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  • CASBAA Singapore appoints Mark Lay as vice president

    CASBAA Singapore appoints Mark Lay as vice president

    MUMBAI: CASBAA has announced the appointment of Mark Lay to the newly created position of vice president, CASBAA Singapore.

     

    “We are excited to welcome Mark to the CASBAA family and to represent the Association in Singapore,” said CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter. “His thorough knowledge and understanding of Asia’s multichannel TV industry and successful track record in senior management will help CASBAA build its membership base and shape its future strategy.”

     

    Reporting directly to the CEO, Lay will promote the entire range of CASBAA’s products, services and events to relevant member companies, and ensure members’ needs and expectations are met by the Association. As VP, CASBAA Singapore, he will also maintain and expand relationships with assigned strategic and potential members and represent CASBAA in the increasingly important Singapore market.

     

    Lay gained his broadcast industry experience through previous roles in distribution and marketing with Star and as VP affiliate sales and relations at Discovery Channel Asia. He has also held director level positions at Mikoishi Studios and Acme Mobile and was most recently a Private Investor at Lay Financial in Singapore.

     

    “It’s great to be back in the pay television business and I am looking forward to reconnecting with previous colleagues and clients along with forging strong connections with new players as well,” said Lay. “Working with CASBAA is a role within the industry that is new to me but one which I am very excited to embrace.”

  • Vietnam in View 2014 Emerging Market focus of Next CASBAA

    Vietnam in View 2014 Emerging Market focus of Next CASBAA

    MUMBAI: CASBAA is bringing into focus the dynamic Vietnamese multichannel TV landscape at Vietnam in View 2014, a special market forum taking place on Thursday 11 September at the Hotel de l’Opera in Hanoi.

     

    “As the engine room of global pay-TV growth, the Asia Pacific has a number of markets with huge room for expansion – and none more so than Vietnam,” said Christopher Slaughter, CEO, CASBAA. “With over 42 per cent of the population below the age of 25 and an improving standard of living, the climate is ripe for continuing multichannel TV growth – with the right conditions.”

     

    A country of vast potential and promise, Vietnam’s economic expansion over recent years has seen impressive growth in the country’s pay TV services, now available on cable, digital terrestrial, satellite, IPTV and mobile platforms. However, with total TV households at 20.3 million and pay-TV penetration at 61 per cent (12.4 million households), there are still opportunities for the multichannel TV industry in the country.  

     

    To shed some light on the current situation in Vietnam and what the future may hold for the broadcasting industry, CASBAA has assembled a top-tier roster of speakers representing both local and international businesses including 21st Century Fox, VTV, HTV, Dream Field Studio (HTV3), FOX International Channels, K+/VSTV, Le Media Studio, Lightning International, MyTV, Q.net, Scripps Networks International, Thao Le Entertainment, VNPayTV Association, and many others.

     

    Starting with an in-depth market overview, the Vietnam in View 2014 programme will cover topical issues such as regulation and reform, content production, bundles and packages, intellectual property rights, monetizing OTT and more. Apart from the informative keynote speeches and panel discussions, the event will also provide ample opportunities for delegates to network and create new business connections.

     

    For more information about Vietnam in View 2014 and to register for tickets, please visit http://www.casbaa.com/events/events-calendar/details/469-vietnam-in-view-2014.

     

    Vietnam in View 2014 is presented in association with VTVCab and is made possible by the generous participation of Presenting Sponsor TV5MONDE and Supporting Sponsor Tata Communications.

  • TRAI recommendation on media and ownership including cross-media issues expected next month

    TRAI recommendation on media and ownership including cross-media issues expected next month

    NEW DELHI: More than 15 months after its second consultation paper on media ownership, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is expected to come out with its recommendations on media control and ownership including the tricky issue of cross-media ownership next month.

     

    TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar has said that he hopes the final recommendation will be out in early August but says that at the latest it would be available before the end of the month.

     

    TRAI had in 2008 and in its consultation paper in February 2013 given its view on the matter in which it ruled out state and government ownership leading to a furore since states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have applied for state ownership of either television channels or TV signal distribution. After issuing the paper, TRAI had also organised several Open House meets with stakeholders in different parts of the country. Open Houses were in Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bhubaneswar and Indore.

