Tag: Malaysia

‘Porus’ finds an audience in more countries

MUMBAI: In another shot in the arm for Indian television producers, the producers of mythological show Porus, Swastik Productions, have managed to bag content syndication deals in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Swastik Productions founder Rahul Kumar Tewari said that it has already launched in Thailand and other countries will see launches by July 2018. In Thailand, the show is being broadcast on weekdays at a primetime slot. The show will be dubbed in Malay, Thai, English, and Burmese for the new markets.

Last month, a source close to the development revealed that the 260-episodic series had been sold to Maharaja Television (MTV). Porus is renamed as Digvijaya in the Sinhala-dubbed version and has been launched on channel Sirasa TV, during the weekend at the 8pm slot combining two episodes thereby giving each episode a one-hour run.

The show started off well in India with 3.6 million impressions in week 48 but then saw a dip in ratings. It has managed to hook viewers till week 5 with 3.3 million impressions according to Broadcast Audience Research Council data.

In an earlier interaction, Swastik Productions founder Siddharth Kumar Tewary said, “Porus has been consistent in its ratings since its launch and this was our plan to be consistent in the beginning and then grow slowly. We have made Porus with a huge amount of conviction.”

In its 10-year existence, Swastik Productions has produced over fifteen television shows which also include Mahabharat, Razia Sultan, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Mata Ki Chowki, Amber Dhara, and Begusarai among others. It recently launched a light-hearted emotional drama on Sony Sab, Shankar Jay Kishan.

The production house is free to sub-licence the show to a digital or international player, to air the episodes after 3-hours of original airing on Sony. While talking about the IP rights with the production house, a media report said that these kinds of deals vary. Historically broadcasters have been bearing all the cost. If the producer is ready to bear the cost, it will work out fine for the channel also as it reduces the risk and budget.

The 22-minute show aired at 8.30 pm from Monday to Friday on Sony, depicts the untold story of the greatest conqueror of the world, Alexander and the most spirited defender of India, Porus. Set in 350 BC, the story traces its roots to a time when India was at its glorious best and Porus resisted the first attack on Indian soil by the Macedonian legend. The chronological narrative will trace the journey from birth to the epic battle between these two warriors born on the same day but raised with completely different upbringings.

Also Read :

‘Porus’ launched as ‘Digvijaya’ in Sri Lanka

Thai broadcaster Workpoint acquires TV rights for Porus

February 26, 2018
ASEAN plan: Malaysia begins switchover to DTT, to go digital by ’20

NEW DELHI: With an aim to meet the deadline of end of analogue transmission by 2020 set by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysia has launched digital terrestrial television (DTT) with free decoders to 4.2 million low-income households or about two-thirds of all familie.

Named myFreeview, the DTT is is operated by the state-appointed company MYTV Broadcasting, which has been tasked to build the infrastructure for the migration from analog to digital under a 30-year concession.

The aim is in line with the move in neighbouring countries including India to move away from analogue and radio wave technology in line with the global digitisation trend that began in developed economies, according to Nikkei Asian Business Review.

The broadcast currently carries nine free-to-view local TV channels and four radio programs through 24 transmission towers, covering about 87% of the country’s population.

The coverage will be extended to 98% by the end of the year before terminating analog services by June next year.

Launching the service, the Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak said: “That is the manifestation of the government’s efforts to improve the quality of life, on par with other developed countries.”

MYTV, which has the capacity to air 30 standard and high-definition channels, said it would introduce online shopping and video-on-demand services in the future, competing against paid-TV operator Astro Malaysia Holdings.

myFreeview broadcast can be received by connecting a decoder to a TV set or through digital TV with a built-in receiver.

The 10 members of the ASEAN aim to switch off analogue broadcasting by 2020, starting with Singapore by the end of the year after successfully rolling out DTT services since December 2013.

Thailand had started digital broadcasting in 2014, while other countries including Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam also began the service in selected cities within their markets.

Digitising TV transmission frees up broadcasting frequency spectrum that governments could let to other industries, including telecommunications. It could also generate revenue through advertisements and creative content, enhancing business opportunities for the creative industry.

June 9, 2017
Child Rights Award ’17: A call to broadcasters

MUMBAI: ABU, CASBAA and UNICEF are calling for entries for the 17th Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award from broadcasters and producers in the region.

Programmes both for children and about children are eligible and can cover any children’s 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 2016 and June 2017 and must be received by 30 June 2017. The Award will be presented during the CASBAA Convention in Macau in early November 2017.

