ITV

Tag: Casbaa

  • 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.”

  • Google joining other tech companies in race to launch pay television

    Google joining other tech companies in race to launch pay television

    NEW DELHI: Google is joining several other technology companies in the race to launch an online version of pay television and has recently approached media companies about licensing their content for an internet TV service that would stream traditional TV programming.

    A report in The Wall Street Journal quoted by CASBAA says if the Web giant goes ahead with the idea, it would join several other companies planning to offer services that deliver cable TV-style packages of channels over broadband connections.

    Intel Corp and Sony Corp are both working on similar offerings, while Apple has pitched various TV licensing ideas to media companies in the past couple of years.

    Google has made overtures to some programmers in recent months about the initiative, sources said.

    In at least one case, Google has provided a demonstration of the product, according to a person who saw the demonstration. Google did not immediately have a comment.

    If launched, the internet-TV services could have major implications for the traditional TV ecosystem, creating new competition for pay-TV operators that are already struggling to retain video subscribers.

    Existing online-video players like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.com offer on-demand TV, but the latest efforts are aimed at offering conventional channels, allowing consumers to flip through channels just as they would on cable, as well as on-demand programming.

    There is no guarantee Google, or any of the technology companies, will be able to strike licensing deals.

    Media companies are nervous about undermining their lucrative arrangements with existing distributors by licensing to new online pay services.

    The media companies are more focused on expanding online and on-demand availability of their programming through current distributors, say media executives.

    While they are open to licensing their content, they generally give the best prices to the biggest distributors.

    To get decent rates for so-called over-the-top TV services, Google and other companies will almost certainly have to accept the standard programming bundles that cable and satellite operators pay for – packages that include highly popular and less popular channels.

    This is the second time Google has gone down this path. About two years ago Google had conversations with media companies about a similar service but the discussions did not get very far, it is learnt.

    Still, the environment has changed since then: not only are several other technology companies actively working on similar services but pay-TV providers are also asking entertainment companies for nation-wide streaming rights.

    While none of those other discussions has yet resulted in any new services that could soon change. Intel, which plans to launch its service by year-end, has had discussions with several media companies to acquire broadband-service rights for more than a year.

    It is unclear whether the company has yet struck any major programming deals. But it may at least have a name. Documents disclosed last week indicate that the company may call the service OnCue.

    The status of Sony’s plans is not clear either although one media executive said Sony could launch its service before Intel.

    As previously reported, Sony plans to beam its service over broadband connections to Sony-made devices, which include PlayStation gaming consoles, TV sets and Blu-ray players. A Sony spokesman declined to comment.

    Apple has met with resistance from media companies throughout negotiations to license content, said people familiar with the situation.

    All tech companies looking to launch a video service face a fundamental strategic challenge: If they can’t beat cable or satellite TV on pricing and offer the same lineup of channels, it is not clear why consumers would switch.

    One answer, backers say, is that the technology companies can develop far better interfaces to watch television than the clunky programming guides pay-TV operators offer now.
    Indeed, many media executives said they are impressed at the slickness of slick Intel’s set-top box and guide.

    Google has taken several other steps to expand in television and online video in recent years, including financing original programming for its online video site YouTube, launching regular cable service on its Google Fiber network in Kansas City, and developing a Google TV software to be installed on cable TV set-top boxes.

  • CASBAA & IBF request FM Chidambaram to roll back tax hike on tech services

    CASBAA & IBF request FM Chidambaram to roll back tax hike on tech services

    MUMBAI: The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) and The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) have requested the Indian government to roll back the increase in taxation on royalty and fees for technical services in the hands of a non-resident as proposed in The Financial Bill 2013.

    In a letter addressed to finance minister P. Chidambaram, the two associations have stated that Section 115A of The Income Tax Act, 1961, levies gross taxes of 10 per cent on royalty and technical services. The latest proposal by the finance ministry proposes to take this up to 25 per cent. Along with surcharge and an education cess, the effective rate comes to 27.037 per cent. When grossed up with other related levies, it will actually amount to 33 per cent, they say.

    Their letter to the finance minister points out that the proposed increased levy will have an impact on the Indian and international satellite and broadcasting sectors as the services they provide come under “royalty and fees for technical services.”

    India has constrained satellite capacity and it is highly dependent on foreign satellites. A recent study has shown that international satellites are providing roughly 60 per cent of the broadcasting capacity for India’s satellite DTH broadcasters.