    It has gained urgency with Tamil Nadu once again raising the issue of Arasu licensing for Digital Access Systems.

    While bodies like the Delhi Union of Journalists have suggested dismantling of existing monopolies and cross media empires, Times Television Network wants a ban on entry of lobbyists having association with public relations or political parties, religious bodies, urban and local administrative bodies, central government ministries and departments, and central government owned companies undertakings.

     

    However, the Indian Newspaper Society feels TRAI should stay out of this as this will mean placing restrictions on the print media with which TRAI is not authorised to deal.

     
    Besides media companies, industry bodies including Cable Operators Association of India, CII, CASBAA, FICCI and IAMAI also participated in consultation process.

     

    In its paper issued in February last year, TRAI had sought comments on devising ownership rules for vertical integration between broadcasting and distribution entities.

     
    The paper was expected to devise rules/restrictions in case of mergers and acquisitions in the media sector, and media ownership rules within and across media segments.

     

    Methodology to measure ownership or control of an entity over a media outlet, identification of genres to be considered while framing media ownership rules and prescribing norms for mandatory disclosures by media entities are some other issues.

     
    TRAI also discussed in its paper issues relating to identification of media segments wherein media ownership rules are to be prescribed, and identification of relevant markets for evaluating various parameters to be used for devising ownership rules and the methodology for measuring these parameters.

     
    At the outset, TRAI said the paper had been issued at the request of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry earlier last year following a report of the Administrative Staff College of India, in Hyderabad.

     

    TRAI said that it was felt that reasonable restrictions may need to be put in place on ownership in the media sector, to ensure media pluralism and to counter the ills of monopolies. It pointed out that such restrictions do exist in many international markets.

     

    In the Open Houses, a majority of the participants in the fifth Open House on Media Ownership in Indore today alleged that the media in the country was in the hands of just a handful of large corporate houses.

  • 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. 

  • Entries invited by ABU for Asia Pacific Child Rights award for Television

    Entries invited by ABU for Asia Pacific Child Rights award for Television

    NEW DELHI: The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), CASBAA and UNICEF have invited broadcasters and producers to submit entries to the Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award for Television 2014.

     

    The award is given each year to the best television programming on child rights produced in the Asia-Pacific region. It recognises the efforts of broadcasters and producers in pursuing high quality children’s programming and better coverage of their issues.

     

    In 2014, the world will mark the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The celebrations of this landmark agreement will focus public and media attention on children’s rights. Television has a vital role to play in this.

     

    Programmes both for and about children are eligible, and can cover any child rights issue. Entries can include documentaries that detail the plight of children, dramas that help break down stereotypes and discrimination, or animation that teaches and entertains.

     

    Entries must have been broadcast between June 2013 and May 2014 and must be received by 30 June 2014. The award will be presented during the ABU General Assembly in October 2014 in Macau.

  • Television needs to reposition as convergence source with digitisation

    Television needs to reposition as convergence source with digitisation

    MUMBAI: Digitisation of cable TV has provided television broadcasting industry an opportunity to reposition itself as a convergence source. The future is full of opportunities for everyone, according to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India member R K Arnold.

     

    Every stakeholder will benefit once the process of digitisation is complete. Thirty per cent of cable TV homes have been digitised in Phase I and Phase II.

     

    “There are (a total of) 100 million cable TV homes. Once all these homes are digitised, we will be able to provide broadband services,” said Arnold said in his keynote address at the CASBAA India Forum 2014.

     

    Arnold is confident of achieving 100 per cent digitisation in 2014 itself.

     

    Arnold also spoke on the Direct-to-Home (DTH) players. “While DTH has grown along with digitisation, they do not have two-way communication as required for broadband,” he said.

     

    The first two phases of digitization has brought the multi-system operators in direct contact with 30 million customers. “This makes it necessary that we are more customer oriented. We need to beef up customer service delivery, and that is a challenge,” said Hathway Cable & Datacom MD & CEO Jagdish Kumar.

