightly U.S. Election show for international audiences

CNN International Commercial commissioned new research that shows huge demand from worldwide audiences in following the story of this year’s U.S. Elections. The study also confirms CNN as the leading international media covering the U.S. Election – building on the network’s agenda-setting coverage and record TV and digital ratings during the Presidential race so far.

To understand how the world views and is following one of the biggest stories of 2016, CNN commissioned independent research company Toluna to assess* the viewing habits and opinions of adults in 23 countries across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific, plus Canada. The findings of this research were released ahead of CNN International launching a new nightly U.S. Election show – State of the Race. From May 17, the show will be anchored from CNN’s New York bureau by Kate Bolduan and give international audiences 30 minutes of insight and analysis into the story that the world is watching with intense interest.

In the research findings released today, 51% of all respondents select CNN as the #1 international news provider for following the U.S. Election – a figure higher than all other news organisations combined and dwarfing any preference for other media such as BBC (19%), Reuters (5%) and Sky News (4%). 78% of respondents say they have viewed or read CNN coverage, with 83% of these people consuming CNN’s political content within the last week. The majority of people getting their news fix about the U.S. Election are doing so through CNN International’s linear channel – 50% say they consume via TV, 31% on the CNN website, 14% on social media and 8% via the CNN app.

Outside of news consumption habits, the study found huge interest amongst international audiences for the U.S. Election. 85% of people view the election as important for the world at large, with 73% of respondents saying they are personally interested in U.S. Election news.

The top reasons that people state as why they are interested in the U.S. Election are: importance for the world at large (68%); importance for their country (47%); potential to affect individuals economically (38%); insight into the US political system (35%); shows how Americans view the world (34%); and the personalities of the competing candidates (33%). Asked why they think the U.S. Election is important to the world at large – respondents say it is due to: the US’s significance to the global economy (64%); implications for international relations (63%); US’s role in global security and counter-terrorism (57%); trade prospects and potential for a shift to more hardline US foreign policy (both 43%).

In Asia Pacific:

52% of respondents select CNN as the #1 news source – ahead of BBC (16%), Reuters (7%) and CNBC (5%)
80% of people have followed the U.S. Election story on CNN – of these 46% have done so via TV, 35% on the CNN website, 19% on social media and 12% via the CNN app
The top reasons that Asia Pacific audiences list are interested in the U.S. Election are: its importance for the world at large (68%); its importance for my country (50%); its potential to affect me economically (44%); the insight it gives me into the US political system (38%); shows me how Americans view the world (37%); and the insight it gives me into the US political system (37%)
This research follows the recent Ipsos Affluent Survey Asia Pacific which confirmed CNN as the leading international news brand, TV channel and digital platform across the region in all metrics. Ipsos found that every month, 35% of the region’s affluent audiences consume CNN at a multiplatform brand level, and both CNN’s TV and digital audiences are at least 50% ahead of BBC, and more than twice the level of CNBC and Bloomberg

Specifically commenting on CNN’s coverage of the U.S. Election, 66% say the network’s coverage is informed and intelligent, 64% expertly presented, 64% comprehensive, 62% engaging, and 60% as setting the standard.

These findings follow record-breaking TV and digital ratings in CNN US for the network’s coverage of the election. With CNN leading the way in exclusive interviews, townhalls and debates, the network had its most watched quarter in seven years in January-March 2016 – a performance that saw CNN as the fastest growing Top 40 cable network in primetime, up triple-digits in total viewers and adults 25-54. In September 2015, CNN broadcast the most-watched programme in its history as its GOP debate was watched by an average 23.1 million people. On digital, CNN Politics posted its highest ever traffic in February 2016 – in its 12^th straight month as the US’s #1 source for political news online, it had a record 36 million unique multiplatform visitors.

Rani Raad, President, CNN International Commercial, said: “This research shows the unprecedented interest in this year’s U.S. Election – it has global reach and a mix of policy debates that have the potential to affect the world at large. In a world where consumers have more access to news and information than ever before, CNN continues to lead the way as the world’s news leader and the trusted source that audiences turn to more than anyone else. This study builds on CNN’s record-breaking ratings and traffic in the US and is the type of insight that shows us the level of demand there is for coverage of this race.”

