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  • ‘Discovery identifies India as a growth market’ : Discovery Communications India SVP Rahul Johri

    ‘Discovery identifies India as a growth market’ : Discovery Communications India SVP Rahul Johri

    Discovery Communications India is readying for a major expansion to ride on India’s rapidly growing digital pay-TV environment. The roadmap includes the launch of three channels – Discovery Science, Discovery HD and Discovery Turbo.

    The existing three channels – Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Travel and Living – have built distinct brand propositions. And as the viewership pattern is shifting particularly in the non-fiction genre, Discovery hopes to capitalise.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, Discovery Communications India senior vice president Rahul Johri talks about the company’s growth plans.

    Excerpts:

    Having got the government nod, when are you planning to launch the three new channels?
    We are finalising the launch plans. Discovery Turbo will be India‘s first male lifestyle channel. Discovery Science will be dedicated to make science programming accessible, relevant and entertaining. Discovery HD, on the other hand, offers programming in 1080i with 5.1 surround sound, far superior to both NTSC and PAL. It lends itself perfectly to the type of rich and spectacular images that Discovery is renowned for.

    How are you going to tackle distribution?
    We have planned to launch Discovery Science and Discovery Turbo on both analogue and digital platforms. Discovery HD will be launched on the digital platform.

    Do you see niche channels gain as the digital environment grows?
    We currently have three distinct networks in India, each with immense brand equity. Digital platform, besides offering an enhanced viewing experience and an increased choice to viewers, demonstrates the real value of the brands and their unique propositions. Companies with strong bouquet of channels, be it mass or niche, will certainly stand to gain as the digital penetration goes up in India.

    Do you see the new channels broadening the audience base for infotainment?
    Viewers today are looking for distinct and credible content. We are witnessing a dramatic shift in the viewing patterns in India, especially in the non-fiction genre where our channels dominate.

    Considering that 60 per cent of India‘s population is under 30 years of age, this trend should only get amplified in the coming years. Each of our channels, existing and planned, has a distinct brand proposition and will resonate with viewers, advertisers and affiliates alike.

    There has been a lot of talk about how HD is changing the television viewing experience globally. But at the moment the infrastructure is not there to support this in India. How does this impact the launch plans for Discovery HD?
    India is witnessing a substantial increase in the sale of HD-technology TV sets. With the growth of digital delivery platforms, HD would emerge as a premium offering.

    Besides, we like to be ahead of the curve, be it in our programme offerings or production technologies.
    ‘Viewers today are looking for distinct and credible content. We are witnessing a dramatic shift in the viewing patterns in India, especially in the non-fiction genre where our channels dominate‘

    In terms of revenue where does India stack up vis-a-vis other Asian markets like Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea?
    India has a considerable viewer and advertiser base and has been identified as a growth market for Discovery.

    Do you expect revenue growth this year given the economic downturn?
    It is my belief that leaders in respective categories will be least affected. Going by the current environment, we would be able to achieve our targets.

    What are the challenges that Discovery and other players in the infotainment space face this year?
    The challenge is to continuously refresh the programming to suit the viewers‘ changing demands. At the same time you have to maintain the brand‘s core propositions.

    Last year Animal Planet re-branded itself globally with a more adult-centric focus. How has this been reflected in India?
    Animal Planet revealed its fresh brand identity last year. Its new show line-up reflects intense drama, rich humour, unexpected choices and wonders of the animal kingdom.

    In order to strengthen its prime time slots, the channel introduced two new programme bands. Masters Of The Jungle at 9 pm takes viewers to meet the most celebrated wildlife experts from around the world who have dedicated their lives to animals.

    The Hunt at 8 pm presents nature‘s predators in their raw and merciless form every night. There has been a ratings increase.

    Has the look and feel been changed to reflect the channel‘s aggression?
    The new logo, communication and content allow viewers an immersive experience. Introducing new time bands, Masters of the Jungle, The Hunt and multiple new titles like Jockeys and Animal Gladiator; the channel today offers a close-up encounter with wildlife.

    What are the major programming properties coming up on the channel?
    From this month, Animal Planet‘s new series, Stranger Among Bears, will reveal the isolated life of a teacher who has received national attention for his unique but controversial relationship with the black grizzly bears for last 20 years.

    We will launch a new series in the Master of the Jungle band – Into The Pride in which the host Dave Salmoni will land himself in the middle of a ride of lions with just a walking stick. In a remarkable story of the bond between man and animal, we will present a reunion between two young men and a 500 pound pet lion in A Lion called Christian.