     

    According to Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) secretary general Shailesh Shah, deploying infrastructure is challenging but is doable. “For full digitisation, analogue switch offs are needed,” said Shah.

     

    Shah expects digitisation to be completed only by the middle or towards the end of 2015. Phase III of digitisation is mandated to be completed by the end of September 2014 and Phase IV by the end of December 2014.

     

    One of the biggest challenges for multi-system operators in achieving digitisation in phase III and phase IV is that they will need to reach cable TV homes in the smaller towns and villages, unlike in the top 42 cities in Phase I and Phase II where they already had substantial presence.

     

    “Connectivity is a huge challenge,” said Hathway’s Kumar.

     

    The MSOs have in all seeded 30 million Set Top Boxes (STBs) in phase I and phase II. “As a community, we have spent close to Rs 3,000 crore. When any industry makes such a huge investment, the repayment time is 4-5 years. We are trying to change the system, and it will not happen in a year or two,” informed Kumar.

     

    Turner International India south Asia MD Siddharth Jain feels broadcasters will have the fruits of digitisation only after a beginning is made for signing deals on the basis of per STB.

    “The broadcasters currently do not have the count of STBs. There needs to be complete transparency,” Jain said.

     

    The total funding needed for deploying STBs in phase III and IV is Rs 14,000 crore. “It is impossible to expect the MSOs to invest in both the STBs and optical fibre. The government has to help in this infrastructure,” said MyBox Technologies CEO Amit Kharabanda.

     

    To promote better content carriage in the rural areas, the government is implementing a National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project to connect all the 2.5 lakh gram panchayats.

     

    “When we had a meeting with the MSOs, we found several gaps. Now NOFN is planning to expand its network from the district level to the block level and then panchayats. If this happens, in the next 2 years, we will see different ways of carrying content,” said Ministry of Information & Broadcasting joint secretary-broadcasting Supriya Sahu.

     

    The industry stakeholders speaking at the CASBAA India Forum also suggested that for smooth completion of digitisation, phase III and phase IV digitization should not be taken up simultaneously.

  • Tata Sky not to take legal action against ISRO for now

    Tata Sky not to take legal action against ISRO for now

    NEW DELHI: The Direct to Home (DTH) operators are going through a major capacity constraint. While Tata Sky was one of the first players to bring to the fore the need for availability of more transponders, it is now a major concern for all the DTH players.

     

    Tata Sky had in 2013 said it would initiate legal action against Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) if its demand for more transponders was not met.

     

    It should be noted that Tata Sky for the past four years has been waiting to get its contracted space on an ISRO satellite.

     

    “While I had said that earlier, for now, we have given a pause to that. We are not taking any legal course against ISRO, for now,” said Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal today while participating in the discussion on DTH at CASBAA India Forum 2014.

     

    Nagpal said, “There is a growing demand of channels. And soon there will be a time when the expectation will go up to providing 1,000 channels. Capacity will be needed to serve this demand. While for now, with 12 transponders and moving from MPEG 2 boxes to MPEG 4 boxes, we are sorted for next two years. But, after that, as demand grows, we will need more capacity.”  Tata Sky has invested huge sums in moving from MPEG 2 Set Top Boxes to MPEG 4 boxes.

     

    The satellite policy in India is being questioned the world over. “There is sufficient demand for investing in satellite. Also, we are ready to invest, but if the current policy bottleneck doesn’t cease to exist, satellites will stop dedicating capacity for India,” opined SES SVP commercial – Asia Pacific and the Middle East, Deepak Mathur.

     

    SES is a Luxembourg-based global satellite owner and operator.

     

    The session also brought to the fore a key point that while cable TV can carry 500 channels, DTH television providers cannot.

     

    Non-availability of transponders has caused a capacity constraint for DTH television providers and as a result unable to offer 500 channels. “This is distorting the playing field,” concluded SES’ Mathur.

  • CASBAA India Forum 2014 Indian Content: Going Global?

    CASBAA India Forum 2014 Indian Content: Going Global?

    MUMBAI: CASBAA’s annual India Forum will take place on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at the Shangri-La New Delhi where an international and local roster of high-level speakers will explore the Indian cable and broadcasting markets in the context of the global economy and challenging regulatory regimes.