Eligible countries/territories: Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Republic of Korea, DPR Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand , Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

This competition is open to all ABU and CASBAA members in the Asia-Pacific region. A full list of countries can be found on the website.

To join the competition, please submit your entries) online at https://goo.gl/vKWqd5

ABU is a non-profit, non-government, professional association of broadcasting organizations, to facilitate the development of broadcasting in the Asia–Pacific region. CASBAA is the association for the multichannel audiovisual content creation and distribution industry across Asia. UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child.

April 3, 2017
Viu enters Middle East, to provide buffer-free content

MUMBAI: Video-on-demand (VOD) service provider Vuclip has launched Viu, a direct to consumer VOD service, in the Middle East. The platform is already available in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong and Singapore.

In the Middle East, content will be available without charge, while premium content can be viewed without advertisements, after paying a monthly subscription fee. Users across the region now have access to tens of thousands of hours of local, regional and international premium entertainment, built on Vuclip’s patented Dynamic Adaptive Transcoding technology to offer viewers a buffer free viewing experience.

The platform offers regional, international and local entertainment on-demand content, including Egyptian, Syrian, Khaleeji and Tunisian TV dramas.

Users can access classic movies and recent blockbusters, as well as curated music videos for over 6,000 songs from artists such as Nicole Saba, Amr Diab, Hassan El Shafei, Nancy Ajram, Ramy Sabrya and Maya Diab. Bollywood content can also be streamed, with films, popular TV shows and music videos featuring stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone.

The company recently sealed a deal with Indian content house Shemaroo to add more content to the Viu platform.

Vuclip regional director for Middle East Sherif Dahan voiced that the expansion will be exciting as they plan to bring new ideas to life and offer viewers a whole new experience in entertainment.

February 24, 2017
Xaxis names Arshan Saha APAC president

MUMBAI: Xaxis the world’s largest programmatic media and technology platform, today announced the promotion of ArshanSaha to President, Asia Pacific (APAC). Saha was previously Vice President, South and Southeast Asia. As one of the founding members of Xaxis APAC, Saha helped established offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and India.

“Arshan has played an integral role in establishing Xaxis as the programmatic advertising platform of choice in Asia Pacific,” said Xaxis global president Nicolas Bidon. “He has done an incredible job of expanding Xaxis’ programmatic footprint and building the region’s business with great management skills, passion for our clients’ success and knowledge of the industry. I look forward to his continued leadership as APAC President.”

“The tremendous success and growth of Xaxis has culminated in the creation of [m]PLATFORM which we are looking forward to roll out across APAC. Arshan has played a significant role in this success with his ability to understand and navigate clients and publishers in the region. I cannot think of a better candidate to take Xaxis APAC to the next level”, says [m]PLATFORM.
APAC president Michel De Rijk.

Over the last 4.5 years at Xaxis, Arshan’s leadership included full charge of all seven markets’ P&Ls, as well as growing the businesses 20-fold within a short span of three years. Prior to joining Xaxis in 2012, Arshan served as Regional Director for Southeast Asia at Innity Corp. where he played a critical role in establishing the company as the leading media network in the region. Arshan’s portfolio included over 300 clients across multiple industries, an array of large to mid-sized publishers, as well as technology vendors across APAC, driving best-in-class -advertising technology and innovation. He was also most recently voted as Campaign Asia’s 40 under 40 most talented individuals in Asia.

“I am incredibly honored to lead our team of committed programmatic experts here in APAC. As leaders, we will continue to set standards and drive the industry forward with our proprietary technology and unique data so the entire ecosystem is able to benefit from measurable value.” said Arshan “It’s a very exciting time as clients are demanding empowerment and guarantees to be able to navigate through the programmatic landscape whilst at the other end of the spectrum we have a consumer who is seeking relevance and personalization.”

January 24, 2017
Xaxis names Arshan Saha APAC president

MUMBAI: Xaxis the world’s largest programmatic media and technology platform, today announced the promotion of ArshanSaha to President, Asia Pacific (APAC). Saha was previously Vice President, South and Southeast Asia. As one of the founding members of Xaxis APAC, Saha helped established offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and India.

“Arshan has played an integral role in establishing Xaxis as the programmatic advertising platform of choice in Asia Pacific,” said Xaxis global president Nicolas Bidon. “He has done an incredible job of expanding Xaxis’ programmatic footprint and building the region’s business with great management skills, passion for our clients’ success and knowledge of the industry. I look forward to his continued leadership as APAC President.”

