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Tag: William Wade

  • Andrew Jordan announced successor of AsiaSat’s William Wade

    Andrew Jordan announced successor of AsiaSat’s William Wade

    MUMBAI: Asia Satellite Telecommunications has announced the retirement of its executive director, president and CEO William Wade. He will serve his last day in the company on 1 November 2016 but will stay back as the senior advisor of AsiaSat until 31 March 2017.

    Andrew Jordan will be appointed by the board to succeed Wade with effect from 1 November 2016. Jordan 56 has over 25 years of experience in the satellite industry. He was the general manager in the marketing department of AsiaSat from 1991 to 1993.

    “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Wade for his years of dedicated and exceptional service. AsiaSat’s solid reputation in the industry and its strong commitment to quality and reliability are a credit to his leadership. We look forward to his contributions as the senior advisor to assist in the leadership transition,” said AsiaSat chairman JU Wei Min.

    He further added, “I would like to welcome back Jordan, who is an industry veteran with extensive experience, knowledge and contacts across the satellite communications, broadcast and telecom industries. We are confident that he has the strategic vision and experience to drive AsiaSat’s next phase of growth.”

    Jordan has held executive positions with several satellite operators, and has led complex deal negotiations in China, Hong Kong SAR, Australia, Italy and the United Kingdom. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

  • Andrew Jordan announced successor of AsiaSat’s William Wade

    Andrew Jordan announced successor of AsiaSat’s William Wade

    MUMBAI: Asia Satellite Telecommunications has announced the retirement of its executive director, president and CEO William Wade. He will serve his last day in the company on 1 November 2016 but will stay back as the senior advisor of AsiaSat until 31 March 2017.

    Andrew Jordan will be appointed by the board to succeed Wade with effect from 1 November 2016. Jordan 56 has over 25 years of experience in the satellite industry. He was the general manager in the marketing department of AsiaSat from 1991 to 1993.

    “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Wade for his years of dedicated and exceptional service. AsiaSat’s solid reputation in the industry and its strong commitment to quality and reliability are a credit to his leadership. We look forward to his contributions as the senior advisor to assist in the leadership transition,” said AsiaSat chairman JU Wei Min.

    He further added, “I would like to welcome back Jordan, who is an industry veteran with extensive experience, knowledge and contacts across the satellite communications, broadcast and telecom industries. We are confident that he has the strategic vision and experience to drive AsiaSat’s next phase of growth.”

    Jordan has held executive positions with several satellite operators, and has led complex deal negotiations in China, Hong Kong SAR, Australia, Italy and the United Kingdom. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

  • AsiaSat 6 to provide video services in China

    AsiaSat 6 to provide video services in China

    MUMBAI: AsiaSat 6 has received a permit to provide video services in Mainland China.

     

    The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of The People’s Republic of China (SAPPRFT) has recently given permission for AsiaSat 6 to serve Chinese broadcasters for video distribution to cable headends in China.

     

    Shanghai Interactive Television Co (SiTV), a subsidiary of Shanghai Oriental Pearl Media Co., has signed a contract with CITICSat, which holds the exclusive right to market AsiaSat 6 capacity in China to broadcast 10 High Definition (HD) pay TV channels.

     

    “AsiaSat satellites have been serving this market with high-quality satellite services since 1990. This new permit marks a major breakthrough for AsiaSat with our re-entry into the video services market in China. We are thrilled to work alongside CITICSat in offering broadcast clients in China a better choice for high quality satellite capacity to support advanced HD broadcasting,” said AsiaSat president and CEO William Wade.

     

    “We welcome SiTV on board AsiaSat as they become the first in a list of future Chinese broadcast customers. With their service launch later in January, AsiaSat 6 is able to provide strong support for the development of HD broadcasting in China,” Wade added.

     

    AsiaSat 6, an advanced Space Systems/Loral 1300 series satellite, is designed to provide excellent power and region-wide coverage at its nominal orbital location of 120 degrees East. With its high-powered C-band transponders and a design life of 15 years, AsiaSat 6 offers high quality capacity to the growing China video market.

  • AsiaSat announces new organisational structure

    AsiaSat announces new organisational structure

    MUMBAI: Asian satellite operator Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) has announced its new organisational structure to power the growth of the company in key Asian and global markets.

     

    Under the new organisational structure, both sales and business development teams will be headed by Philip Balaam. Under his expanded role as vice president, sales and business development, Balaam will assume new responsibilities in driving sales activities in all Asian markets while continuing to oversee the company’s business development initiatives.

     

    Sabrina Cubbon has been named vice president, marketing and global accounts. In her new capacity, Cubbon will focus on key global strategic accounts while continuing to lead the marketing, communications and corporate affairs functions of the company.