     

    “With over 146 million non-terrestrial TV connections in the country representing a 92 per cent reach of the population and multichannel TV accounting for nearly 90 per cent of TV advertising, India continues to be one of the most important markets in the Asia Pacific,” said Christopher Slaughter, CEO, CASBAA. “But to be truly successful nowadays, it takes more than doing well in your own back yard. This year’s forum will explore what it takes to be factor on the global stage.”

     

    Bringing their unparalleled knowledge and experience, thought-leaders representing the many facets of the broadcasting industry will participate in a variety of keynotes, panel discussions and conversations to explore the India market. Confirmed guests for 2014, up to now, include Dr. Rahul Khullar (Chairman, TRAI), Terry Bleakley (Regional VP, Asia Pacific Sales, Intelsat), Paul Brown-Kenyon (CEO, MEASAT), Thomas Choi (CEO, Asia Broadcast Satellite), Jawahar Goel (MD, Dish TV), Punit Goenka (MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment), Siddharth Jain (MD, South Asia, Turner International India), Bharat Ranga (Chief Content & Creative Officer, Zee Network), Narayan Rao (Exe. Vice-Chairperson, NDTV; President, NBA), Shailesh Shah (Secretary-General, IBF) and many others.

     

    Themed “Indian Content: Going Global?”, the forum programme will provide a platform to look inwards on issues such as the ongoing digitization of country’s cable networks and the state of the DTH industry as well as global matters including foreign direct investment and the ‘internationalisation’ of Indian content.

     

    The CASBAA India Forum 2014 continues the Association’s mandate to inform, represent and connect its membership base with key market influencers in the multichannel TV sphere.

    The CASBAA India Forum 2014 recognizes Supporting Sponsor SES and Sponsors AsiaSat, Eutelsat and MEASAT for their generous participation at this year’s event.

     

    For more information about the event, please visit http://www.casbaa.com/events/events-calendar/details/431-casbaa-india-forum-2014.

  • Winners announced of the first Formats Asia Awards

    Winners announced of the first Formats Asia Awards

    MUMBAI: Formats Asia has concluded another successful event. This year Formats Asia was held during the CASBAA Convention, and saw intense and insightful discussions that dug deep into the issues and matters that are affecting the industry most. The event also celebrated the announcement of the winners of the first Formats Asia Awards.

    The Apprentice Asia (Sony SPE) took the top spot for the ‘Best Use of a Global Format in Asia’ award. It is an engaging show that pits aspiring young Asian entrepreneurs against each other in “the world’s toughest job interview” for a chance to work for Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes.

    In the ‘Best Original Asian Format’ category, the award went to The Challenger Muay Thai (Imagine Group). The series pits 16 world-class fighters against each other to win the ultimate title of Muaythai World Champion and $ 100,000 in prize money.

    Rounding off the awards in the ‘Best Non-Entertainment Format in Asia’ category was Jobs Around The World (MediaCorp TV). In this the entertaining duo, Bryan Wong and Kym Ng take viewers out of their comfort zone in an educational and cultural exploration of interesting, unusual and often surprising jobs across Asia.

     

    Formats Asia 2013 ended on a high with a plethora of issues discussed. The programme examined recent developments in China, explored relationships with sponsors and advertisers, investigated types of programming that work well in Asia, and focused on the emergence of drama and factual formats.

    Formats Asia founder and Lightning International CEO James Ross said, “I’m absolutely thrilled at this year’s event. We had some great discussions and debates, we saw a lot of examples of how formats are being localised within Asia, and we celebrated with our first Formats Asia Awards winners. The industry in Asia is really picking up, and judging by the sentiments coming from the sessions, we’ve got a lot of opportunities to capture for our partners, and the entire industry has plenty of business to capitalise on.”

    He added, “Overall, this year’s event focused on the need for creating great content, since ultimately, good material will always capture the imagination and attention of viewers. Broadcasters in Asia are also increasingly realising how formats can make their job easier. Formats are not just great ideas from popular brands. They are a complete “how-to-do-it” package, a proven blueprint that encapsulates the intelligence, insights and experience learned and gained by previous producers.”