*CNN U.S. Election Global View Study, conducted by Toluna, surveyed 4,792 adults in 23 countries across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific (+ Canada). The study was conducted in March 2016. For Europe, there were 1,260 interviews in six markets; for Middle East and Africa 827 interviews in four markets; for Latin America 839 interviews in four markets, and in APAC 1,656 Interviews in eight markets.

**Ipsos Affluent Survey Asia Pacific Q1-Q4 2015: The Ipsos Affluent Survey Asia Pacific represents the top 18% of adults aged 25-64 by income across the following 10 markets: Australia (Sydney + Melbourne), Bangkok, Hong Kong, India (Delhi + Mumbai + Bangalore), Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei.

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About CNN International

CNN’s portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms reaching more than 420 million households around the globe, including over 72 million across the Asia Pacific region. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America and recently expanded its US presence with its launch on CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. Over the years CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. CNN has 41 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is part of Turner, a Time Warner company.

Cnn International And Skynet Myanmar Announce Historic Collaboration

Shwe Than Lwin Media’s U Kyaw Win and CNN’s Greg Beitchman

CNN INTERNATIONAL AND SKYNET MYANMAR ANNOUNCE HISTORIC COLLABORATION

Yangon, May 9, 2016 – CNN International Commercial today announced a historic news affiliate and consultation agreement between Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc., the distributor of CNN International in the Asia Pacific region, and Shwe Than Lwin Media Co., Ltd., (known as ‘SkyNet Myanmar’) to help the company launch the country’s first 24-hour local language news network, Channel One.

As part of this multi-year agreement, SkyNet will receive detailed consultation and comprehensive training from CNN on all aspects of launching a news channel, including newsgathering and production, digital and technical operations, program development and best-practice management. Once Channel One launches, SkyNet will continue to receive on-going training from CNN at CNN’s Asia headquarters in Hong Kong, its global U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, and on-site in Yangon.

As part of the agreement, Channel One will also broadcast CNN content and programming in local Burmese language, another first for the country. The alliance also includes supporting SkyNet in its development of a complementary Channel One news website.

Vice President, Content Sales and Partnerships, CNN International Commercial, Greg Beitchman: “Myanmar is such an exciting market for growth and we couldn’t be happier to align with SkyNet in its efforts to lead the transformation of the media landscape in the country. Launching the first local 24 hour news channel is a significant milestone and it’s our privilege to be affiliated with an organization that aspires to CNN’s vision and values. A comprehensive and tailored training program will be put together to ensure the channel offers the best in class in news content in Myanmar.”

Chairman, Shwe Than Lwin Media Co., U Kyaw Win: “CNN has been synonymous with 24 hour news for more than three decades. As the world’s leader in news, there is absolutely no one better to learn from. Through this strategic affiliation with CNN we are giving Channel One the very best chance to succeed by delivering a first-class service that gives the people of Myanmar the best of local and international news.”

The alliance between CNN International and SkyNet Myanmar is part of a strategic effort by CNN International Commercial’s Content Sales and Partnerships Group to support the development of high quality journalism, and grow the reach of CNN’s content by working with other leading media organisations.

-Ends-

Photo attached: Greg Beitchman, Vice President, Content Sales and Partnerships, CNN International Commercial and U Kyaw Win, Chairman, Shwe Than Lwin Media Co.

Media contacts:

Penelope Heath / Ingrid Hsu

Tel: +852 3128 3538 / +852 3128 3568

E-mail: penelope.heath@cnn.com / ingrid.hsu@cnn.com

About CNN International

CNN’s portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms reaching more than 420 million households around the globe, including over 72 million across the Asia Pacific region. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America and recently expanded its US presence with its launch on CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. Over the years CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. CNN has 41 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is part of Turner, a Time Warner company.

About Turner Asia Pacific

Turner Asia Pacific creates and distributes award-winning brands throughout Asia Pacific. In the region, Turner Asia Pacific runs 63 channels in 13 languages in 37 countries, including 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. It 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.