     

    Commenting on the new organisational structure, AsiaSat president and CEO William Wade said, “2015 is expected to be a challenging year for the satellite sector. I have confidence that our rebranding earlier this year has re-energised our brand presence and as equally important our entire team. With this new structure, we will better utilise our resources and more clearly focus our efforts in the market. By moving ourselves closer to our customers and partners, we are able to better understand and serve their needs.”

  • AsiaSat to launch UHD broadcast initiative in Asia

    AsiaSat to launch UHD broadcast initiative in Asia

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

  • AsiaSat 7 replaces the ageing AsiaSat 3S today

    AsiaSat 7 replaces the ageing AsiaSat 3S today

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • 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.”

  • AsiaSat signs long-term contract with EBU

    AsiaSat signs long-term contract with EBU

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Asiasat to launch 2 satellites, expand fleet to 6 in 2014

    Asiasat to launch 2 satellites, expand fleet to 6 in 2014

    MUMBAI: Space launch company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and AsiaSat has inked an agreement to launch in 2014 two communications satellites using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

     

    The regional satellite operator in Asia will, thus, expand its fleet from four to six satellites in 2014.

    Asiasat president, CEO William Wade said, “We are pleased to have SpaceX as our launch partner for the two upcoming missions. We look forward to the timely and successful launches of AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8, thereby expanding our fleet from four to six satellites in 2014 to provide more high quality and comprehensive satellite services in the Asia-Pacific region”.

     

    AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8 are scheduled to launch in the first half of 2014 from SpaceX’s launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA.

    Asiasat 6 will have 28 high-powered C-band transponders while Asiasat 8 will have 24 Ku-band transponders and a Ka-band beam. The high-powered transponders on the satellite will enable the use of small antennas on the ground. The two SS/L 1300 satellites will serve Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.

    SpaceX CEO, CTO Elon Musk said, “SpaceX is proud to be the choice of AsiaSat, a pioneer in advancing satellite communications in Asia. We are producing the most advanced launch vehicles in the world, and the international launch market has responded–commercial launches now represent over 60 per cent of our upcoming missions.”
  • Open Skies theme dominates Casbaa’s satellite forum

    Open Skies theme dominates Casbaa’s satellite forum

    MUMBAI: The 2006 Casbaa Satellite Industry Forum which was held a few days ago featured calls for governments to lower regulatory barriers to the provision of cross-border satellite services or face the prospect of international satellite providers re-directing new capacity away from Asia.

    Patience has reached a ‘critical point’ over regulatory stalemates in key markets such as China and India, is what more than 200 delegates heard at the Casbaa Forum in Singapore.

    The warnings came at a time when advances in digital technologies are providing multiple new opportunities for the delivery of satellite services. “If global operators feel forced to re-target their payloads because of a lack of potential market access, it will be the end-users in the domestic markets who feel the burden through higher charges,” the delegates were told.

    Korea’s SK Telecom has 550,000 subscribers to its TU Media service. Similar projects are now planned for a number of Asian markets. New DTH services are being launched in India and Indonesia while IPTV broadband via satellite and HDTV opportunities have added to unprecedented demand for new satellite capacity.

    And, for this potential to be realised there is a need for more competition, more open market access, Open Skies and a change of mindset by governments, delegates heard.

    Asiasat deputy CEO William Wade says,“There are tremendous opportunities in Asia today and for the coming years” .

    SES Global VP Market Development, South Asia Deepak Mathur noted that even though the regulatory environment is generally stable, the interpretation of the rules tends more and more to favour restricted access. “This is a really serious challenge” he says.

    While telecom markets such as cellular services have unleashed widespread competition, all too often Asia Pacific satellite markets remain constrained by the concept of protecting national incumbents or flagship monopolies.

    Intelsat executive VP and general council Phil Spector says, “This should be a thing of the past,” said. He added that the international satellite community is already operating in the newly competitive world. “The days of ‘build and they will come’ have long gone,” he said.

    One point that was made at the forum was that a harmonised approach to reform can deliver positive outcomes. Such outcomes include greater economies of scale for operators, local user capacity at cheaper prices and help rural users gain access.

    Delivering the keynote address at the Casbaa Forum, China Association of Communication Enterprises vice chairman Hao Wei Min said that satellite is an important instrument for China to provide rural connectivity as part of the government’s five-year plan. “This year some 20,000 villages will be connected via satellite and by 2007, we will have 100 per cent connectivity,” he said.

    Casbaa chairman Marcel Fenez, said, “The satellite industry, and Casbaa members in particular, are benefiting hugely from the explosion of demand for video content over all kinds of networks.”