    The associations have reiterated in the letter that international satellite operators will per force have to pass on the increased operational cost to their Indian broadcasting and other clients, as their margins are not fat enough to absorb the impact of higher taxation. DTH operators, broadcasters who deliver channels to India’s 90 million cable TV homes and cable TV operators will also in turn, then pass on the increased costs on to their subscribers. The cascading effect could be substantial, the two associations warn.

    “We believe that a good tax policy should aim at moderate rates, particularly in industries providing an engine for India’s growth. An increase to the levels proposed in the bill would be counter-productive; it would affect not only the operators providing satellite services, but a whole host of related sectors – including broadcasting, media, telecommunications and IT, which have been spearheading India’s growth story in recent years. Hence the increase should be rolled back,” the letter highlights.

    It concludes by saying that “any future increases that might be considered should be phased in, with a transition period of at least five years, to allow taxpayers time to plan ahead and to avoid any one-off uplift which could force the closure of some small operators.”

    Will the finance minister give a kind ear to Casbaa & IBF?

  • TV industry to debate digital dividends at Casbaa India Forum

    TV industry to debate digital dividends at Casbaa India Forum

    NEW DELHI: The ongoing satellite capacity crunch and the challenges of navigating a complex regulatory environment to identifying the future trends in the country‘s multichannel TV market in the era of digitization will be among the subjects under discussion at the India Forum of the Cable and Satellite Broadcasters Association of Asia (Casbaa).

    The meet on 7 March here will bring into focus the disparate voices of various television industry stakeholders.

    “India is undeniably a vast and complex market, but one that continues to provide unparalleled opportunities and potential to investors,” said Casbaa CEO Christopher Slaughter.

    “However, success depends on the ability to navigate the hurdles of the country‘s broadcasting industry and CASBAA‘s annual India Forum provides an ideal platform to hear from leaders and experts from across borders and market segments.”

    Industry leaders will bring their unique perspectives on the current state of Indian broadcasting and what to expect moving ahead.

    Headlining the respected roster of speakers at the event will be government representatives Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Uday Kumar Varma, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman Rahul Khullar; TRAI Principal Advisor Parameswaran N., and Sudhir Gupta, and Ms. Supriya Sahu, both Joint Secretary (Broadcasting & Policies) in the Ministry.

    The varied list of speakers and panellists will also include Thomas Choi (CEO, Asia Broadcast Satellite), Smita Jha (Leader, Entertainment and Media Practice, PwC India), LV Krishnan (CEO, TAM Media Research), Sameer Manchanda (Chairman & MD, DEN), Ravi Mansukhani (MD, IMCL), Deepak Mathur (SVP, Commercial, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, SES), Harit Nagpal (MD & CEO, Tata Sky), Bharat Kumar Ranga (Chief Content & Creative Officer, Zee Entertainment), Man Jit Singh (CEO, MSM; President, IBF), Shashi Sinha (Chairman of Technical Committee, BARC; CEO, IPG Mediabrands India), Bill Wade (President & CEO, AsiaSat), Robert Zitter (EVP & CTO, HBO), Deepak Jacob (President, Legal & General Counsel, STAR TV India) among others.

    Partners for the CASBAA India Forum 2013 include Supporting Sponsor SES and Sponsors AsiaSat, Brightcove, CSG International, Eutelsat, IBM and Star India.

  • Casbaa launches online directory of digital content in Singapore

    Casbaa launches online directory of digital content in Singapore

    MUMBAI: Casbaa and international media and technology law firm Olswang have launched Singapore‘s first online directory of digital content available from legitimate sources. The pilot directory is available to all at finddigitaltv.com and allows users to search for content by genre, device or just search for content that is free.

    The directory is being launched in tandem with "Digital, Legal and Anywhere – TV in Singapore Today", a new report showcasing the varied and abundant audio-visual content available through non-traditional media platforms and delivery mechanisms in Singapore.

    In the course of researching the report, Olswang found that the offerings were far more prolific and advanced than many were aware. A key problem, however, appeared to be consumer awareness of this, and the directory is therefore hoped to be a first step towards addressing this problem.

    Olswang partner Elle Todd said, "We hope that Singaporean consumers will be pleasantly surprised at the variety and richness of legitimate services that are now available".

    The report observes that multi-screen, multi-platform offerings of legitimate programming are rapidly multiplying in the city-state. The vast majority are coming from established content providers and pay-TV platforms such as StarHub and SingTel‘s mio TV – sometimes separately and sometimes in partnership – while options not connected with existing players are still few. The other good news for consumers is that 44 per cent of the offerings covered in the report and which appear in the directory are available free of charge.

