A showcase of opportunities emerging from the digital revolution

Hong Kong, 5 October 2005 – The essential links of the digital value chain – innovative technologies, creative content and novel business models – will be the highlights of this years CASBAA Convention to be held from 25 to 28 October.

“Only with creativity will digital industry players be able to tap into the enormous business opportunities. The CASBAA Convention is an ideal platform for delegates to understand the emerging technologies and market trends as well as building and cultivating peer networks,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman of the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA).

Industry veterans, senior broadcast and studio executives, technology gurus and Asia-Pacific regulators will cast light on the digital revolution and address the hot issues within multiple market sectors and engine economies including China and India.

The first day of the Convention,25 October, focuses on CASBAAs inaugural “Technology Showcase” with delegates offered a unique opportunity to experience at first-hand advanced technologies such as Digital Mobile TV, Wireless Video Network TV and PVR enabled IPTV, that provide first-mover advantage to participants in the fast-paced Asia Pacific pay-TV marketplace.

The following day, 26 October, CASBAA will unveil an industry-first study that measures the relationship between investment in pay-TV services and regulatory performance in Asia Pacific.

Pay-TV piracy remains a lingering issue among industry players, and a mid-day session on 27 October will be devoted to a discussion of the findings from the CASBAA CLSA Piracy Report 2005, the third annual study about Asia Pacific pay-TV piracy with estimates for 2005-2006, conducted by CLSA in collaboration with CASBAA and its member organisations.

On the final day of the Convention, 28 October, the CASBAA Pay-TV Advertising Forum will provide new insights into client expectations and strategies that will help pay-TV operators deliver what clients require.

“Both industry veterans and fledgling operators will benefit from the findings and technology trends in order to capitalise on new developments in the market. The programme for the CASBAA Convention 2005 presents a sharp focus on how pay-TV operators and content owners can turn such findings and innovations into new revenue streams,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA.

The CASBAA Convention 2005 will be held at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Four Seasons Hotel and the Grand Hyatt Hotel from 25-28 October, presented by InvestHK, with NOW Broadband TV as official partner and PCCW as official networking partner.

Hong Kong, January 5th, 2005 — The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) says it is time for the Hong Kong government to address the issue of criminalisation of the domestic use of unauthorized pay-TV decoders in the HKSAR.

The Association, which represents all of Hong Kongs pay-TV operators as well as the regional pay-TV channels, notes that recent reports of the “cracking” of the encryption codes of Hong Kong pay-TV operator i-Cable only highlight the need for a multi-faceted approach to pay-TV signal theft, including technical solutions, legal remedies and public education.

“We recognise that there will always be battles to stay ahead of the technology curve. The pay-TV industry regularly adopts new technical solutions to piracy as a matter of practice,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman of CASBAA. “Investment in the latest encryption technology is just a part of the cost of doing business.”

However, the pay-TV industry and the community at large also need the support of regulators and enforcement agencies if the media industry is to continue to thrive in Hong Kong. “Technical solutions cannot stand alone,” said Mr Fenez.

“The pro-active enforcement of criminal controls on traders in illegal equipment — plus the introduction of criminal sanctions for the domestic usage of unauthorised pay-TV decoders – should now be a priority for Hong Kong,” said Mr Fenez.

CASBAA notes that criminal sanctions for domestic pay-TV signal theft are in place in many jurisdictions, including Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and the United States.

CASBAA believes that clearly identifying end-user piracy as a criminal offence will significantly reduce demand for unauthorised pay-TV distribution within Hong Kong, thus making the development and sales of illegal decoders a less attractive proposition for those involved in criminal activities.

“Its time for Hong Kong to face up to this issue,” said Mr Fenez. “Unless it does so, our industry and the HKSARs reputation as a respected regional media hub will suffer further damage.”

CASBAA also believes the Hong Kong government needs to eliminate any gray areas with regards to pay-TV piracy that do not draw a clear distinction between what is the legally permitted distribution of pay-TV services and what is not.

According to CASBAA, another outstanding issue of significant concern in Hong Kong is the continued distribution of unauthorised pay-TV signals in public venues such as clubs and pubs.

“As with the tolerance of domestic pay-TV signal theft, the public venue issue sends very negative signals to consumers, damages the media investment climate and undermines the creation of compelling TV content,” said Mr Fenez.

CASBAA estimates that pay-TV signal theft in Hong Kong cost HK$195 million last year. There is also a cost to the government in uncollected license fees and taxes, it says.

