Kuala Lumpur, 14 August 2014: MEASAT Global Berhad (“MEASAT”) announced today the MEASAT-3b satellite has been scheduled for launch on 12 September MYT (11 September GFT) from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

“MEASAT is pleased to be able to confirm the revised MEASAT-3b launch date,” said Paul Brown-Kenyon, Chief Executive Officer, MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. “Once operational, MEASAT-3b will be a key contributor to the Asian pay TV landscape, supporting Direct-To-Home television platforms serving more than 18 million households.”

MEASAT-3b’s 48 high-powered Ku-band transponders will expand Direct-To-Home and VSAT services across Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Australia. MEASAT-3b will be co-located with MEASAT-3 and MEASAT-3a at 91.5°E, creating the region’s most powerful and robust orbital location.

Updates on the MEASAT-3b launch can be found at http://www.measat.com/3b.

About MEASAT

MEASAT is a premium supplier of satellite communication services to leading international broadcasters, Direct-To-Home (DTH) platforms and telecom operators. With capacity across five (5) communication satellites, the company provides satellite services to over 150 countries representing 80% of the world’s population across Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and Australia.

The MEASAT fleet includes the state-of-the-art MEASAT-3 and MEASAT-3a satellites at 91.5°E supporting Asia’s premium DTH and video distribution neighborhood; MEASAT-2 at 148.0°E; and, MEASAT-5 at 119.5°E. In Africa, the AFRICASAT-1a satellite at 46.0°E provides satellite capacity across the African continent with connectivity to Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia. The MEASAT fleet will be further strengthened with the addition of MEASAT-3b in September 2014 and MEASAT-3c in H2 2015.

Leveraging facilities at the MEASAT Teleport and Broadcast Centre, and working with a select group of world-class partners, MEASAT also provides a complete range of broadcast and telecommunications solutions. Services include 3D, high definition and standard definition video playout, video turnaround, co-location, uplinking, broadband and IP termination services. For more information, please visit www.measat.com.

Contact
Ilham Bakti Adnan
+60 (3) 8213 2154
ilham@measat.com

PHILIPPINES, 13 August 2014 – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Asia today announced the appointment of Dinna Zaratan as its new Philippines Country Manager, effective 1 September. In this role, Ms Zaratan will oversee the operations of the Philippines office, across Viacom’s MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Comedy Central brands, while developing the long-term strategic plan in the Philippines. Ms Zaratan will report to Tan Chee Kiat (CK), Chief Operating Officer, VIMN Asia, working closely with him to seek out new opportunities that will bring VIMN’s presence in this key market to the next level, while tasked to bring in new revenue streams from the Philippines.

“We are well positioned to accelerate the growth of our brands’ presence in the Philippines, as we continue to extend our product offering by bringing new channels into the market. Coupled with our focus to deliver more localized content to our audiences, which we have done with the entry of MTV Pinoy, I am excited about the leadership Dinna will bring to the position that signals the importance and growing commitment Viacom International Media Networks Asia has towards the Philippines,” said Tan CK, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom International Media Networks Asia. “She is a strategic thinker with a strong understanding of consumer demand. Added with her wealth of advertising and media experience in the Philippines, we believe these are the qualities that will lead us to further expand our presence and help serve our affiliates, licensees and clients better in the Philippines.”

Formerly with Zenith Optimedia, Ms Zaratan brings with her nearly two decades of experience in the advertising and media industry. Most recently, she completed her two-year tenure at Zenith Optimedia as a Division Head and the head of Nestle Philippines account. Prior to that, she was the Programming Director and Head of Content and Communications at FIC, where she led the team to programme the Philippines feed with the support of each local channel head. Ms Zaratan was also at MPB Primedia – TV5, MindShare Philippines, Oglivy & Mather Advertising and McCann-Erickson Philippines.

-end-

About Viacom International Media Networks

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is comprised of many of the world’s most popular multimedia entertainment brands, including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Channel, VH1, VIVA, COLORS, Game One and Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más. Viacom brands are seen globally in more than 600 million households in 170 territories and 37 languages via more than 200 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 550 digital media and mobile TV properties. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom’s blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.

(Aug 12, 2014) Verimatrix has appointed Mike Kleiman as COO of the company, a position that was created to support its rapid growth.

He joins Verimatrix from Verizon Digital Media Services, where he served as COO of the New Products Division.