About SkyNet

SkyNet is Myanmar’s leading Pay-TV television network with one hundred and twenty four channels for the comprehensive offering of Movies, Kids, Knowledge, Lifestyle, News, Entertainment, Music, Sports and Local Programming. Launched in November 2010, SkyNet brand is DTH Television Service provider owned by SHWE THAN LWIN MEDIA CO., LTD. that has 100% signal coverage within Myanmar and recognized for its motto “SkyNet for The People”. With the outreach of television signal, SkyNet was able to unfold unprecedented television experience to Myanmar people from all walks of life. In addition to the wide-ranging category of international channels, SkyNet offers twenty seven internally programmed channels such as Cartoon, World Movies, Asian Movies, HD Movies, Myanmar Movies, Myanmar Arts, International Drama, World Drama, Music, Knowledge, Education, Health, Agri/ Livestock, Home, Tine Yin Tar, Teen, Hadaya, Hluttaw and Buddha channels. Sports fans can also enjoy from seven 24 hours sports channels covering UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, Spain La Liga, Italy Serie A, France Ligue1 and special events such as UEFA Euro 2012, London Olympic 2012, FIFA World Cup Brasil 2014, UEFA Euro 2016 and Rio Olympic 2016 are all exclusively available only on SkyNet platform. In addition, since 2011, SkyNet launches the one and only 24 hours domestic news channel in Myanmar called Up to Date.

6 May, 2016

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending May 6th. 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

Google’s online video behemoth YouTube is apparently planning a streaming pay TV service that will launch as soon as 2017. Reportedly to be called “Unplugged” (ummm… wait a minute, hasn’t that already been… I mean, done before… and isn’t MTV going to do it again…?), the online service will reportedly be a "skinny bundle” that may or may not prove to be the “cable killer” that the always-reliable Business Insider seems to think it will be. (Variety co-editor Andrew Wallenstein’s nay-sayer piece features a picture of a pig with wings.)

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

Speaking of skinny, the morphing of the business of TV delivery continues, Fox and Disney want to sell their own web TV bundle, via Hulu, for $40 a month. Hulu has been the direct-to-consumer avenue for the owners of the TV channels so this seems to make sense. That is if they don’t mind upsetting their largest customers, the existing pay TV bundlers. This service would also be a direct competitor to Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Vue and Dish Network’s Sling TV who already stream skinny packages, but whose performance is little known. Apparently NBCUniversal is also now in talks to join which would round out the big three US networks.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Some of you may have seen that CASBAA joined a recent Indian consultation opposing regulation of set-top box technologies. A parallel issue is being hotly debated in the USA, where the FCC is considering rules to “open up the STB market” and force cable companies to accept consumer use of (previously incompatible) STBs provided by the internet tech industry. Some advocacy groups have pointed out that regulatory intervention by the FCC “carries no realistic promise of lower prices (nor) increased innovation.” But it’s worse than that. A couple of Congressmen wrote the FCC, expressing concern that “open” STB regs will lead to unscrupulous entrepreneurs selling “black box” devices to access pirated programming. Whoa! We’ve seen plenty of Android-based app piracy in Asia…….this debate in the USA must have them rubbing their hands with glee, up in Shenzhen.

The US debate will be amply aired at this year’s NCTA INTX conference. (FCC Chairman Wheeler is expected to speak, and he will no doubt be wearing Teflon clothing to deflect rhetorical assaults.) Also at INTX, CASBAA and NCTA will sponsor an “Asia Lunch,” which will talk about OTT and innovation in the Asian pay-TV industry. Anyone who will be in Boston on May 16 can sign up for the lunch here.

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

It’s earnings season again with first quarter numbers as follows: Time Warner’s revenues rose 3% to $7.3 billion, up from $7.1 billion a year ago. Operating income climbed 12% to $2 billion. Fox’s revenues exceeded estimates, hitting $7.23 billion and third-quarter profit dropped to $841 million. Viacom’s revenue declined 3 percent to $3.078 billion with a profit of $303 million. Discovery revenue rose 1.1 percent to $1.56 billion with net earnings of $263 million, compared with $250 million in the year-ago period. These all compare to Netflix which reported, a couple weeks back, revenue of $1.96 billion and net income of $28 million. Disney reports next week and analysts are hopeful for a good quarter.

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

After weeks of speculation, it has finally been confirmed that Rovi plans to acquire TiVo for about US$1.1 billion. The new company will keep the TiVo branding but will be led by Rovi CEO Tom Carson. The consolidation move combines TiVo’s traditional TV and on-demand content with Rovi’s guides, advertising, analytics and cloud services. To capitalise on the greater scale, the new TiVo will offer an analytics platform dedicated to media and entertainment, and will enable better targeting of media spend and an improved commercial inventory and more efficient targeted advertising.

