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Tag: AsiaSat

  • AsiaSat to launch UHD broadcast initiative in Asia

    AsiaSat to launch UHD broadcast initiative in Asia

    MUMBAI: Satellite operator Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) is planning to deploy Asia’s first dedicated Ultra HD (UHD) broadcast platform in the next few months.

     

    Initially using a C-band transponder on AsiaSat 4 at 122°E, the UHD platform, based on DVB- S2 and HEVC solutions, will be able to deliver two – five full time UHD channels. Transmissions will be in a free to air format, available for reception by terrestrial TV stations, pay TV platforms and home viewers across Asia which possess appropriate decoding equipment and a C-band antenna as small as 2.4 meters.

     

    AsiaSat president and CEO William Wade said, “UHD is gaining momentum in Asia with UHD TV sets readily available and affordable. However, there is still a lack of UHD content and consumer receivers in Asia. AsiaSat is proud to play a key role in UHD content delivery in Asia with the launch of this new UHD broadcast platform. We are committed to working closely with content and technology partners to make the delivery economics work for UHD broadcasting in this part of the world.”

     

    “The adoption of UHD will continue to be driven by consumers’ increasing demand for improved picture quality for sports and movies. Upcoming major sporting events such as the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the 2018 FIFA World Cup are expected to be key drivers for the adoption of UHD. We look forward to supporting the UHD transmissions of these events on AsiaSat 4 and our future AsiaSat 9 satellite that is designed to meet the higher throughput requirements of UHD broadcasting,” he added.

     

    “As Asia’s premier satellite operator for over 25 years, AsiaSat has always strived to be at the forefront of advancing satellite communications. We are well positioned to work with our partners to introduce more exciting TV services to Asia,” Wade further said.

     

    The UHD Research Laboratory was established at AsiaSat’s Tai Po Earth Station in Hong Kong. This initiative is aimed at promoting and incubating the reception of UHD content under the AsiaSat footprint. The Lab is tasked to evaluate UHD solutions including the technical compatibility of satellite reception and transmission, playout and compression technologies, as well as content providers. Over the past few months, tests were successfully conducted on various HEVC encoding equipment, including off-air and real-time transcoding of channels at various bit rates.

  • Beyond the Box – CASBAA Convention 2014

    Beyond the Box – CASBAA Convention 2014

    MUMBAI: CASBAA’s highly anticipated annual multichannel TV industry convention will take place from October 27-30, 2014 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. A popular stop on the Asia Pacific broadcasting calendar, this year’s event will explore the theme “Beyond the Box.”

     

    Reflecting the evolution of the television industry, this year’s CASBAA Convention theme looks at what the future holds for broadcasting – while never losing sight of the core business of linear TV.

     

    “At its most basic level, “the box” refers to the traditional television set that sits in the living room – or, more likely today, is mounted on a wall,” said Christopher Slaughter, CEO, CASBAA. “Linear TV is still a major industry driver in the Asia Pacific, but we are seeing the proliferation of new technologies and new platforms that are providing consumers with innovative viewing options “beyond the box.”

     

    “In order to take advantage of these new opportunities, it is imperative to explore different business models and strategies that will encompass these alternate revenue streams,” added Slaughter. “In short, it is time to start thinking outside of the box!”

     

    Key topics to be covered at the major sessions during the convention will include developments in over-the-top (OTT) TV services, opportunities for members in the mobile broadcasting space, as well as ultra-high-definition “4K” television, and innovation in transmission and broadcast technology and its implications for the industry. Sports issues – including rights, exclusivity and licensing – and broadcast news will also be major subjects explored at this year’s event.

     

    On hand to tackle these issues will be a world class roster of respected industry thought leaders including Jon Feltheimer, CEO, Lionsgate; Victor Koo, Chairman & CEO, Youku Tudou; Andrew Rashbass, Chief Executive of Reuters, Thomson Reuters; Tom Mockridge, CEO, Virgin Media; Peter Limbourg, Director General, Duetsche Welle; Barry Cupples, Global CEO, Investment, OMG; David Haslingden, CEO, NHNZ; Jim Samples, President, International, Scripps; Sam Blackman, CEO, Elemental Technologies; Dr. Justin Chuang, VP & Group Director, Communications Technologies Group, ASTRI; and, many others.

     

    Outside the Main Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt, where plenary sessions take place, there will be plenty of opportunities for members and delegates to get together at the newly revamped exhibition space which will feature display booths and networking lounges.