“The tremendous success and growth of Xaxis has culminated in the creation of [m]PLATFORM which we are looking forward to roll out across APAC. Arshan has played a significant role in this success with his ability to understand and navigate clients and publishers in the region. I cannot think of a better candidate to take Xaxis APAC to the next level”, says [m]PLATFORM.
APAC president Michel De Rijk.

Over the last 4.5 years at Xaxis, Arshan’s leadership included full charge of all seven markets’ P&Ls, as well as growing the businesses 20-fold within a short span of three years. Prior to joining Xaxis in 2012, Arshan served as Regional Director for Southeast Asia at Innity Corp. where he played a critical role in establishing the company as the leading media network in the region. Arshan’s portfolio included over 300 clients across multiple industries, an array of large to mid-sized publishers, as well as technology vendors across APAC, driving best-in-class -advertising technology and innovation. He was also most recently voted as Campaign Asia’s 40 under 40 most talented individuals in Asia.

“I am incredibly honored to lead our team of committed programmatic experts here in APAC. As leaders, we will continue to set standards and drive the industry forward with our proprietary technology and unique data so the entire ecosystem is able to benefit from measurable value.” said Arshan “It’s a very exciting time as clients are demanding empowerment and guarantees to be able to navigate through the programmatic landscape whilst at the other end of the spectrum we have a consumer who is seeking relevance and personalization.”

January 24, 2017
How ‘internet’ mourned Jayalalithaa’s death

MUMBAI: 5 December, 2016, was a dark day. Not just for Tamil Nadu politics, but for everyone inspired by and believing in the strength of a self-made woman who rose to the senior ranks of leadership.

Tamil Nadu’s former chief minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa’s death was a shock to the entire nation.

The announcement itself shrouded in doubts, rumours, misreporting and impending fear of rioting, it set India, and even people abroad, talking about it through social media.

So much so, that between 4 and 8 December ‘Jayalalithaa – Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’ was the most searched topic on Google search, according to data collated by the digital marketing enterprise Liqvd Asia.

Mention of ‘Jayalalithaa’ also surged during this span of time.

If one were the spread out the reception/ reaction of her death on the internet into various platforms, it was clear that most people were mourning her death on Twitter. Twitter lead the discussions with a staggering 97.2 per cent, followed by comments. A total of 609K conversations on her were recording online during this time, as per the data provided by Liqvd Asia.

Going by regions, Puducherry showed complete interest in the matter with 100 per cent of its online conversation surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death. It followed naturally by Tamil Nadu. 36 per cent of the conversation coming from Andaman And Nicobar Islands too were about Jayalalithaa’s death.

Globally, while almost 75 per cent of the conversation recorded in India was about Jayalalithaa, the U.S., Malaysia and the UK too were talking about the same.

(The above story is based on the info-graphics provided by Liqvd Asia)

December 10, 2016
How ‘internet’ mourned Jayalalithaa’s death

MUMBAI: 5 December, 2016, was a dark day. Not just for Tamil Nadu politics, but for everyone inspired by and believing in the strength of a self-made woman who rose to the senior ranks of leadership.

Tamil Nadu’s former chief minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa’s death was a shock to the entire nation.

The announcement itself shrouded in doubts, rumours, misreporting and impending fear of rioting, it set India, and even people abroad, talking about it through social media.

So much so, that between 4 and 8 December ‘Jayalalithaa – Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’ was the most searched topic on Google search, according to data collated by the digital marketing enterprise Liqvd Asia.

Mention of ‘Jayalalithaa’ also surged during this span of time.

If one were the spread out the reception/ reaction of her death on the internet into various platforms, it was clear that most people were mourning her death on Twitter. Twitter lead the discussions with a staggering 97.2 per cent, followed by comments. A total of 609K conversations on her were recording online during this time, as per the data provided by Liqvd Asia.

Going by regions, Puducherry showed complete interest in the matter with 100 per cent of its online conversation surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death. It followed naturally by Tamil Nadu. 36 per cent of the conversation coming from Andaman And Nicobar Islands too were about Jayalalithaa’s death.

Globally, while almost 75 per cent of the conversation recorded in India was about Jayalalithaa, the U.S., Malaysia and the UK too were talking about the same.