Jane Buckthought

Advertising Consultant

Since first announcing its Total Audience Measurement in October, Nielsen in the US has maintained that the new tool, which will include viewers across all linear and digital platforms in a single metric, would be ready in time for networks and buyers to use during this year's upfronts. However those plans are on hold saying clients are not quite ready for the data.

Meanwhile down under, The Australian Connected Consumer Report from Nielsen predicted that the proportion of online Australians using VOD services would rise from 59% to 67% over the course of this year. This makes sense when you see that Nearly six in 10 Australians has four or more devices including PCs, tablets and smartphones.

Anjan Mitra

Executive Director, India

Data is king, and the largest and peoplemeter panel has been running in India for the past year. The head honcho’s at BARC discuss the journey to get it up and running and where it is today.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

And now for the gossip column: this is like “déjà vu all over again!” In Indonesia, the Lippo Group and Astro are still fighting (in court) over the failed Direct Vision DTH pay-TV joint venture. Now, the Jakarta press has reported the anti-corruption squad is investigating a Lippo exec in connection with somebody trying to bribe the court. First Media has denied it has any connection to the investigation. The reason we think we’ve been here before is that in 2008, another Lippo exec was arrested and convicted for bribing an official of Indonesia’s Competition Commission, also in connection with the dispute with Astro. (The evidence in that case was some damning pictures of money changing hands in an elevator.) And the 2008 convict and the 2016 suspect have the same last name! (Sindoro) No wonder we think we’ve heard this before! Meanwhile, there are allegations swirling about, concerning a purported member of the Broadcasting Commission (KPI) reportedly looking for donations from the Commission’s regulated TV networks.

Speaking of donations……it seems that Pirate Bay’s efforts to raise funds from the people who visit the site have not been very successful. Not very surprising, when you think about it……fundraisers normally like to solicit from people who have strong donation histories, not people whose main motivation seems to be escaping payment for the product they want!

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

Elsewhere in China, the online video-streaming platform iQIYI has set its sights firmly on the VR industry and announced at this week’s “iVR+ World Conference 2016” in Beijing that it intends to build the world’s largest Chinese language VR ecosystem. Meanwhile, in another move seen as a significant boost for the fledgling VR industry in China, Hubei Radio & Television Information Network and China Digital TV will begin working together to develop and promote Virtual Reality solutions for TV households in the country’s Hubei Province.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Sad news from LA this week, where producer Ian Sander has died at age 68. A relatively new friend and supporter of CASBAA, Ian accompanied his wife and partner Kim Moses at Convention 2014, and with her jointly led a CASBAA-sponsored Master Class in Production at Hong Kong's Baptist University. Best known for producing the long-running drama The Ghost Whisperer, the Sander/Moses team were also early to embrace online-TV crossover marketing opportunities, developing a multi-platform business called Slam 360. Over the course of his long career, Ian’s other TV credits include three Emmy nominations, some 600 hours of primetime TV drama and movies, as well as acting stints in '70s TV classics including The Mod Squad, Ironside, Baretta, and The Rockford Files. A scholarship fund has been set up in Ian’s memory at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts Television Production Programme.

Some additional links you might be interested in:

Member News

KIX’s Lucha Underground Premiere Wins its Timeslot in the Philippines

HONG KONG (May 6, 2016) Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), operator of the largest bouquet of pan-Asian channels dedicated to Asian entertainment, announced today that the premiere of Mexican wrestling show Lucha Underground on KIX on Monday, 25 April at 9pm won its timeslot across regional English general entertainment (GE) channels in the Philippines [1]. Lucha Underground also propelled the viewership of that timeslot, increasing it by 324% from the year-to-date timeslot average of KIX [2].

From mega-producer Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice) and Hollywood hit director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids), Lucha Underground introduces audiences to the high-flying aerial maneuvers, slingshot moves, dramatic masks, intricate, rapid-fire combinations and distinctive wrestling techniques of lucha libre, one of Mexico’s most popular sports. Fans will have a ringside seat as masked villains and heroes face off to battle for wrestling supremacy.

KIX continues its ratings momentum in the Philippines in 2016. It is one of the top 3 regional English GE channels and one of the top 20 channels among all 120+ cable and satellite channels in the Philippines this year [3].