For further information, please contact:

Ms Rebecca KENNEDY or Ms Mon WONG

Communications, CASBAA

Tel: (852) 2854 9913

Email: pr@casbaa.com

About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel television via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 120 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than 3 billion people. Member organisations include Hong Kong Cable Television, now Broadband TV, TVB Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting (exTV), Hong Kong Broadband Network, Discovery Networks Asia, ESPN STAR Sports, HBO Asia, STAR Group, Sony Pictures Television International, Turner International Asia-Pacific, BBC Prime, BBC World, CNBC Asia, MTV Networks Asia-Pacific, Time Warner, Walt Disney Television International, ABC Asia Pacific, AsiaSat, Bloomberg Television, UBC, ASTRO, IBM, Boeing Space Systems, Celestial Pictures, Crown Media, Lockheed Martin, Macau Cable Television, TVBI, MediaCorp and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mumbai, April 5th, 2005 — The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today announced that in line with a regional strategy it is launching a CASBAA India Chapter. The CASBAA India Chapter will comprise all members of the Association that currently have representation in the India market.

“Our objective is to highlight the real value of the multi-channel television industry in India,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman of CASBAA, speaking at the FRAMES conference in Mumbai. “As an industry sector we need to better articulate our central role within the broad communications market. More than this, it is time for India to take its rightful place in the international community and showcase its achievements to the world.”

Deepak Shourie, the MD of Discovery Networks India, will chair the CASBAA India Chapter with Peter Mukerjea (CEO, STAR India) as Vice Chairman. The Steering Group will also consist of Kunal Dasgupta (CEO, Sony Entertainment Networks India), Rajat Jain (MD, Walt Disney Television International C India) and R.C. Ventakeish (MD, ESPN Software India).

“By some estimates the pay-TV industry in India is worth up to US$5 billion today, providing employment to thousands of highly skilled workers,” said Mr Shourie. “To fully benefit from this platform we need to ensure that the next stage of our development includes a robust regulatory environment and advanced technologies.

“Meanwhile, we also believe it is essential that the pay-TV industry in India has a clear voice. We hope that the CASBAA India Chapter will be joined by many other organisations with our common goals of developing a robust and advanced pay-TV market.”

Beyond dealing with day-to-day issues, the CASBAA India Chapter will also promote initiatives such as the launch of a pay-TV sales and marketing training scheme in India by the CASBAA Media College and a series of CASBAA seminars on new technologies supporting the pay-TV industry. CASBAA will establish a full-time office in India in the coming months.

“We need to actively recruit new companies to join CASBAA within India so that we reflect the existing profile of the Association in other parts of the region,” said Alexander Brown, the CASBAA Board Director Responsible for India Issues, and the CEO and President of CNBC Asia Pacific.

“CASBAA is about more than broadcasters. It represents the interests of a wide range sectors, including the MSOs, the satellite operators, the hardware providers and the original creators of our content. This will be the strength of the CASBAA India Chapter.”

For further information, please contact:

Ms Rebecca KENNEDY

Communications Manager, CASBAA

Mob: (852) 9138 8890 Tel: (852) 2854 9913 Email: pr@casbaa.com

ABOUT CASBAA
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel television via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 120 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than 3 billion people. Member organisations include AsiaSat, ASTRO (Malaysia), BBC Worldwide, Discovery Networks Asia, ESPN STAR Sports, HBO Asia, Hong Kong Cable Television, IBM, Irdeto Access, Juniper Networks, Lockheed Martin, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, NDS Asia Pacific, Nielsen Media Research, now Broadband TV (HK), PanAmSat, SkyVision Corp., Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Starhub (Singapore), Sun Microsystems,Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC (Thailand) and Walt Disney Television International.

Hong Kong, July 5, 2005 — The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), the industry association for pay-TV content providers, platform operators and technology companies in the Asia Pacific, today welcomed a decision by the Australian government to criminalise the act of dishonestly accessing pay-TV services throughout Australia.

“Australia has made a forward-looking decision on this important question,” said CASBAA CEO Simon Twiston Davies. “The pay-TV industry can only thrive if people who enjoy our content pay a fair price for it. This ensures that everyone across the value chain C from the cable-TV installer to the actors, athletes, musicians and news reporters who create our content C earns a fair return on their labours.”

CASBAA hopes Australias decision will be replicated by other governments in the region which do not already treat pay-TV signal theft as a crime.

“Australias leadership position in terms of transparent, even-handed regulation is a key indicator of the direction our industry needs to take across the Asia-Pacific,” said Mr Twiston Davies. “The Australian government statement that criminal penalties should be available against those who access Pay TV broadcasts without authorization, sets a new benchmark for the industry.”

CASBAA believes the governance and protection of intellectual property rights will play an increasingly important role in encouraging economic growth across Asia and is already one of the criteria utilized by the international investment community to determine which markets receive foreign direct investment.

The Association notes that while A$50 million (US$37.5 million) is estimated to be lost on an annual basis to pay-TV piracy in Australia, the figures for the rest of the region are even more startling: in Hong Kong it was US$25 million in 2004; in Thailand it was US$141 million; in the Philippines it was US$70; and in Taiwan it was US$114 million.

“These figures for revenue leakage from an industry which is just ten years old in many markets are a matter of grave concern,” added Mr Twiston Davies. “If the industry and the community-at-large are to gain genuine benefit from pay-TV services the tolerance of signal theft must tackled head-on.”