     

    Sponsors for the CASBAA Convention 2014 include ABS, APT Satellite, ARRIS, AsiaSat, Australia News Channel, Bloomberg, Conax, Deutsche Welle, Elemental Technologies, FRANCE 24, InvestHK, Irdeto, ITV, MEASAT, now TV, Playboy Plus Entertainment, PwC, SES, Time Warner, TrueVisions and TV5MONDE.

     

    For further information about the CASBAA Convention 2014, please visit www.casbaaconvention.com.

  • CASBAA asks FM, I&B to roll back increased royalty on foreign satellite operators

    CASBAA asks FM, I&B to roll back increased royalty on foreign satellite operators

    NEW DELHI: The Cable and Satellite Broadcasters Association of Asia (CASBAA) has urged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to withdraw the royalties imposed on foreign satellite operators (FSO) by the Finance Act 2012 and 2013 and let the matter be settled by the Supreme Court which is presently hearing a matter in this regard.

     

    The Delhi High Court had in January 2011 held in the case of Asia Satellite Telecommunications company Limited (AsiaSat) that the charges received by the Hong Kong based FSO from its customers for provision of transponder capacity cannot be characterised as ‘royalties’ under the Income Tax Act as it stood prior to the amendment in 20l2. It was held by the court that the equipment was used by the FSOs to provide a service to their customers and so the question of royalty taxation did not arise.

     

    The memorandum by CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter says that this view of the High Court was in conformity with the international jurisprudence and model commentaries issued by international tax bodies and renowned jurists / authors and was also followed in case of other FSOs by the High Court and Income Tax Appellate Tribunals.

     

    However, the memorandum sent to Jaitley with a copy to Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Prakash Javadekar points out that the matter has become sub judice as Income Tax authorities have filed an appeal against this judgment in the Supreme Court.

     

    I&B Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that CASBAA has also protested the rise in royalty under the Finance Act 2013 from 10 per cent to 25 per cent as it is not reasonable in view of the competitive margins earned by the industry players. The Association wants the Minister to roll back this increase so that the tax rates are made ‘friendlier’ and both the operators and consumers can benefit from a rational tax regime.

     

    It is stated that a majority of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) that India has entered into provide for a tax rate (on gross basis) on royalties and fees or technical services of 10 per cent.

     

    Thus, taking a holistic view from the point of alignment with the DTAAs and internationally accepted tax rates, the rate of 25 per cent is highly unjust and implies that FSOs are earning high revenues from India which is not the case.

     

    Furthermore, any such step to increase tax rates is not right as the matter is sub judice in the Supreme Court. It not only makes the services ‘cost ineffective’ but hits the ultimate Indian end consumers.

     

    Slaughter points out that India’s participation in the global network of satellite communication is growing and any such move by the Indian Government to tax FSOs may also drive policy-makers of other nations to adopt similar measures for taxing payments flowing into India from foreign jurisdictions. 

  • AsiaSat 7 replaces the ageing AsiaSat 3S today

    AsiaSat 7 replaces the ageing AsiaSat 3S today

    MUMBAI: In early October 2010, Asian satellite service provider, AsiaSat, and International Launch Services (ILS) had announced a contract for the launch of the AsiaSat 7 satellite on an ILS Proton.

    AsiaSat 7 was configured as a replacement satellite for AsiaSat 3S, one of AsiaSat‘s flagship satellites, operating at the orbital location of 105.5°E. AsiaSat 7 will carry 28 C-band and 17 Ku-band transponders, and a Ka-band payload. Its region-wide high power C-band beam covers Asia, the Middle East, Australasia and Central Asia, with Ku-band beams serving East Asia, South Asia and a steerable Ku beam.

    According to plan, the AsiaSat 7 satellite was successfully launched in Hong Kong on November 26, 2011, on an ILS Proton Breeze M launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Nine hours and 13 minutes after lift-off, AsiaSat 7 successfully separated from the launch vehicle. Over the next few days, the satellite will arrive at the geostationary orbit, some 36,000 km above the Equator.sia

    “With AsiaSat 7 successfully launched well ahead of the planned date for AsiaSat 3S‘s replacement, we can assure continuity of service to customers, while at the same time, adding to our on-orbit capacity to service new business,” said AsiaSat president, CEO William Wade, in a press statement earlier. “With this launch opportunity on the ILS Proton, we are continuing our replacement strategy to provide continuity of services to our current and potential new customers across Asia, Middle East, CIS and Australasia. We know that we can count on the professionalism of ILS and Khrunichev for a successful launch for AsiaSat 7.”

    While AsiaSat 3S was launched on March 21, 1999, as a replacement for the ageing AsiaSat 1 in May of that year, AsiaSat 7 marked the launch of the fourth AsiaSat satellite on ILS Proton, the 20th Space Systems/Loral Satellite launched on ILS Proton, and the 69th ILS Proton launch overall.