In addition to Lucha Underground, KIX showcases a variety of first-class combat sport events from around the world including: Bellator MMA, one of the world’s largest MMA promotions; World Series of Fighting (WSOF), the fastest-growing MMA promotion in the world; Road FC, one of Asia’s biggest MMA promotions; and Enfusion Live, the kickboxing event starring a new generation of fighters.

Source: Kantar Media Philippines (National Panel); C&S 2+

25 April, 2016; 21:00-21:59
25 April, 2016 vs. 1 Jan -23 Apr, 2016; Monday 21:00-21:59
Jan-Apr 2016; 02:00-25:59; ranked by average audience, across all cable and satellite channels

(1&3) Ranked by average audience; across regional English GE channels (incl. Australia Plus TV, AXN, Diva Universal, E!, Fashion TV, Fox, Fox Crime, HITS, KIX, Lifetime, RTL-CBS, Sony Channel, Star World, SYFY, Tru TV, Universal Channel, Warner TV)

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Media Contact:

Pauline Poon

Celestial Tiger Entertainment

T: 852 2239 6131

E: pauline.poon@celestialtiger.com

About Celestial Tiger Entertainment

CELESTIAL TIGER ENTERTAINMENT (CTE) is a leading independent media company dedicated to entertaining audiences in Asia and beyond. The company creates and distributes branded pay television channels and services targeted at Asian consumers.

CTE operates a powerful bouquet of distinct pay television services including: CELESTIAL MOVIES, the premier 24-hour first-run Chinese movie channel in Asia and beyond; CELESTIAL CLASSIC MOVIES, the world’s most-widely distributed Chinese movie channel with an unparalleled array of Chinese movie masterpieces; cHK, a general entertainment channel offering cool, chic, and contemporary celebrity-powered Hong Kong entertainment; KIX, the ultimate destination for action entertainment; MIAO MI, the Mandarin edutainment channel created for preschool kids across Asia; and THRILL, Asia’s only regional horror, thriller and suspense movie channel. All of CTE’s channel brands are available as linear, on-demand and over-the-top services. CTE also produces original production for its bouquet of channels.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, CTE’s majority shareholders are Saban Capital Group, a leading private investment firm specializing in the media, entertainment and communications industries; Celestial Pictures, a diversified Asian entertainment company owned by Astro Overseas Limited; and Lionsgate, the world’s largest independent filmed entertainment studio.

For more information, please visit www.celestialtiger.com.

A+e Networks(R) Asia Starts Production On New Reality Motoring Series, Celebrity Car Wars For History

(5 May 2016, Singapore) – A+E Networks® Asia today announced that it has begun production on a brand new reality entertainment series, CELEBRITY CAR WARS, for HISTORY Asia.

Produced by Emmy Award winning Active TV, CELEBRITY CAR WARS sees six celebrities from the region face off in a series of highly entertaining driving challenges.

To get them up to speed, the celebrities will be coached by racecar professionals through a variety of stunts designed to test their skill and patience behind the wheel. The adrenaline-filled series will be peppered with history takeaways, geeky information for driving-junkies, and top tips for the everyday motorist.

Celebrities putting pedal to the metal include actor/host Allan Wu (Singapore), former Miss Malaysia Universe Andrea Fonseka (Malaysia), former international model and TV personality Joey Meade King (Philippines), radio DJ and TV host “PK” (Thailand) and TV Host and model Marc Nelson (Philippines). Their egos are on the line for the ultimate bragging rights of winning the inaugural CELEBRITY CARS WARS title.

CELEBRITY CAR WARS will be hosted by Bobby Tonelli and utilize over 40 cameras. The 8×1-hour series follows the success of HISTORY Asia’s other original productions including Photo Face-Off, which is currently in its third season, and Ride N’ Seek, now in its fourth season. It will air in the later half of this year on HISTORY Asia and HISTORY Japan. Sponsored by Caltex, the HISTORY® Asia original production fills a unique gap in the automotive television space.