    Discovery Travel and Living has completed five years in India. What progress has it made in boosting lifestyle programming in the country and serving the SEC A+ demographic?
    Discovery Travel and Living has emerged as the definitive lifestyle channel in India. Surpassing all lifestyle television benchmarks, it has continuously added new genres, bringing the finest experience to its discerning audience. Even this year, it added three new genres – music, dance and relationship.

    On the Indian programming front, it explored unique Indian lifestyle themes – wedding, travel, food, fashion and hotels. It recently premiered a new series with one of India‘s leading columnists and food writer Vir Sanghvi. And in the biggest of all shows, we will present a series on India‘s biggest superstar Shah Rukh Khan, where for the first time ever viewers will be taken into his private and exclusive world.

    Has there been any change in strategy compared to previous years?
    Our focus has been to expand the existing genres like food, travel, fashion and makeover while at the same time adding new genres like music, fitness and relationship. We strengthened our prime time offerings with two strong bands – What A Life at 9 pm and Turn It On at 10 pm. Our efforts to up the weekend offerings with Brunch on Sundays and day time properties like Chew at 1 pm presented good results.

    On the advertising front, are clients more cautious in terms of committing spends?
    We value our advertisers and believe in long term associations. Just like in the past, we will continue to offer higher values to our advertisers.
     

    On the advertising front, are clients more cautious in terms of committing spends?
    We value our advertisers and believe in long term associations. Just like in the past, we will continue to offer higher values to our advertisers.

    Has there been any change in strategy compared to previous years?
    Our focus has been to expand the existing genres like food, travel, fashion and makeover while at the same time adding new genres like music, fitness and relationship. We strengthened our prime time offerings with two strong bands – What A Life at 9 pm and Turn It On at 10 pm. Our efforts to up the weekend offerings with Brunch on Sundays and day time properties like Chew at 1 pm presented good results.

    On the advertising front, are clients more cautious in terms of committing spends?
    We value our advertisers and believe in long term associations. Just like in the past, we will continue to offer higher values to our advertisers.

  • ‘The mad race to get cricket rights has created a bubble’ : Venu Nair – WSG South Asia CEO

    ‘The mad race to get cricket rights has created a bubble’ : Venu Nair – WSG South Asia CEO

    With the Indian Premier League (IPL) in its catch, the World Sport Group (WSG) is sitting pretty. Even as it plans to cash in on the new T20 format that is set to change the cricket economy, the sports marketing company has also set its sights on the growing popularity of soccer and golf.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, WSG South Asia CEO Venu Nair unveils the dynamics of the sports business.

    Excerpts:

    How far has World Sport Group progressed in India?
    When we set up our office in India two years back, we had a plan to establish a credible business over a three-year period. We looked at cricket, soccer and golf. We decided to develop each of them independently. Cricket and golf has grown phenomenally. However, with soccer it is still an uphill task.

    We changed our football outlook to a five-year plan. We own all the rights and work closely with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with whom we have been working since 1992. Our current contract runs till 2011. The fact that we have worked with them for so long to promote soccer across Asia speaks of the fact that we are long term players.

    How have you grown the cricket business?
    We have brought in professionalism into the management of the title and central sponsorship rights. We tell clients what they can avail of over a year. From a brand perspective it works, as they are able to plan forward. This gave us an entry into cricket at the highest level.

    During 2006, the BCCI’s sponsorship rights were available. We paid Rs 1.8 billion for it. Prior to us, these rights were vested with corporates and not with a proper sports marketing company.

    How is this deal with the BCCI working out?
    We work on a margin of 15-20 per cent. When we acquired the rights, we bought it at a premium. Two years down the line we have managed to stay at par with our revenue targets.

    Where are the opportunities for WSG in cricket other than the BCCI and IPL?
    There are opportunities to represent other boards. People are looking inward into India and they see the job we have done for the BCCI. As far as IPL is concerned, we have aggregated the media rights and sold it outward.

    But aren’t sports bodies working directly with broadcasters?
    Broadcasters are limited by the region that they want to serve. They often tend to sell the rights outside their interests to other parties. This puts the broadcaster into an agency position, which is not often a comfortable area to be in as it is not their core expertise. So, to say that sports bodies increasingly work with broadcasters is an anomaly.