    AsiaSat 7 is similar to AsiaSat 3S, and has been designed with a 15-year design life and will offer enhanced power and coverage at orbital location 105.5°E.

    As for AsiaSat 3S, it currently beams some of the popular channels in India which include: Zee TV, Star Plus, Star Utsav, Sahara One, Sahara Filmy, Sahara Firangi, Sahara Samay, 9X Media, 9X Jalwa, Big RTL Thrill, Big Magic, Big CBS Spark, B4U Movies, B4U Music and ETC Bollywood, among others.

    AsiaSat’s business continues to be affected by The Finance Act passed in India in May 2012. The Act taxes revenue generated from the provision of satellite transponder capacity to Indian customers and any non-Indian customers considered to have earned income from any business or source in India.

    The Indian government approved in its budget an increase of the royalty withholding tax rate from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, effective from 1 April 2013. Nevertheless, as stated in previous reports, the amount of AsiaSat’s revenue considered to be Indian sourced, and thus taxable in India, is still under discussion as of the date of this report. The increase in the tax rate will have a negative impact on its future business, and to remain competitive in the market, AsiaSat may make pricing adjustments which could negatively impact its margins in the coming financial year.

    In other major announcements by AsiaSat, the company indicated in its operational highlights for the financial year 2014-15 that two of its other satellites, AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8, are on schedule and will launch in mid-2014 to provide new C and Ku-band capacity for business growth. Also, the commencement of the preliminary design phase for AsiaSat 9, the replacement for AsiaSat 4 in 2017, will provide new coverage and services at 122?E.

    AsiaSat chairman Sherwood P. Dodge said in a company statement: “Acquiring new business in 2014 will remain a top priority. Our expanding satellite fleet and reputation for providing quality and reliable satellite capacity, together with our commitment to our customers puts us in an excellent position to develop new business opportunities. The market remains highly competitive, but I believe our able management team and our high-quality services will enable us to move the business forward in 2014.”

  • SES, SpeedCast and AsiaSat come together to help Typhoon Haiyan survivors

    SES, SpeedCast and AsiaSat come together to help Typhoon Haiyan survivors

    MUMBAI: SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), SpeedCast, a leading satellite telecommunications service provider in Asia-Pacific, and AsiaSat, a commercial operator of communication spacecraft, have donated satellite and service capacity to enable NetHope, a consortium of 41 non-governmental organisations around the globe, to re-establish communication links to survivors of Typhoon Haiyan that killed at least 6,069 people in that country alone earlier in November 2013.

    Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines was an exceptionally powerful tropical cyclone that devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. It is said to be the deadliest Philippine typhoon on record.

    By utilising the satellite capacity donated by SES and the uplink services and ground infrastructure provided by SpeedCast and AsiaSat, NetHope will be able to provide Typhoon Haiyan survivors access to information directly. The services and infrastructure will also support a number of other relief agencies and NGOs working in-country. 

    “Damage to critical telecommunications infrastructure has made disaster relief and rapid assessment of the situation difficult. Given that it may be weeks or months before terrestrial infrastructure is up and running, satellite connectivity is vital in providing immediate communication needs. SES is pleased to donate satellite capacity to support the people of the Philippines during their recovery from this terrible disaster,” said senior vice president, Commercial Americas at SES Elias Zaccack.

    SES is the world’s leading satellite operator with a fleet of 55 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.

    “SpeedCast, SES and AsiaSat are providing vital aid directly to the areas that need it most with the help of NetHope. Since the Typhoon hit and we activated our response services, NetHope is now able to assist the relief efforts with communication services that can reach the most remote parts of the country,” said CEO of SpeedCast Pierre-Jean Beylier.

    “AsiaSat is pleased to take part in this initiative by offering uplink services from our Tai Po Earth Station. This effort in cooperation with our partners, will establish communication links needed to assist Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in the Philippines,” remarked AsiaSat president and chief executive officer William Wade.

    The GVF’s Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Response Programs helped to facilitate this combined industry response to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. For more information, please refer to the press release attached. If you would like to speak to an SES spokesperson, please let me know.

  • Casbaa adds Todd Miller and William Wade to board of directors

    Casbaa adds Todd Miller and William Wade to board of directors

    MUMBAI: Casbaa, the Asia Pacific multichannel TV association, has announced the election of Celestial Tiger Entertainment CEO Todd Miller and AsiaSat president and CEO William Wade to the board of directors.