About HISTORY™ and HISTORY HD™

HISTORY™ and HISTORY HD™ are the leading destinations for entertaining hit series and revealing, award-winning event specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and fascinating manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of genres ranging from real-life characters who bring history to life every day, to natural history, contemporary history, technology and science, as well as archaeology and pop culture. Hit series include Kings of Restoration, Pawn Stars, The Vikings, Ancient Aliens, Duck Dynasty, Counting Cars, Hidden Cities Extreme and Ride N’ Seek. For more information, please visit:

Homepage: www.historyasia.com

Facebook & Twitter: HistoryAsia

About A+E Networks®

A+E Networks is an award-winning, global media content company offering consumers a diverse communications environment ranging from television networks to websites, from home videos/DVDs to gaming and educational software. A+E Networks is comprised of the following networks and divisions: A&E®, Lifetime®, HISTORY®, LMN™ (formerly Lifetime Movie Network®), bio.®, H2™, HISTORY en Español™, Crime & Investigation Network®, Military HISTORY®, LRW™ (formerly Lifetime Real Women®), A&E IndieFilms®, A+E Networks International™, A+E Networks Digital™ and A+E Networks Consumer Products™. A+E Networks’ channels and branded programming reach more than 330 million households in over 180 territories. A+E Networks is a joint venture of Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.

For media-related enquiries, please contact:

SPRG Singapore

Samantha Ng

Account Manager

T: +65 6325 8265

E: samantha.ng@sprg.com.sg

Maria Socorro Tan

Account Executive

T: +65 6325 8327

E: maria.tan@sprg.com.sg

A+E Networks

Hazel Yap

Vice President, Marketing Communications

T: 6800 5080

E: hazel.yap@aenetworks.com

Gwen Wang

Manager, Marketing Communications

T: 6800 5081

E: gwen.wang@aenetworks.com

29 April, 2016

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Apr 29th. 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 7th annual Asia Pacific Operators Summit has wrapped in Bali, accompanied by a plethora of announcements from various participants. Among the announcements: a new joint venture from A+E Networks in India, the launch of BBC Player authenticated by Starhub in Singapore, Discovery unwrapped its 4K content deal in Korea, and its stake in OTT service RugbyPass, Hong Kong’s now TV let it be known it has UEFA EURO rights for 2016, Turner is bringing Warner TV and Oh!K to Indonesia, and Nickolodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards is going on LeEco.
Jane Buckthought Advertising Consultant	The digital marketplace is at an important pivot point requiring industry-wide collaboration and commitment to ensure ongoing consumer engagement with brand messages in media, according to the annual Interaction report into digital advertising produced by GroupM. Based on insights from 45 markets around the world, highlighted six macro-trends, including ad blocking, the integrity of digital supply, mobilisation and the expansion of app use, TV's transition to over-the-top, the application of data to marketing, and the expansion of e-commerce.
John Medeiros Chief Policy Officer	Censorship. It’s all the rage. In Bangladesh, there’s considerable concern about a new broadcast bill that will give the government “draconian” censorship powers over media outlets. Meanwhile in China, the authorities found a foreigner to praise their “family values” censorship. Amusingly, said foreigner has a Linked-In page which has itself been censored, as he belongs to a religious group that doesn’t meet with the authorities’ approval. (Read his “Chief Visionary Officer” item.) And in Thailand, a draft computer crime law will give the government more power to order removal of online content. (One can understand why this might be of greater concern than in other places — this is the same country where the Prime Minister is planning to jail online critics.) My fellow lovers of the Land of Smiles will enjoy this commentary by journalist-and-broadcaster Sutichai Yoon, entitled “Shhh….don’t tell me what you think.” He notes that the military’s laws governing campaigning on its latest constitutional referendum are so unclear that neither opponents nor proponents of the new charter can feel comfortable in speaking about it.
Anjan Mitra Executive Director, India	While we’re on the subject of censorship, have a look at this column criticizing India’s film censorship. The author says it is tempting to heap abuse on the CBFC censors, but she points out that the problem is the whole legal framework of the censorship categories, which is totally inappropriate for modern circumstances. Maybe the unreality of the system is the reason that so many films are shown on TV without passing the censors first.
Mark Lay Vice President, Singapore	Apple is being forced to close down its iTunes business in China only seven months after it launched. Some believe that "the closure of the iTunes movie service is less surprising than the fact that it was ever being allowed to launch.” “The Apple case is not good news for the wider entertainment industry,” says one Asian media analyst. “In the last six months we’ve seen a number of deals lose their value. As releases and broadcasts are held back, some of our clients are beginning to ask if selling to China is worthwhile.” "Apple also revealed that the Chinese government had asked for its source code and that company had refused. So the closure of iTunes Movies and iBooks could be punishment."
Christopher Slaughter CEO	Astro’s Tribe OTT service is continuing to hop borders, launching in the Philippines in conjunction with mobile operator Globe. Tribe debuted in Indonesia last month, and will keep adding ASEAN markets going forward.
John Medeiros Chief Policy Officer	This week saw the rollout of the latest season of Game of Thrones. Predictably, the “most pirated TV show of all time” soared to the top of the piracy charts. Down Under, the pirates were at full sail……this commentator notes that despite Foxtel dropping the price for the legitimate streams, piracy continued to soar. “Australians refused to fork out,” said the columnist. That pretty much says it all. But on the “good news” side of the ledger, the UK government (which has already demonstrated its commitment to protecting British creative industries) said they would propose making the penalties for online copyright theft the same as hard-goods infringement – up to 10 years in jail! Maybe if they did something like that in Australia the Cheap Charlies would find a reason to pay up……
Jane Buckthought Advertising Consultant	The TV industry has long argued that reports of huge audiences for Facebook and YouTube don't tell the whole story. Now a TV trade group is proposing metrics that it says would put digital on the same footing as networks for the first time. One part of the study showed far more people are more engaged for far more time with late night content on the television while YouTube serves as a complementary platform for viral clips".
Yegee Chun Regulatory Assistant	Another player has joined the OTT wars this week: Fullscreen officially launched its online subscription service featuring original content from prominent YouTubers and traditional TV programming for $4.99, half the cost of YouTube Red. The talent agent-turned-online video content producer may not get much recognition, but Fullscreen is consistently within the top 3 YouTube partners and may well have plenty of reasons to out-perform YouTube Red.

