Christopher Slaughter
CEO
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China’s media watchdog, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film & Television (SAPPRFT) is banning plug-in software that allows Chinese viewers to access foreign TV shows via the Internet, making good on its pledge to “strike hard” to ensure national security by blocking illegal television & Internet content. To the extent that some of these services were providing access to pirated content, we welcome the crackdown, even though users are hating it; to the extent that it represents a further tightening of SAPPRFT’s control over the online video space, we’re understandably less enthused. One other thing makes us grumpy: it seems the measures will have no effect on the export boxes which nourish piracy ecosystems around the world. We wish the Chinese government would crack down on the pirate box export industry, rather than internal uses! |
John Medeiros
Chief Policy Officer
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Telstra wants to ensure customer stickiness and to do that they’re going to have to start developing their content offering, according to the soon-to-depart head of their pay-TV operation. Meanwhile, Optus won the English Premier League rights for Australia, replicating the victory of Optus’ parent, Singtel, in the Singapore market. I’’m betting the Optus EPL win means the folks at Fox Sports will be working hard to develop the local A league soccer, which is available at much more convenient times for Aussie fans. |
Mark Lay
Vice President, Singapore
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Mark your calendars as there will be a year-end CASBAA Cocktails in Singapore on December 1. Check your inbox for details coming soon. And during those cocktails, I am sure that we will be debating Facebook is the Internet and 13 Other Things that Media People Debate at Dinner Over Drinks. My faves: #5 To get to massive scale, a paid streaming video business has to get there through a non-digital backdoor, #6 For a glimpse of the future of video, look at Crunchyroll and, #8 “If you’ve got an audience, you’ll make money” is nonsense. Cheers. |
Anjan Mitra
Executive Director, India
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After the initial euphoria, it’s time for examining the slip between the cup and the lip. And, it seems the gap between the slips (if one uses a cricket analogy) is enough to let go of catches. If existing cross-services restrictions and lack of total control (in case of TV news venture) is considered, Indian government’s recently-announced relaxed FDI norms for media sector has made many players keep the champagne bottles back in the freezer. Or, so it seems if private conversations and media reports are to be believed. Though a recurring theme in media is whether Rupert Murdoch would re-enter TV news biz in India with 49% FDI, some commentators are cautiously optimistic. And, the print medium, left untouched by such relaxations, are scurrying to read any message between the lines, while remaining divided over foreign investments. |
Christopher Slaughter
CEO
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At the risk that we spend too much time thinking about these things, after the latest round of earnings reports on Wall Street, there’s been a lot of discussion about the “prisoner’s dilemma” that selling content to Netflix presents media companies. And while there is certainly a diversity of competing points of view out there, it’s fair to say that companies in all forms of media face similar questions in a world increasingly dominated by massive digital platforms. |
John Medeiros
Chief Policy Officer
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In Taipei, discussions on new TV regulatory legislation continue. Chinese-language press reports say that the amount of price regulation has figured in the talks; NCC proposals call for maintenance of price controls on a basic tier, but (maybe some) greater pricing freedom at higher tiers. |
Yegee Chun
Regulatory Assistant
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South Korea’s Ministry of ICT, Science, and Future Planning (MSIP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the NBTC in Thailand to formalize their mutual commitment to launching an international collaborative program. As part of its Global Cooperation initiative, the MSIP strives to work with South Asian countries to strengthen their emerging broadcasting infrastructure. With the signing of the MOU, the MSIP hopes to further advance Korean content distribution in Thailand, where demand for South Korean content has been surging in recent years, as well as improve joint human resources in the broadcasting sector and create opportunities for joint film production. MSIP also stated that a similar MOU with Vietnam is currently undergoing negotiation. |
Kevin Jennings
Programme Director
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Some entertaining, if perhaps confusing, news from Sydney this week where it was announced that Australia will compete for the second time in the Eurovision song contest next year. Traditionally the winner of the contest hosts the following year, but if Australia won, the 2017 contest would still take place in Europe and Australia’s SBS would co-host with a European public broadcaster. According to the European Broadcasting Union the jury is still out on whether Australia would become a permanent participant. Last year “nul points” aficionado and Eurovsion’s UK host Graham Norton described the inclusion of Australia as “a nonsense”. But then this is the Eurovision Song Contest, so who was expecting anything else? |
John Medeiros
Chief Policy Officer
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The “dueling studies” concerning re-allocation of satellite C-band for mobile systems continue to reverberate, at the WRC in Geneva. |
Mark Lay
Vice President, Singapore
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People in the TV business often look for lessons from what happened with the music industry. It’s fine to understand what hasn’t worked well, but it’s more fun to look at what is working well. Best to read “Lessons from the PC video game industry” when your mind is in a creative state. “What the PC game industry figured out is that in a world of abundant media, users have endless choices; instead of fighting for scarcity, fight for attention. Maximize user engagement and money will — with enough experiments — inevitably follow.” It may be time to start embracing experiments. |
Anjan Mitra
Executive Director, India
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India’s space agency, ISRO, has stepped on the launch and communications pedal, it seems. Though domestic users of satellite services and real-time data highlight the continued supply shortage of Ku-band transponders on Indian satellites, capacity on foreign satellites remain idle. Government had indicated probable overhauling of over a decade-old satcom policy in 2014, but PM Modi’s government, trying to make India a preferred investment destination and make a Digital India dream come true, in early 2015 nixed Hughes’ plans to invest in a private sector satellite system, media reported. Are we imagining a disconnect? |
John Medeiros
Chief Policy Officer
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Here’s an interesting little piece, which explains the difference between 4K and UHD video. It turns out that a lot of stuff being sold as “4K” isn’t really that – it’s UHD. |
Anjan Mitra
Executive Director, India
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Even as India’s MIB and broadcast carriage regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) grapple with pulls and pressures of setting norms for Net Neutrality and OTT services, another OTT player may surface. German media company Da Vinci Media, in collaboration with Raghav Bahl’s Quintillion Media, said it has plans to launch an OTT platform. It’s high time regulator and government clear a regulatory maze, industry feels. |