    Re-elected as chairman of Casbaa was Marcel Fenez, global leader, entertainment & media practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and re-elected for additional terms on the board were PCCW TV and New Media MD Janice Lee and GroupM APAC CEO Mark Patterson.

    “We are delighted to welcome William Wade and to have Todd Miller return to the Casbaa board of directors. With their vast experience and wide-ranging knowledge of the multichannel TV landscape in the region, Miller and Wade will prove to be invaluable in helping chart the future of the association,” said Casbaa chairman Marcel Fenez. “We are also pleased to have the continued support of Lee and Patterson whose contributions to the governance of the association has been an integral part of our success.”

    Celestial Tiger Entertainment CEO Todd Miller is responsible for driving the company’s core businesses of branded pay-TV channels, content creation and content distribution across Asia and beyond. Prior to joining Celestial Tiger Entertainment, Miller spent 17 years at Sony Pictures Television, where he last served as executive VP, Networks, Asia-Pacific, overseeing and managing over 25 television networks and channel investments in the region. Miller has previously served two terms on the board of directors of Casbaa.

    William Wade was appointed as CEO on 1 August 2010 to lead AsiaSat, with his title changed to president and CEO from 1 January 2011.  Prior to assuming his role as CEO, he had served as AsiaSat’s deputy CEO for 16 years. Wade has over 26 years of experience in the satellite and cable television industry. Prior to joining AsiaSat in April 1994, he was with Hutchison Whampoa, as director of business development for Pan Asian Systems, and was in charge of all sales and regional operations.

    Miller and Wade will be replacing retiring members Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific) SVP & MD Robert Gilby and Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific president and MD Steve Marcopoto.

    Added Fenez: “On behalf of the board of directors, council of governors and the executive office, Casbaa would also like to recognise the incredible efforts and hard work of both Robert Gilby and Steve Marcopoto. Their guidance and dedication to the evolution of the association will be greatly missed.”

  • Three Pakistani channels to be distributed on AsiaSat 3S

    Three Pakistani channels to be distributed on AsiaSat 3S

    MUMBAI: Asia’s leading satellite operator, Asia Satellite Telecommunications (AsiaSat) announced that LEO Television Network of Pakistan has commenced distributing three television channels on AsiaSat 3S. The services include multilingual Pakistani filmy channel Filmazia; Urdu language, south Asian movie channel film World and Pashto and Urdu-language infotainment channel Aruj TV.

    Filmazia, started in 2005, has a large collection of Pakistani films in all regional languages including national Urdu, movie soundtracks and celebrity interviews. film World is a pay movies channel dedicated to providing an array of south Asian cinema to local viewers in Pakistan. Aruj TV, an infotainment channel designed especially for Pashtun people, offers a wide variety of premium content, from news, drama, movies, and talk shows to social and cultural programmes.

    We are excited to make this major move to expand our reach and access new audience. AsiaSat 3S offers the most attractive premium video neighborhood in Asia and is widely regarded as Asia’s most popular broadcast platform for the South Asian community. Partnering with AsiaSat has put us in a strategically advantageous position to grow our penetration and expand our services across the region,” said LEO Television Network CEO Muhammad Abid.

    We are very pleased that LEO Television Network selected AsiaSat for further expansion of its viewership in the Asia Pacific. We see an increasing interest from premium broadcasters in Asia to capture a wider audience by moving to a satellite that offers instant access to the widest range of pay TV networks for their local and overseas target markets,” said AsiaSat president and CEO William Wade.

  • Raj TV: commendable FY 2013 results; in investment mode

    Raj TV: commendable FY 2013 results; in investment mode

    MUMBAI: Higher ad rates and subscription revenues helped give a leg up to southern broadcaster Raj Television Network in FY 2013 ended 31 March 2013, even though its performance in Q4 2013 was relatively disappointing. Net profit for FY 2013 rose marginally to Rs 9.28 crore as against Rs 9.21 crore. However, net profit in Q4 2013 took a nosedive to Rs 53.28 lakh as against Rs 4.65 crore in the previous corresponding year’s quarter.

    Let us look at the Q4-2013 financials as against Q4-2012

    Revenue for Q4-2013 at Rs 17.47 crore, has risen 9.7 per cent as against Rs 15.92 crore in Q4-2012. Expenses have however increased significantly by 42 cent to Rs 15.22 crore in Q4-2013 as against Rs 10.73 crore in Q4-2012. Finance costs have more than doubled from Rs 66.66 lakh in Q4-2012 to Rs 1.51 crore in Q4 2013. The company says this happened on account of its launching new regional language channels, the fruits of which will accrue to its balance-sheet in the coming year.