Some additional links you might be interested in:

Member News

TURNER’S CARTOON NETWORK AND CNN LAUNCH ON KOREA’S POOQ PLATFORM

HONG KONG (APRIL 28, 2016) – CNN International, the number one international TV news channel, and Cartoon Network, Asia Pacific’s leading kids’ channel*, have increased their distribution in Korea with an agreement with pooq, an N-Screen platform.

The growing subscription service allows live video streaming and video on demand across multiple screens and is currently providing content to 400,000 paying users. Non-paying subscribers to pooq can also watch the two Turner channels for free but only as short previews and only in Korea.

Phil Nelson, Turner’s Managing Director of North Asia, said: “This is the first-of-a-kind launch for us in Korea. To reach an expanded audience via an innovative new service like pooq is an important landmark in making our content available everywhere. Cartoon Network and CNN International are Turner’s international flagship brands and genuine world-class products.”

Pooq is operated by CAPTV (Content Alliance Platform), a joint-venture company formed by KBS, MBC and SBS. Since its launch in 2012, pooq has secured more than 50 terrestrial and pay-TV channels, 1.7 million VOD titles and 3,500 movies on demand. Currently, pooq has a total subscription base of 1.7 million and is growing rapidly.

As the U.S. election draws nearer, CNN International is demonstrating that it is the news destination of choice. Cartoon Network is also building up for a big year with several of its powerhouse original franchises dominating the channel, including new episodes of The Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Adventure Time and We Bare Bears.

-Ends-

Data sources:
*Australia OzTAM national STV overnights, Kids 5-12, 0600-2359 daypart; India BARC Media Works (all India including LC1 & Rural), Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Nielsen Korea, Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Nielsen Malaysia, Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Nielsen Taiwan, Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Nielsen Thailand One-Merged, Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; MediaLogic (Pakistan), Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Kantar Media Philippines MegaTAM, Kids 2-12, 0200-2559 daypart; Kantar Media Singapore, Kids 4-14, 0300-2659 daypart.

For more information, please contact:
James Moore
Director of Communications, Turner Asia Pacific
James.Moore@turner.com
+852 3128-3720

Hongki Kim
Department Manager of Media Cooperation, Content Alliance Platform Inc.
hongki@captv.co.kr
+82-2-6322-0309

About Turner Asia Pacific
Turner Asia Pacific creates and distributes award-winning brands throughout Asia Pacific. In the region, Turner Asia Pacific runs 63 channels in 13 languages in 37 countries, including 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. It 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.

