9 August, 2013

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Aug 9th. Curated by CASBAA’s staff, News Views carries on in the tradition of Market Watch to keep you in the loop. We always value your feedback, so tell us what you think!

Christopher Slaughter CEO	We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again… the quality of television programming is better these days than ever before, thanks to Pay TV. In terms of where the talent wants to be, TV has taken the place of the movies, at least as far as the writers are concerned. And while we’re on the subject of the new “Golden Age of Television,” although The Guardian thinks it might almost be over, a recent book says it’s actually the “Third Golden Age.” And yes, the gold is a bit darker… more ambitious… and decidedly more complicated.
Jill Grinda Executive Vice President	Neilsen’s research confirms what the industry has suspected for some time: Twitter drives tune-in, especially for live, linear television programming. So keep tweeting and we’ll keep watching!
John Medeiros Chief Policy Officer	Macau Operators Sign Content Distribution Deal: Macau’s legitimate cable-TV operator and the 14 unlicensed “antenna companies” have been pressured by the government into signing a content distribution deal. The government was facing a ticking clock to come to a solution, after an appeal court ordered the antenna companies (which serve 75% of Macau’s households) to cease broadcasting content on their own by early September. Under the new arrangement, Macau Cable TV will allow the antenna companies to redistribute a 40-channel subset of MCTV’s content bouquet. Work on interconnecting the various systems has begun. Meanwhile, pressure is growing on the government to end the MCTV (theoretical) exclusive franchise when the concession contract expires in April 2014.
Mandy Wu Regulatory Assistant	If we ever really needed to justify our love for television, this report helps illustrate 10 reasons why we (namely the British here) are watching more TV. For me, the wide selection of international shows and reality TV at the click of a button definitely keeps me hooked on my home TV.
Sara Madera Director, Member Relations & Marketing	Think there is only money to be lost to by investing in Broadway? Think again. Hollywood studios are increasing putting up money to mount shows on the Great White Way in hopes for a return similar to Universal’s $3 billion gross from Wicked. While they are still working on their formula for turning movies into a theatre success (Did you see Dirty Dancing here in Hong Kong?), it seems that it’s a win: win for both studios, who find theatre more cost effective than movies, and theatre producers, who appreciate one large investor over many smaller checks. Movies turned musicals are here to stay.
Jane Buckthought Advertising Consultant	Rival or Partner: Facebook and Twitter are stepping up their efforts to increase their share of the global TV ad budget as technical developments begin to enable advertisers to target people who use digital devices while watching TV.
Mandy Wu Regulatory Assistant	During your TV program, do you “mesh” (engaging in activities related to your program) or “stack” (engaging in activities unrelated to your program)? OFCOM illustrates in its new research that we are watching more TV than ever, alongside our “media multi-tasking” devices on hand.