CONTACT

For further information, please contact:

Ms Rebecca KENNEDY

Communications, CASBAA

Tel: (852) 2854 9913

Email: pr@casbaa.com

ABOUT CASBAA
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel television via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 120 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than 3 billion people. Member organisations include ABC Asia Pacific, Sky News Australia, Two Way TV, ASTRO, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia, EMC, HBO Asia, AETN (The History Channel), IBM, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, now Broadband TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Sun Microsystems, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC, Walt Disney Television International, ABN AMRO, Anytime, AsiaSat, BBC Prime, BBC World, Channel News Asia, CNBC, Freshfields, HSBC, Irdeto Access, Loft Communications, Loral Skynet, Mindshare, Time Warner and TOM Group

Manila, Philippines, October 4, 2005 — The legitimate Philippine cable and satellite TV industry has applauded the last weeks raids on suspected pirate cable TV operators in Metro Manila and Mindanao as an essential step in the battle to protect intellectual property rights in the Philippines.

On September 27th, CASBAA (the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia) disclosed that agents of the National Bureau of Investigation – Intellectual Property Rights Division (NBI-IPRD), acting on complaints filed by CASBAA, had raided the offices and head-ends of four cable companies.

The NBI-IPRD raided the head office of Telmarc Cable Corporation in Pasig City, and its separate branches in Taytay, Rizal and Alaminos, Laguna last September 24 and 26. In Mindanao, the NBI-IPRD agents conducted search and seizure operations at Maguindanao Skycable and Z-Energy CATV Network located in Cotabato City and Butuan City respectively, on September 21.

These companies had been under intensive surveillance for illegally airing popular channels like CNN, AXN, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, ESPN, STAR Sports, STAR World, STAR Movies, HBO Asia, MTV, the Disney Channel and National Geographic.

Responding to the news, Philippine Cable Television Association (PCTA) President Antonio Selda welcomed the CASBAA-initiated enforcement actions against the suspected pirate cable companies, saying the raids should serve as a wake-up call to all cable operators engaged in any form of intellectual property theft.

“Cable operators that have no semblance of legitimacy will find it very, very hard to exist. They will always be threatened. Survival is very short-lived,” Mr. Selda said.

Mr. Selda said the PCTA regards piracy as a “bad practice” which hampers the industrys development. “It is preventing local and foreign investors from bringing new technologies that could enhance the Filipino viewing publics entertainment experience. Piracy is also discouraging local program developers from creating innovative programs,” he explained.

Timothy Bautista, the Vice President of Cable BOSS, a Philippines pioneer in pay-TV network distribution, echoed Seldas fears that the industry faces a bleak future unless piracy is addressed immediately.

“We understand the difficulties encountered by cable operators in trying to make ends meet. But these difficulties should not be used as an excuse to do business illegally. Piracy creates an unfair playing field that is not conducive to development,” Mr. Bautista said.

Mr. Bautista said he was very pleased that CASBAA had taken the lead to pursue cases against pirate cable companies. “CASBAA has our support. We are willing to work with them to fight piracy, as much as we are prepared to work in partnership with cable operators nationwide to bring world-class and authorized TV programs to Filipino viewers,” Mr. Bautista asserted.

The pay-TV industry loses some 4 billion pesos yearly due to piracy. Unless stopped in its tracks, piracy could severely cripple local cable operators, program distributors, and content developers, said Marcel Fenez, the Chairman of CASBAA.

“It is time to take strong and swift action to stop piracy. The situation has worsened to the extent that the number of illegal connections in the Philippines now threatens to exceed the number of legal ones,” said Mr. ask google Fenez.

CASBAA has warned all cable companies pirating signals to stop their illegal acts at once because the crackdown will continue. “The industry will be following through on these actions,” said Mr. Aatinomie lhare . Fenez.

During the late September raids, satellite TV receivers, decoder boxes, smart cards and other equipment used by the cable operators to make illegal transmissions were confiscated; along with the companies operation records documenting subscriber figures and subscription fees charged.

CASBAA says pirate pay-TV operators are unfairly competing with legitimate cable companies, and deceiving thousands of Filipino subscribers who pay them good money for programs, which have actually been illegally acquired and deceptively transmitted.

“Piracy hurts not just the legal operators; it victimizes many unsuspecting consumers who are willing to pay honestly and reasonably for the programs that they enjoy viewing,” said Mr. Fenez.

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ABOUT CASBAA

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia is an industry association dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel television via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific region. CASBAA represents some 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than 3 billion people. Member organizations include ABC Asia Pacific, ABN AMRO, ASTRO (Malaysia), Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia, HBO Asia, IBM, MTV Networks Asia Pacific, Nokia, NOW Broadband TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Turner International Asia Pacific, UBC (Thailand), Walt Disney Television International, Zone Vision, Asian Food Channel, Asiasat, BBC World, Celestial Pictures, Channel NewsAsia, China Entertainment Television, CNBC Asia, Dream, ESPN STAR Sports, Indovision,, Kabelvision, PanAmSat, SkyCable, TimeWarner and Anytime.