    Fifa, for instance, works very closely with sports marketing agency Infront.
    ‘You will have to put higher monies on the T20 format and put the squeeze on Tests and ODIs‘

    WSG managed a coup with the IPL rights. What targets have you set?
    We expect to start making money by the end of the third year. We have sold rights it to many territories including the US and Canada. We have let some territories sample the product like Sky in Italy. We sold IPL to the Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

    Are these deals long term?
    We have sold everything with the ability to re-look at periodic intervals at the contract. We will see how it is working. It had to be a partnership model. The format was something new.

    How does the IPL build in club loyalty and sustain viewership interest?
    Teams will have to build more local heroes. Catchment areas have to expand. If the IPL franchise owners treat it just as a balance sheet-led proposition, then it may not survive in the long run.

    The IPL will face competition from other boards. England wants to start a league in 2010. Australia, South Africa and New Zealand want to start a joint league in 2011. How does this affect the IPL?
    In soccer different leagues like the EPL, Spanish league, and German Bundesliga are played at the same time. But the EPL is most watched. The IPL is a home grown product and has the first mover advantage. More home grown talent will take centre stage. Foreign players might want to play the IPL to shore up their revenues. They will then reach a stage where they might want to play in another league to enhance their skill. The player migration seen in soccer will happen here as well.

    But when other leagues come up, won’t some monies shift from IPL to them?
    No! 100 per cent of the IPL revenues come from home grown clients. They want the local audience and so they will not invest in an Australian or an English league.

    In India sponsorship revenue is higher than ticketing revenue. In England it’s the reverse. However, a time will come in India where ticketing revenue will grow. Hospitality is another area which, if developed properly, can be a solid, successful revenue stream. Soccer clubs in Spain and England make a huge line of revenue from this area.

    If the revenue potential is so strong, then why are owners already selling stakes so soon?
    They are looking to sell a stake at a premium. They are not looking at funding their working capital needs.

    Will Test cricket and ODIs lose some of their lustre as T20 comes up?
    That is the market reality. Next year there are around 120 games, which include IPL, T20 World Cup, Champions T20 League. And one would not have known about it two years back.

    You will have to put allocated monies on this new format and squeeze monies on the other two formats. Even from a viewer’s experience how many takers are there for a Test Match! The purists are in a minority. Cricket is now more about entertainment. T20 has taken that window; you can watch a game in three hours.

     

    The PCB got $140 million for its rights. So isn’t there still value in the traditional formats?
    In bilateral events, the icon series will get money. If it is India versus Pakistan, then advertisers and viewers will chip in. The whole value of the deal with the PCB comes from these two series that are present in the contract. At the same time, there is no guarantee that they will get the same value. They will probably get the same monies as in 2004 when India toured Pakistan after a long time.

    However, the acquisition costs have shot up. In advertising you may not see a corresponding incremental value as it could get diverted to T20. The escalation may not happen.

     

    Is there a danger of some broadcasters going bust due to a huge escalation in rights fees?
    Yes! Ideally, ad rates should double which probably is not going to be the case. The rights fee has gone up disproportionately due to the need for content in a calendar year. The challenge for broadcasters is to figure out where the business is going. You also need to take care of distribution. In India sports channels have to have a certain number of events in a year. Otherwise the cable operator may stop beaming you. Cricket is reaching a saturation level and there will be a tapering down of values.

    The mad race to get cricket rights has created a bubble that will eventually burst. For example, tennis went through this huge bubble a few years back. It also happened with soccer.

    Broadcasters who have bought rights at high rates will have to sit down with their books at the end of next year and strike out the red. Market forces will pull prices down as the high price cannot be sustained. As a sports marketing company, I can bid a certain amount but if it is not in touch with the reality, then I stand to lose.

    Sports bodies, however, have to realise that the value that sponsors attach to the older formats of the game will increasingly be less. A sports body, though, will not lose money as it will get transferred from one format of the game to the other.

     

    Even the 2010 soccer World Cup rights went for a five-fold rise. Why?
    You cannot underestimate the fact that soccer is catching up. This is especially the case in urban India which has been fed a diet of quality football from world leagues.

    The awareness of global soccer icons due to the media coverage is also high. This is why premier tournaments are time bound. It has the carnival atmosphere. People follow certain teams. Once people watch it, advertisers also want to be in on the action.