    Casbaa chief policy officer John Medeiros said, "Viewers are increasingly consuming TV content in new and non-traditional ways prompted by increasing technology ownership and the proliferation of internet connected devices. Singapore‘s combination of high broadband connectivity, affluence and multi-lingual population creates a particularly ripe environment for such new content choices."

    But the report notes that while Singapore offers great opportunities as a market for such services, this growth and response to consumer demand comes with its own set of challenges.

    The main challenge is the prevalence of Singaporean consumers using illegitimate video services. Although Singapore has a small population, it has the highest per capita incidence of peer-to-peer infringement of English-language TV shows in the Asia-Pacific region. Such piracy makes it difficult for new content players to enter the market, and for existing players to justify investments in new platforms.

    Another issue is the regulatory ‘tilted playing field‘ which favours foreign and illegitimate offerings over domestic options. In particular, domestic providers need to comply with various censorship rules which mean that, even when consumers can obtain the same content at the same time from Singapore-based providers, they are choosing to access uncut versions through other sources.

  • Casbaa organises TV Upfront in Manila

    MUMBAI: Casbaa‘s TV Upfronts road show 2012 landed in Manila this month with a programme of ad sales presentations for agencies, clients and media. The Philippines Screenings followed similar engagements in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

    A showcase for pay-TV networks to screen their upcoming programming. The Philippines Screenings included presentations from BBC Worldwide, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific, History, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting.

    The enthusiastic audience included agencies MediaCom, Mindshare, OMD, PHD, Starcom, Maxus, MEC and ZenithOptimedia, along with audience data providers AGB Nielsen and Kantar Media. The range of clients ran from senior buyers from Samsonite to P&G Philippines.

    SkyCable chairman Eugenio Lopez III said, “The upscale consumer is one of the most difficult to reach and engage. Cable TV allows for the regularity of reaching this young, affluent, urban audience. Brands that are premium in nature, or that seek to create aspirational imagery, need to reach out to this segment of the market. Companies that do business with upscale consumers should recognise the power of the platform.”

    Casbaa CEO Christopher Slaughter said, “The Philippines has incredible growth potential. The multichannel TV market is expected to benefit from economic development in the coming years, attracting more advertisers looking to target an economically advancing population.”

    With approximately 7.6 million television homes in the country‘s urban areas, Metro Manila accounts for nearly half of TV households, where TV penetration exceeds 95 per cent.

    “The growth potential of the pay-TV market is extremely favourable especially as multichannel TV digitizes and offers services beyond simply a greater choice of content but also high-definition programming and interactive services,” said Slaughter.

  • Jenny Setnicker joins Casbaa as head of advertising development

    MUMBAI: Casbaa has appointed Jenny Setnicker as head of advertising development.

    Setnicker has more than 15 years of media industry experience with eight years at CNBC Asia in advertising sales and client content solutions. Before that she worked at Omnicom Group developing client sponsorships for Millsport LLC in New York. Prior to that, she was in Hong Kong as part of Star TV‘s programming and acquisitions team.

    Setnicker will be based out of Singapore and will be responsible for marketing the benefits of multichannel advertising. She will also handle new investment in the development of data and actionable insights relevant to the multi-channel TV sector in all its forms along with promoting value proposition for pay TV to media agencies, clients and network owners.

    Setnicker will also be in charge of promoting the best interests of the Casbaa advertising members – AETN All Asia Networks, BBC Worldwide, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, FOX One Stop Media, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Television, TrueVisions and Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific.

    Casbaa CEO Simon Twiston said, “With her extensive knowledge and experience in this industry, the appointment of Jenny is another significant step in Casbaa‘s efforts to increase awareness of the power of advertising on multichannel TV.”

  • Multichannel TV beneficial to advertisers : Casbaa

    Multichannel TV beneficial to advertisers : Casbaa

    MUMBAI: A 100 per cent allocation of a $1.75 million budget to free-to-air (FTA) results in a campaign viewed by just 33 per cent of the TV population. The campaign reach increases from 33 per cent to 56 per cent when half of the TV budget is redistributed to multichannel TV from only FTA TV allocation.

    Casbaa has released a powerful first-of-its-kind reach and frequency analysis of the definable returns on media investment in multichannel TV advertising.