    As mentioned above the net profit for Q4-2013 is down to a dismal figure of Rs 53.28 lacs as against a strong Rs 4.65 crore reported in the corresponding last quarter.

    Let us look at the FY-2013 results as against FY-2012

    Annual revenues at Rs 67.53 crore for FY-2013 have significantly climbed up by over 24 per cent as against Rs 54.06 crore in FY-2012. Advertisement and subscription and DTH revenues too are up 13 per cent and by 32.5 per cent respectively.

    Expenses have surged 26 plus per cent to Rs 54.74 crore in FY-2013 as against Rs 43.01 crores in FY-2012. The sharp rise is accounted for a spike in the cost of revenues to Rs 28.3 crore as against Rs 18.23 crore in FY-2012. The company says its production costs skyrocketed because its shifted its telecasts from Insat to a Asiasat 5. This resulted in its overall satellite rent bumping up to Rs 4.3 crore in FY 2013.

    PAT in FY-2013 as mentioned above stand at Rs 9.28 crore as against Rs 9.21 crore in FY-2012. For the full year, its foray into new regional channels, saw its financial costs ballooning by Rs 2 crore which dented its bottomline.

    The board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 1 per share on the face value of Rs 10 per share. Investors obviously seem bullish on the stock, despite its relatively poor Q4 performance. The Raj TV stock closed at an all time high of Rs 301.85 on 28 May.

  • Afghan channel Zhwandoon TV to be beamed via AsiaSat 3S

    Afghan channel Zhwandoon TV to be beamed via AsiaSat 3S

    MUMBAI: Asia Satellite Telecommunications (AsiaSat) has signed a lease agreement with Zhwandoon Radio Television Network of Afghanistan for C-band capacity on AsiaSat 3S to distribute Zhwandoon TV.

    Zhwandoon TV has commenced free-to-air broadcasting on AsiaSat 3S, offering programming in the Pashto and Dari languages, with content ranging from news, entertainment, sports, music, religious to social, educational and political programmes.
     
    Through AsiaSat 3S‘s access across the Asia Pacific, Zhwandoon TV will reach all broadcast networks and audiences in Afghanistan besides Central Asia, Middle East, South Asia and other parts of Asia Pacific.

    “We are excited to put our service on AsiaSat 3S that delivers our programming effectively to the entire country and takes our services abroad, serving overseas audience in more 50 countries and regions across the Asia Pacific. AsiaSat 3S is the region‘s most popular satellite for programme distribution. Its excellent penetration into rebroadcast networks in our country and in Asia will help increase our local and overseas viewership,” said Zhwandoon TV Chief Executive Professor Mohammad Ismael Yoon.

    “We are very pleased to announce the addition of Zhwandoon TV to AsiaSat 3S‘s exciting portfolio of Pashto and Dari language programming. AsiaSat 3S‘s leading position in distributing a wide range of programming to an audience of different cultures in Asia is well recognised and appreciated by broadcasters from all over the world,” said AsiaSat President and CEO William Wade.

  • AsiaSat signs long-term contract with EBU

    AsiaSat signs long-term contract with EBU

    MUMBAI: Asia Satellite Telecommunications, Asia‘s leading satellite operator, has signed long-term contract renewals with European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world‘s leading alliance of public service media organizations, for two C-band transponders on AsiaSat 5.

    Furthermore, a new contract was signed to secure additional AsiaSat 5 capacity to support EBU‘s substantial growth of media content delivery services in the Asia-Pacific region.

    These contracts confirm and further extend the existing long-standing relationship between the two companies, which began in 1999.

    AsiaSat 5 is now an integral part of the EBU‘s global content delivery network which distributes entertainment, culture and music content, and live sports and news events such as the Olympics, World Cup, and the Uefa Champions League from Europe and across Asia.

    The EBU will continue to use AsiaSat 5 to serve its members and media organizations with top quality broadcast services, while the capacity expansion is set to boost its ability to meet the growing demand for content distribution in the Asia region.

    EBU Network Director Graham Warren said, "Our relationship with AsiaSat has been a long and fruitful one, and we are pleased to further strengthen this valued partnership through these renewed and new contracts. AsiaSat has been and remains a steadfast partner for EBU. We look forward to continuing to work with AsiaSat to provide professional and high-quality services to the media community in a reliable and cost-effective way."

    "We are proud to have established an enduring relationship with EBU which is built on the proven performance and reliability of our satellite products and services. We are pleased to see that our successful collaboration will continue for many years to come. We thank the EBU for their trust and the opportunity to continue providing the service quality and flexibility needed to meet their expansion objectives," said AsiaSat President and CEO William Wade.