     

    You wanted to do a league around soccer with AIFF and use the franchise model. What happened to that?
    We worked on a plan around a year ago. We did not go anywhere because of a combination of reasons. Firstly there already exists a certain kind of league. The soccer development process in India is not as robust as it should be.

    If the AIFF actually chalks out a 20-year plan to grow soccer at the grassroots level and has a realistic target, it can work. It is not about sending the team to the next World Cup.

    Cricket has been managed well at the administrative level. Cricket has also had periodic highs like winning the 1983 World Cup. This ensures that interest stays. After the 1950s, there has not been a high in soccer. Even followers of the sport do not have role models to look up to. If the AIFF comes up with a proper plan, then I am sure that there are enough corporates out there who are willing to invest.

    Bharti Airtel has committed Rs 100 crore. If it is spent in the right manner, it will give you results in 10-15 years. But thinking about reaching the 2010 World Cup final is a folly when you cannot reach a South Asian tournament.
     
    How has your work with the AFC been progressing?
    It has done well. The Asia Cup is held every four years. The AFC Champions League happens every two years. Everybody plays it. Australia has come through. We work with the Australian Football Association also on their leagues. Australia reaching the soccer World Cup was a culmination of many years of work. The sport has been revived as the body had a long term plan.

     

    What activities does WSG do in Golf?
    We acquired the rights for the Indian Open which is the most prestigious event. The deal is for six years and slowly we have been able to increase the prize money. The Indian Open is now a million dollar product. Next year we will add $250,000 more to the event.

    Our aim is to take the prize money to $5 million given the fact that Golf is slowly growing in appeal in India. Our goal is to develop another multi-million dollar golf property in the first half of the year. We want to have two Indian Golf events that occupy a prominent position on the Asian Tour calendar.

    What is working in our favour is the fact that marketing managers today want to invest to reach different levels of the strata.

     

    What are the plans in the player representation business?
    In India cricket is intricately linked to player management. You cannot stay away from this. We figured that small entrepreneurs were running this business. There was no professional marketing company running athletes in India. To a large extent this is still the case.

    We manage Sachin Tendulkar. We have a five-year deal with him so that we can monetise his brand. Since Sachin has aged, we have moved away from brands that he was endorsing in the past. He is a family man; his core values are honesty, integrity and long-term commitment. That is why you have brands like Aviva, Royal Bank of Scotland and Canon. We are looking at brands that can go past his playing days.
     
    Are you looking at more stars?
    Yes, but a decision will only be taken after the second season of the IPL gets over. Player management is a tricky business. We have to be convinced that the player wants a long-term partnership rather than a short term money-making venture.

     

    What impact will the economic downturn have on the business of sports marketing?
    There will certainly be an impact. What the extent will be is early to say. Numbers will get reduced by 15-20 per cent. It will depend on the extent that the global economic crisis has on India.

    We may have to look at our cost basis. We have to re-look at future acquisitions; we will have to work with experts to get a fix on what the economy might look like three or five years down the line before making another acquisition. Our buys will be made on the basis of market realities.

  • ESS plugs football presenters in Singapore

    MUMBAI: ESPN STAR Sports took to the streets in Singapore this week with an outdoor campaign featuring their English sports news presenters on wholly painted buses.

    John Dykes
    The campaign features John Dykes, host of ESS’ football news and highlights programmes; David Basheer, host of ESS’ UEFA sports news coverage; and Jason Dasey and Bethan Evans, presenters of SportsCenter Asia.

    The three-month campaign aims to establish the sports network’s most recognizable presenters as the sports experts who deliver the latest news to its audience in Singapore. Design was created by Litt Lindden Design & Associates led by Creative Director Suvajit Das.

  • BBC Worldwide profits up 24 per cent to £111 million

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of UK pubcaster the BBC, has published its Annual Review for 2006-07. Profits are up 24 per cent to £111.1 million. It recorded sales of £810.4 million including BBC Worldwide’s share of joint ventures (2005-06: £785.1m).

    The proportion of sales to outside the UK was up by five per cent year on year to 46 per cent. Investment in BBC-commissioned programmes was also up at £96.3 million from £89 million in 2005/06, with total programme investment at £103.6m.

    Highlights of the year include continued strong profits growth, healthy international sales of hit shows and formats around the world, the refreshing of the company’s wholly owned channel portfolio and laying the foundations for strong digital revenue growth.