(The above story is based on the info-graphics provided by Liqvd Asia)

December 10, 2016
Scripps Networks leads pay-TV lifestyle programming, brand affinity: Study

Singapore: In a recent pay-TV study of viewer behaviors and lifestyle habits in Asia-Pacific, Scripps Networks Interactive found its channel portfolio significantly outranked its competitors in the food, home and travel lifestyle categories. The channels, which include Asian Food Channel, Food Network, HGTV and Travel Channel, have a highly engaged audience, who have an affinity to lifestyle brands and content. They are more receptive to advertisers, trusting the channels as an authority in the lifestyle ahead of other pay-TV networks.

“It is without a doubt that our channels offer a unique proposition for clients looking to break through today’s competitive media landscape to form meaningful relationships with their consumers,” said Derek Chang, Head of International Lifestyle Channels, Scripps Networks Interactive. “The results of the study confirm our audiences are up-scale, affluent, and engaged in both lifestyle programming and its associated products, be that in their kitchen, home or in the holiday they choose.”

The study, which was commissioned by Scripps Networks in Singapore and conducted by Kadence International, surveyed more than 4,000 respondents, 25-55 year olds who frequently watch lifestyle programming in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Survey highlights include:

Asian Food Channel (AFC):
• AFC is 47% more likely to be recognized by viewers for local Asian food and cooking content than its channel competitors

• 50% of AFC viewers visited a restaurant, city or destination featured during a show as compared to 28% of other pay-TV viewers

HGTV:
• 87% of HGTV viewers have performed some form of renovation in the past 12 months as compared to 69% other pay-TV viewers

• HGTV inspires viewers and is their go-to channel for all things renovation, taking the lead when it comes to topics such as “Home Renovations” (47%), “DIY Renovations” (46%) and “House Hunting” (45%)

Food Network (FN):
• 91% of FN viewers are willing to pay more for quality ingredients and meals

• FN has a 31% lead against the nearest competitor channel as being one that presents inspirational cooking content

Travel Channel:
• 87% of Travel Channel viewers are likely to travel to a destination featured on a travel show as compared to 69% other pay-TV viewers

• 74% of Travel Channel viewers agree that advertisements are a good way for them to learn about new products

* This study was conducted between April and June 2016. It combined over 4,000 online interviews and 12 group discussions with 25 to 55 year old lifestyle and general entertainment channel viewers across Asia.

November 8, 2016
Scripps Networks leads pay-TV lifestyle programming, brand affinity: Study

Singapore: In a recent pay-TV study of viewer behaviors and lifestyle habits in Asia-Pacific, Scripps Networks Interactive found its channel portfolio significantly outranked its competitors in the food, home and travel lifestyle categories. The channels, which include Asian Food Channel, Food Network, HGTV and Travel Channel, have a highly engaged audience, who have an affinity to lifestyle brands and content. They are more receptive to advertisers, trusting the channels as an authority in the lifestyle ahead of other pay-TV networks.

“It is without a doubt that our channels offer a unique proposition for clients looking to break through today’s competitive media landscape to form meaningful relationships with their consumers,” said Derek Chang, Head of International Lifestyle Channels, Scripps Networks Interactive. “The results of the study confirm our audiences are up-scale, affluent, and engaged in both lifestyle programming and its associated products, be that in their kitchen, home or in the holiday they choose.”

The study, which was commissioned by Scripps Networks in Singapore and conducted by Kadence International, surveyed more than 4,000 respondents, 25-55 year olds who frequently watch lifestyle programming in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Survey highlights include:

Asian Food Channel (AFC):
• AFC is 47% more likely to be recognized by viewers for local Asian food and cooking content than its channel competitors

• 50% of AFC viewers visited a restaurant, city or destination featured during a show as compared to 28% of other pay-TV viewers

HGTV:
• 87% of HGTV viewers have performed some form of renovation in the past 12 months as compared to 69% other pay-TV viewers

• HGTV inspires viewers and is their go-to channel for all things renovation, taking the lead when it comes to topics such as “Home Renovations” (47%), “DIY Renovations” (46%) and “House Hunting” (45%)

Food Network (FN):
• 91% of FN viewers are willing to pay more for quality ingredients and meals

• FN has a 31% lead against the nearest competitor channel as being one that presents inspirational cooking content

Travel Channel:
• 87% of Travel Channel viewers are likely to travel to a destination featured on a travel show as compared to 69% other pay-TV viewers

• 74% of Travel Channel viewers agree that advertisements are a good way for them to learn about new products

* This study was conducted between April and June 2016. It combined over 4,000 online interviews and 12 group discussions with 25 to 55 year old lifestyle and general entertainment channel viewers across Asia.

November 8, 2016