About pooq
Contents Alliance Platform is joint-venture between Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) and other terrestrial broadcasting companies in Korea. Contents Alliance Platform operates an OTT platform, known as pooq. pooq is a service which provides TV broadcasting, movies, animation, sports, and other content in both linear and non-linear, and is mainly run via the website (http://www.pooq.co.kr), smartphone applications, a smart TV app, and Chromecast 2.

About CNN International
CNN’s portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms reaching more than 420 million households around the globe, including over 72 million across the Asia Pacific region. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America and recently expanded its US presence with its launch on CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. Over the years CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. CNN has 41 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is part of Turner, a Time Warner company. Get the latest social media updates from CNN at: facebook.com/cnninternational @cnnasiapr

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 85 million pay-TV homes. Cartoon Network also reaches millions more through its websites, games and apps, including Cartoon Network Watch and Play and Cartoon Network Anything.

TURNER’S KIDS PORTFOLIO RULE THE ROOST IN 2015 & Q1 2016

The Powerpuff Girls

Cartoon Network remains APAC favorite; Boomerang and Toonami record huge growth;
POGO still top local pick in India

HONG KONG (APRIL 27, 2016) – From all corners of the continent and beyond, kids and their families showed their love for Turner’s kids’ brands in Asia Pacific throughout 2015 and into Q1 of 2016 – and the latest share and reach data back this up.* The full brand portfolio, comprising Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Toonami and POGO, is firmly on top of the pile in the region.

Aggregate data from ratings agencies in nine measured markets shows that Turner’s Kids portfolio led its competitors in terms of audience share in 2015 and the first quarter of this year. Cartoon Network also retained its title as the international channel with the biggest reach in Asia Pacific. The Q1 performance is a strong indicator for 2016, a year that sees the return of two reimagined, powerhouse-franchises – The Powerpuff Girls and Ben 10.

“There are several factors that have contributed to this outstanding result. With Cartoon Network Studios pumping out the best animation in the business and a ground-breaking volume deal for Warner Bros. titles now in place, our content pipeline has never looked so strong,” said Mark Eyers, Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer for Turner’s Kids Networks in Asia Pacific.

He added: “This depth of content is also complemented by investment in localization, strategic content acquisitions, digital offerings and an original shorts program within Asia Pacific that is paying remarkable dividends. Above all else, our leadership position speaks to the ability of our brands to engage the most amount of kids and their families, across platforms, around the region.”

Boomerang and Toonami capped off impressive years with substantial growth in distribution. Boomerang re-launched in Southeast Asia in January 2015, increasing household numbers throughout the year, including Malaysia in August and Korea in November. Toonami established a firm foothold in Southeast Asia, becoming the No. 2 Kids channel in Thailand (behind the clear leader, Boomerang) and launching in 20 million new households in India. This April, Boomerang also made its non-linear debut in Vietnam.

In the digital space, total sessions in 2015 for Cartoon Network’s web, apps and mobile portals increased by 27% year on year.**

The TVE service Cartoon Network Watch and Play continued to attract viewers beyond the traditional paywall as part of a total consumption strategy. It was ably supported by the launch of new apps Cartoon Network Anything in August and Boomerang Watch and Play in October. During 2015, both CartoonNetworkAsia.com and Boomerang’s websites also underwent a major revamp.

-Ends-

Data Sources:
*Australia OzTAM national STV overnights, Kids 5-12, 0600-2359 daypart; India BARC Media Works (all India including LC1 & Rural), Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Nielsen Korea, Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Nielsen Malaysia, Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Nielsen Taiwan, Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Nielsen Thailand One-Merged, Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; MediaLogic (Pakistan), Kids 4-14, 0200-2559 daypart; Kantar Media Philippines MegaTAM, Kids 2-12, 0200-2559 daypart; Kantar Media Singapore, Kids 4-14, 0300-2659 daypart.

**Omniture/Flurry (Jan 2014 – Dec 2015)

For more information, please contact:
James Moore
Director of Communications, Turner Asia Pacific
James.Moore@turner.com
+852 3128-3720

About Turner Asia Pacific
Turner Asia Pacific creates and distributes award-winning brands throughout Asia Pacific. In the region, Turner Asia Pacific runs 63 channels in 13 languages in 37 countries, including 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. It 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.

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