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith says, “BBC Worldwide has achieved a three-fold increase in profits in the last three years. We have exceeded expectations in most of our businesses over the past 12 months, reflecting healthy returns from our new Channels business, strong TV catalogue sales and growing demand internationally for BBC formats. We are now investing to build our digital offering and strengthen our position in markets such as the US, China, India and Australia, creating one of the world’s premier content networks.”

    BBC Worldwide non-executive chairman Etienne de Villiers says, “BBC Worldwide has reached a watershed. It has proven capable of delivering against a demanding business plan with commercial efficiency; it now is poised to grow significantly with new product lines and in exciting markets.”

    BBC DG Mark Thompson says, “BBC Worldwide continues to deliver excellent returns for licence payers from the content they help fund us to make. Its success is increasingly critical to our ability to invest in original creative programming for audiences in the UK, and the company is playing major part in taking those programmes out to the rest of the world.”

    Global Channels recorded sales of £169 million and profit of £20.9 million. 28 channels are available in over 259 million homes around the world, broadcasting in 15 different languages. New BBC-branded channel portfolio was developed. These are BBC Entertainment, BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle, CBeebies and BBC HD.

    BBC Entertainment replaced BBC Prime in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. It launched in India earlier this year together with the pre-school brand, CBeebies.

    Global Channels joined forces with the distribution and ad sales teams from BBC World allowing the teams to present a single face to market for all six BBC-branded channels. UKTV, the joint venture with Virgin Media, had a good year with its Sky carriage deal being renewed, commercial audiences growing by 18 per cent and an ad sales performance above the market average.

    BBC Worldwide recorded global TV sales of £216.4 million and profit of £40.2 million. BBC Worldwide TV sales and content and production revenue broadly accounted for 38 per cent of total UK TV exports last year (compared to 32 per cent the previous year).

    The year’s most successful new titles included Doctor Who, Robin Hood, Torchwood, Life on Mars, 9/11 – The Twin Towers and Planet Earth. The latter was viewed in 95 countries and territories and grossing in excess of £22m in global sales to date.

    Sales to Europe (ex-UK) were up by 23 per cent from £46.5 million to £57.1 million, aided by a country by country analysis of market tastes and tailored sales strategy.

    Sales to the Americas were up by 17.2 per cent but profits were impacted by a high proportion of co-production deals on which BBC Worldwide makes lower margins and the US dollar weakening against sterling.

    In the rest of the world profits were up 26.9 per cent although the strong pound had some impact on results. The BBC’s first ever co-production with China was secured – Wild China with CCTV. In Australia drama was a particularly powerful revenue driver.

    The key event of the year remains BBC Showcase. This, BBC Worldwide says, is the world’s largest trade event hosted by a single distributor. In February 2007, the event boasted 600 hours of new content and attracted over 550 buyers from all over the world. BBC Worldwide’s catalogue now includes 2000 hours of programming available for digital distribution and over 220 hours of High Definition content.

    BBC Worldwide’s FM radio joint venture with Mid Day Multimedia Ltd saw the re-launch of the radio station in Mumbai, plus new stations launching in Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore.

    In the Content and Production division sales were £52.9 million. Profit was £9.5 million. Growth was driven by the success of Dancing with the Stars, a hit in over 41 countries. Existing formats continued to deliver, such as Weakest Link in France, Friends Like These and The Generation Game in South Africa, and It Takes Two and Honey We’re Killing the Kids in Australia and New Zealand.

    Just the Two of Us became the first BBC entertainment format to be licensed to a Chinese broadcaster (Hunan TV). In Australia, where it plays as It Takes Two, a second series launched in 2007. The format has also been licensed in Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, Russia, Croatia and the Ukraine. A joint venture deal was announced with Australian independent producer, the Freehand Group. A worldwide network of local production offices was planned. BBC Worldwide is also developing loveearth.com, a natural history portal to support the launch of Earth the movie in autumn 2007/08.

    Magazines sales were £171.3 million and the profit was £20 million. The firm says that the magazines division performed well in a flat market, growing its circulation revenues and increasing its share of advertising revenues. One in four UK adults reads a BBC title every month. The year’s best-performing magazines were Top Gear, Good Food, Doctor Who Adventures and CBeebies Weekly in terms of circulation growth. Subscriptions across portfolio now up to 650,000. International licences up to 33 across 57 territories.

    Worldwide Media, a JV with the Times of India, secured licence to publish Hello! in India in May. Magazine websites bbcgoodfood.com and radiotimes.com were improved and relaunched. Countryfile magazine will be launched later this year.