    Commissioned by Casbaa and executed by global media agency Universal McCann, the study measures the benefits of allocating variable percentages of a $1.75 million TV budget on multichannel TV and FTA in seven key Asia-Pacific markets: India, Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

    Casbaa CEO Simon Twiston Davies said, “The clear advantage of advertising on multichannel TV becomes self evident when simulating real-life budgeting scenarios via robust Peoplemeter data. The numbers demonstrate that multichannel TV makes undeniable fiscal sense when reach and return on investment are optimized.”

    Added Universal McCann Hong Kong managing director Chris Skinner,”This powerful new look at TV data allows to us to better understand that for a regional campaign, switching a portion of the budget onto regional multichannel TV channels means we can deliver higher reach at a lower cost-per-thousand for our clients.”

    An equal combination of FTA and multichannel TV sees total impressions (gross number of times a commercial is viewed) multiplied by 2.5 times from an FTA only schedule: increasing from 537 million to 1.4 billion. Using multichannel TV lowers cost per thousand (CPT) by up to 60 per cent in a 50/50 multichannel TV/FTA combination versus an FTA only schedule.

    “Campaigns that allocate part of their terrestrial TV budget to multichannel TV reap the rewards. The research tells us that you can effectively double your reach, increase the viewing frequency of ads, and lower your CPT – all with no extra investment” added Twiston Davies.

    A similar trend was also monitored when the demographics data was analysed to reflect key age, gender and socio-economic groups.

    In the coming months, Casbaa will release yet more data from two other global media agencies supporting the case for multichannel TV advertising.

  • PBA, Casbaa & Pemra to host Intl. forum titled ‘A Digital Future for Pakistan’

    PBA, Casbaa & Pemra to host Intl. forum titled ‘A Digital Future for Pakistan’

    MUMBAI: The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) are pleased to announce details of the first Electronic Media Exhibition and Conference (EMEC) in Karachi, Pakistan, on 15 – 16 May.

    The international forum that has been themed ‘A Digital Future for Pakistan’ will be hosted by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and co-organised by the PBA and Casbaa.

    According to an official announcement, the issues that the forum will attempt to address include the development of a world class pay-TV industry within Pakistan, international best practices for content development and the impact of digital technologies such as IPTV on new business models. The speakers for the event will be drawn from media companies from across the world.

    “This is a uniquely exciting time for broadcasting in Pakistan,” said Pemra chairman Iftikhar Rashid. “With the introduction of advanced cable systems, Direct-to-Home satellite services and IPTV systems, Pakistan is on the cusp of great change. During our conference Pemra will welcome the participation of specialists in international best practices and the suppliers of the very best of the new technologies.”

    “Pakistan is experiencing unprecedented growth in broadcast services,” said PBA chairman and Pakistan broadcaster GEO TV chairman Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman. “The PBA, working with Casbaa, will provide a rare opportunity to examine international business models and technologies that can be brought to Pakistan.”

    “As a regional industry body devoted to the advancement of multi-channel television, Casbaa is delighted to partner with the PBA and with Pemra to forge new relationships,” said Casbaa chairman Marcel Fenez.

  • Casbaa to organise satellite industry forum in Singapore in June

    Casbaa to organise satellite industry forum in Singapore in June

    MUMBAI: The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) will stage the seventh annual Casbaa Satellite Industry Forum in Singapore on 18 June 2007.

    The Casbaa Satellite Industry Forum traditionally acts as a curtain-raiser for the CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia trade shows in Singapore.

    Themed Converging on Satellite, issues to be addressed during the e meeting of global and regional industry leaders include the impact on satellite markets of proposed Wimax deployments, the real story behind the satellite-to-mobile TV opportunity and the demand drivers for HDTV services.

    Invited satellite industry leaders include International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Secretary General Hamadoun Toure, Intelsat CEO David McGlade and Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg.

    There will be a focus on satellite market development within Asia, with leading speakers drawn from some of the fastest growing markets in the world – India, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and Malaysia – sharing their insights.

    Meanwhile, the regulatory environment underpins our industry and a close examination of that environment will provide new insights on the future of the Asia-Pacific market.

    Casbaa Satellite Industry Committee chairman David ball says, “Given the opportunities provided by the changing Asian landscape and the challenges from new technologies, we are seeing unprecedented development within Asia”.

    Casbaa CEO Simon Twiston Davies says, “The Casbaa Satellite Industry Forum is the premier forum in Asia for satellite market strategy discussions. This year will be a banner year for Asia Pacific satellite services as their value as primary carriers for video and back up for data services is reinforced.”