Hong Kong, 28 September 2011 – CASBAA today released its Regulating for Growth 2011 analysis and compendium of Asian pay-TV rules and regulations.
“The objective of the study is to highlight the fact that effective regulation results in stronger market growth and the direction in which governments must move in order to tap that economic potential,” said Marcel Fenez, Chairman, CASBAA.
Among the key findings of this third edition of the study is that even-handed market-friendly regulation results in economic stimulus, provides consumer benefit and supports creative industries. However, if the pay-TV sector in Asia is to continue to create and distribute great content in the future, it cannot operate based on a policy framework designed for a previously analogue era.
As an industry advocate, part of CASBAA’s role is to provide national regulators with context for their policies based on experiences in the rest of Asia and around the world. With Regulating for Growth 2011, CASBAA benchmarks the operating environment in 14 Asian markets measuring industry economic value against regulatory effectiveness.
Regulating for Growth, which CASBAA releases every three years, notes that while policies in selected markets are improving – becoming more market-friendly, pro-competition and pro-growth – regulatory policies in other markets are increasingly outdated.
In some cases governments appear unable to cope with the development of an entertainment industry that reaches consumers through an ever-growing number of platforms (IPTV, high-speed internet, digital cable, high-powered satellite etc.) and devices (connected TVs, mobile TV handsets, iPads etc.).
“When governments respond to advances in technology by tightening bureaucratic controls, they threaten growth of all kinds,” said Fenez. ”Asia now has clear examples of market distortions and regulatory failure and there is increasing risk that the industry will experience more pressure as the sector grows and becomes higher profile.”
CASBAA promotes clear, understandable and easily implemented regulations across Asia and the further development of Intellectual Property rights, including online.
“CASBAA’s goal is to support an industry that shapes its own competitive business model without undue government intrusion, such as wholesale and consumer rate regulation and constraints on the development of compelling programming, the greatest strength of pay-TV,” added Fenez. “The Asian regulatory environment needs to be open – open to the flow of ideas, open to the development of great programming and open to investment from within the region and the rest of the world.”
For more information on Regulating for Growth, please visit:http://www.casbaa.com/rfg2011
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About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com
Established in 1991, CASBAA is the Association for digital multichannel TV, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery across Asia for the past two decades. Spanning 16 geographic markets, CASBAA and its Members reach over 365 million pay-TV homes through a footprint ranging from China to Australasia, Japan to Pakistan. The CASBAA mission is to promote the growth of multichannel TV and video content through industry information, networking exchanges and events while promoting global best practices. To view the full list of CASBAA members please visit here.
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