    Losses in children magazines (previously a stand-alone business) continued and the business was moved into Home Entertainment where it can benefit from the combined management expertise in publishing and licensing. Sales from merchandising licences grew to almost £9 million (highest level for five years); Doctor Who was the fastest-growing licence in the UK children’s market in 2006.

    Digital media sales were £13.9 million. The division concluded a series of video on demand (VOD), web distribution and mobile deals around the world. New VoD customers included Netflix in the US and Telstra Big Pond in Australia. Investments went into key propositions bbc.com and the commercial media player. Digital Media is now responsible for the delivery of new websites or the re-launches of existing sites across all areas of BBC Worldwide.

    A global content agreement was announced with YouTube in March. Four million videos were viewed on the BBCW channel on YouTube in its first month of operation. New mobile clients included mobile operators TU Media in Asia, Vodafone’s New Zealand network and the 3 network in Ireland. BBC Motion Gallery, which is BBC Worldwide’s TV clip sales business, announced a clip distribution deal with China’s state broadcaster, CCTV.

  • MTV announces 250 layoffs worldwide

    MTV announces 250 layoffs worldwide

    MUMBAI: MTV Networks International announced the elimination of 250 jobs at the company as part of their restructuring process.

    The Viacom-owned operation said that this is part of a move to focus on high-growth businesses and markets and boost operating margins.

    The Viacom Brand Solutions (VBS) Europe and VBS UK divisions, charged with developing targeted opportunities for advertisers across the MTVNI portfolio; as well as the consumer products, program sales and digital media units will maintain their existing structures.

    The 250 layoffs include the restructuring that took place at MTV Networks Asia in Singapore at the end of last year. In Latin America, further regionalization is being planned, with some functions at the Miami headquarters relocating to Buenos Aires. Ad sales and affiliate sales will remain in Miami, while Buenos Aires will be home to production, programming and creative strategy.

    In Europe, meanwhile, a portion of the Emerging Markets/Middle East group in London will relocate to Budapest, Hungary and Warsaw. A new structure will also be put in place in London to devote more support to revenue-generating areas and its biggest business, MTV Networks U.K.

    Some MTVNI functions will be merged with MTVN U.K., while others will be restructured to its existing global MTV Networks U.S. base. 

    Speaking about the changes MTVNI president Bob Bakish said that “(these changes) will position us well for the next phase of our growth-increasing our operating margins through more efficient corporate structures, while also mobilizing our resources to build our multiplatform brand portfolios in priority markets and expand growing revenue areas such as ad sales, digital media and consumer products.”

  • CNBC Asia Pacific appoints director, news and programming

    CNBC Asia Pacific appoints director, news and programming

    MUMBAI: CNBC announced the appointment of John Casey to its Asia Pacific team, as the Director, news and programming. Casey reports to Jeremy Pink, president and managing director of CNBC Asia Pacific. Casey, based in Singapore, heads the news and programming division of the network in this region.

    In his capacity, Casey will oversee CNBC’s efforts to enhance the network’s programming. His responsi-bilities include supervising the development of content, talent and program schedule for CNBC Asia Pacific, ensuring the high quality of CNBC’s daily output, and developing new, compelling content for CNBC’s broadcast, mobile and broadband platforms.

    Casey joins CNBC in Asia Pacific, from CNBC Europe, based in London. He was the deputy head of news and the executive producer, Worldwide Exchange and Power Lunch. Casey has had more than a decade of experience in the production of business and financial news programs, and the management of news networks.

    He was instrumental in launching Worldwide Exchange, the world’s first global, tri-anchored, live newscast, simultaneously broadcast from Asia, Europe and the United States. He had also developed CNBC Europe’s rolling, volume-driven ticker, and the FTSE CNBC Global 300 Index, in collaboration with FTSE. He helped establish CNBC Nordic, in Denmark, and CNBCe in Turkey. He had also designed and built the CNBC Europe newsroom system.

    “John’s tremendous experience in the production of business and financial news content, his superior ability in managing a news room and his keen instinct for stories, coupled with his unwavering sense of editorial integrity, makes him a valuable member of our editorial and management team,” Pink said. “We’re delighted to have John head our news and programming division in Asia Pacific.”

