CASBAA release – CASBAA welcomes Thailand’s global pay-TV model

Hong Kong, 8 October, 2009 – The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today welcomed the implementation of the standard dual-revenue model for pay-TV services in Thailand.

“With the Mass Communications Organization of Thailand (MCOT) allowing TrueVisions to carry commercials in accordance with existing Thai law the process of normalization is complete,” said CASBAA CEO Simon Twiston Davies.

Advertising may now appear on TrueVisions’ full bouquet of international and domestic channels, in line with the regulations covering the other Thai free and pay-TV channels.

Twiston Davies noted that prior to the 2007 approval of the Broadcasting and Television Business Act, Thailand was the only country in Asia where pay-TV advertising was totally prohibited.

“It was an anomalous situation. Even international advertising had to be replaced by a static billboard. Consumers, the channels and the pay-TV operators all disliked it.”

The passage of the Broadcasting and Television Business Act set the stage for today’s move by MCOT to implement the law.

“The move to a dual revenue stream advances the modernization of Thailand’s pay-TV industry,” said Twiston Davies, “and everybody in the value chain benefits: consumers, operators and government.”

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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 TV via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia-Pacific), Genesis Networks, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment, Macquarie Group, MTV Networks Asia, NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, SES WORLD SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television, STAR Group, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Tom Group, TrueVisions, Turner International Asia Pacific and VOOM HD Networks Asia. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

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For enquiries, please contact:

Rita Vannithone
Director Marketing & Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9940
Email: rita@casbaa.com

Helen Shek
Manager Communications, CASBAA
Tel: +852 2854 9943
Email: helen@casbaa.com

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