  • IPTV revenues to touch $512 million in 2007: Frost & Sullivan

    IPTV revenues to touch $512 million in 2007: Frost & Sullivan

    MUMBAI: Dwindling wireline revenues, consumer demand for greater control over viewing preferences, and the explosion of broadband in various high growth markets across Asia-Pacific represent the impetus for the development of IPTV in the region.

    While service providers across Asia-Pacific have invested heavily in the network infrastructure required to offer such services, the key success factor for IPTV lies in the gamut of content that service providers are able to provide consumers.

    New analysis from global growth consulting company, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific IPTV Market, reveals that revenues in this market – covering 12 major Asia-Pacific countries ex-Japan – is estimated to increase from $353.4 million in 2006 to $512.4 million next year. Growing at a compound annual growth rate of 37.5 per cent (2006-2013), the region’s IPTV market is forecasted to be worth $3.3 billion by end-2013.

    Frost & Sullivan senior research analyst Aravind Venkatesh says, “IPTV is the next notable wave in the consumer telecom space and service providers are planning to leverage this new technology to offer high quality interactive services to customers. While revenues from fixed-line services continue to decline, IPTV is likely to reduce churn, increase ARPU (average revenue per user) levels, and generate revenue streams in the long term.”

    IPTV is presently available in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, and is expected to be introduced in India and the Philippines in 2007. Countries like China, India and Australia are expected to be high growth markets by 2009.

    China, in particular, holds immense potential as it has the largest broadband subscriber base in Asia-Pacific. Residential subscribers constitute approximately 70 per cent of China’s 47.8 million broadband subscriber base. China together with Hong Kong, which is said to be one of the most sophisticated IPTV markets in the world, is expected to account for nearly 60 percent of the region’s IPTV revenues by end-2013.

    While initial response from end users has been positive, service providers face the challenge of procuring quality and regional content, most of which is exclusively offered by cable and satellite operators. The lack of quality content is a common problem for service providers across the region. Although partnerships with content providers and broadcasting companies aid in securing access rights, cable TV providers or IPTV market leaders already have exclusive access to the content.

    Venkatesh adds, “The lack of sufficient bandwidth and highly skewed broadband distribution are major inhibitors for the growth of IPTV in Asia-Pacific. While Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Japan are mature markets for broadband, developing markets like China, India and Malaysia have dismally low broadband penetration.”

    The lack of bandwidth in developing markets requires the implementation of high compression codecs and watermarking technologies to achieve the expected quality of service (QoS) levels. This may however be only a short-term solution. Service providers should scale their networks rapidly to offer bandwidth-hungry applications to consumers.

  • Australia Network looks to expand reach into India

    Australia Network looks to expand reach into India

    MUMBAI: Global satellite services communciations provider Intelsat has announced that Australia Network, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s international television channel, has renewed its multi-year contract with Intelsat.

    It has expanded the contract to include transmission services on an additional satellite.Using the Intelsat global system, Australia Network will now be able to distribute programming beyond its existing Asia-Pacific footprint to reach new viewers in the cable neighborhoods of the South Asian region served by Pas-10 and to be positioned for additional access into new markets such as India and the Middle East.

    Under the terms of the new agreement, Intelsat will also provide Australia Network with turnaround services from its leased teleport facilities in Singapore. Prior to this contract, Australia Network only had available a single time feed. Intelsat’s enhanced fleet and teleport facilities now enable the broadcaster to transmit its programming in three prime time feeds covering the Pacific island nations, Asian land mass and South Asia regions.

    Australia Network CEO Ian Carroll says, “As Australia Network was seeking wider distribution in the region, we needed a service provider that would enable us to accomplish multiple business goals with one turnkey offering, and Intelsat provided that solution. Our long-standing relationship with Intelsat was enhanced with the inclusion of PAS-10 transmission services into the South Asia markets and we look forward to continued growth of this relationship.”

    Intelsat regional VP, Asia-Pacific, David Ball said, “For Intelsat, helping our customers achieve their strategic business goals is top priority. With respect to Australia Network, our solution is unique in the market and showcases Intelsat’s regional strength for video distribution through its expanded satellite fleet and terrestrial infrastructure. We are proud that Australia Network is entrusting us to transmit its programming into these new markets.”

  • FremantleMedia sells shows to Asian channels at ATF

    FremantleMedia sells shows to Asian channels at ATF

    MUMBAI: Following its attendance at the recently concluded Asia Television Forum (ATF), television format creator and distributor FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has announced a number of deals concluded at the recent market in Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.

    In the Philippines celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s shows were sold. Jamie’s Kitchen, Jamie’s Great Italian Escape and Oliver’s Twist were sold to ABS-CBN’s Lifestyle Network, marking the first time that Jamie will appear on a Filipino network. Jamie’s shows form part of a larger lifestyle package sold to ABS-CBN, which includes a range of other programmes from FremantleMedia Enterprises’ star-studded line up.

    FME VP, sales, Asia Pacific Paul Ridley tied up a deal seeing a package of entertainment, factual, reality and drama programming going to Onmedia a pay TV operator in Korea. The package includes American Idol, Project Runway, Jamie At Home, Jamie’s Return to School Dinners, The Apprentice, Martha, How Clean Is Your House, Property Ladder, Falcon Beach, The Janice Dickinson Modelling Agency.

    In Malaysia the focus was on reality, where broadcaster Media Prima acquired some of the biggest US ratings hits including American Idol, The Apprentice, Project Runway and American Inventor.

    Tying up the deals concluded at the ATF is the raft of programming on its way to Mediacorp TV in Singapore, which acquired a mix of reality and factual programmes, with programmes such as Project Runway, American Idol, The Apprentice, Prehistoric Park, Bills Food, and Jamie at Home heading to Singaporean screens.

    FME CEO David Ellender commented, “Such an impressive list of sales is a credit to both Paul and Ganesh, whose commitment to building and fostering key relationships in the Asia Pacific region is reapinggreat benefits for FME, both in terms of sales and development. After such a successful ATF, we now look forward to continuing that momentum as we look towards Natpe and beyond into 2007.”

  • Bachchan to announce IIFA Weekend at House of Commons

    Bachchan to announce IIFA Weekend at House of Commons

    MUMBAI: On Wednesday 8 November, the House of Commons will play host to the official announcement of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and the IDEA IIFA Awards in Yorkshire in June 2007.

    IIFA’s Brand Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan will be speaking at the reception alongside dignitaries, including Secretary of State, Tessa Jowell, Leader of the House, Jack Straw, and the High Commissioner of India to the UK, Kamlesh Sharma, to celebrate the return of the IIFA Weekend to the UK, informs an official release.

    As the leading location for investment in Europe, dignitaries will be speaking about the economic benefit for both national and regional business partnerships with India. One of the key members of the Indian delegation is Sanjeev Aga, president of Birla Nuevo, one of India’s leading investors in Britain. Additionally, Judith Donovan, chairperson for the Yorkshire Tourism Board and Tom Riordan from Yorkshire Forward will be announcing details of IIFA Weekend and the anticipated impact for Yorkshire business and tourism, the release adds.

    Speaking about the launch of the Idea IIFA Awards, Idea Cellular MD Sanjeev Aga says, “After the phenomenal success of the Idea IIFA Awards in Dubai, Idea is eagerly looking forward to the Idea IIFA Awards in Yorkshire. IIFA offers us the best platform to demonstrate the true essence of mobile and entertainment convergence. With IDEA IIFA, our privileged customer will have access to specially created merchandise, contests, video and MMS downloads and several other value added services. Only Idea can and will take you there.”

    Bachchan, who was voted BBC’s Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 pushing behind Hollywood’s biggest stars and heartthrobs, will focus on the rising popularity of Indian cinema as a major global business, with an estimated global audience for the IIFA Awards in 2007 of over 480 million.

    Now in its eighth year, the IIFA Weekend has previously visited Amsterdam, Dubai, Singapore, London, Malaysia and South Africa. As a direct consequence of the IIFA celebrations, tourism and business investment to each of these destinations has increased tremendously, making a major impact. Yorkshire was successful in its bid to attract the event organizers attention and the bid presentation was supported by prime minister Tony Blair.

    The House of Commons launch event will be followed by a five-city launch the next day in the company of the Mayors of York, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford, who will flag off the IIFA Weekend announcement along with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The five-city launch will be held at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (NMPFT), Bradford.

    Previous IIFA Weekend events have hosted popular celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Shekhar Kapur, Ashok Amritraj, Jean Claude Van Damme, Bo Derek, Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh Khan and others. IIFA Weekend celebrations, which were launched at the Millennium Dome in 2000, have travelled across South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Amsterdam and Dubai. IIFA Weekend Yorkshire marks the return of the celebration which has already become one of the world’s most-watched and sought after event.