Read more at Broadband TV News

Telstra’s Global Applications and Platform Group has made its first acquisition via the purchase of a 98 per cent stake in Silicon Valley-based video streaming and analytics company, Ooyla, valued at $US270 million.

The move increases the telecommunication provider’s existing investment of $US61m (23 per cent) in the company.

See more at Computer World 

Express from the US, Original Productions and Fresh Franchises
Making an Impact in South East Asia

Singapore, 12 August 2014 – NBCUniversal International Television’s bouquet of channels – DIVA, E!, Universal Channel and Syfy – have recorded significant growth in viewership with strong overall performance in South East Asia during the first half of 2014. This success is a direct result of the increased investment in programming, including the initiative to increase the volume of programming coming Express from the U.S. including Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Suits and Rookie Blue and invest in original, locally produced content, such as It Takes GUTZ To Be A Gutierrez. Other new projects include new hit franchise film Sharknado 2: The Second One and “DIVA Presents Telemundo” – the first-ever back-to-back Latin American/Hispanic telenovela block on a regional English-language general entertainment channel in Asia.

“Our stellar ratings success for the first half of 2014 proves that we are on the right track – not only when it comes to building a robust content strategy but also in terms of offering a value proposition that engages and resonates with our viewers in the region,” said Christine Fellowes, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Universal Networks International. “We will continue to consolidate our efforts and further invest in fast-tracked series, original productions and programming that is first and exclusive.”

Building on this success with local viewers, NBCUniversal International Television is set to increase its investment in Express, fresh and locally relevant programming. Starting from the fourth quarter of 2014, DIVA viewers can look forward to the Express telecast of critically acclaimed period drama Downton Abbey (season five), award-winning comedy Brooklyn Nine Nine (season two) and fan favourite Atlantis (season two), along with the return of Asia’s original supermodel competition series – Supermodel Me (season five) – in November.

Primetime viewership on DIVA, Asia’s leading entertainment channel for women, was up across the region. DIVA was up by 76% in Singapore (Women 20-44) and 64% in Philippines (Women 16+). The channel was also the Number One English pay-TV channel out of nine female-skewing channels* in Malaysia. It consistently ranks among the Top 3 English General Entertainment/Lifestyle channels in the country.

As the home of celebrity news and entertainment, E! brings up to 90% of its first-run, pop of culture programming (Kardashians’ franchise, #RichKids and E! Entertainment Specials) within 48 hours after their U.S. debuts. Also in production is season two of hit original series It Takes GUTZ To Be A Gutierrez, which broke ratings records among key demographics and became E!’s most watched series in the Philippines since January 2013.

Promising “100% Characters,” Universal Channel’s signature series – rescue drama Chicago Fire (season three), fantasy thriller Grimm (season four) and magic prank show Tricked (season two) – return with new seasons within 48 hours after their world premieres. Joining the trio in getting the Express treatment is adventure drama The Librarians, airing within 24 hours after the U.S. in December. Primetime viewership for Universal Channel saw triple-digit increases across the region, particularly among Adults 20-44 in Philippines (153%).

Syfy continues to dominate the imagination-based genre. Last week, the primetime encore of Sharknado 2: The Second One boosted the channel’s ranking to Number One out of 19 English GE/lifestyle channels in Singapore among Men 16+. It also ranked Number Two in the category among total viewers and Adults 16+. In the U.S., the Syfy original garnered a record-setting 3.9 million total viewers and 1.6 million Adults 18-49, alongside one billion twitter impressions – making it the most social movie on TV, ever. The channel has also commissioned its first-ever Asian co-production, The Paranormal Zone, a reality-based documentary series that investigates Asia’s supernatural sights and sounds.

NBCUniversal International Television continues to strengthen its position in each of the channel’s distinct content offerings, including women’s entertainment (DIVA), pop culture and celebrity news (E!), character-driven dramas (Universal Channel) and comic, imagination-based stories (Syfy). This gives viewers in the region an exciting, one-of-a-kind, world-class television viewing experience that is hard to resist.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (Malaysia)/Arianna. Kantar Media Research (Singapore/Philippines)/Infosys. Total Urban Philippines. Individuals in pay TV homes.

*The nine female-skewing channels are Diva, E!, Lifetime, Life Inspired HD, Star World, Food Network HD, Discovery Home & Health, Asian Food Channel and TLC. Primetime in Malaysia is 7-11pm.

Primetime in the Philippines is 6-11pm.

– Ends –

NEW YORK (August 11, 2014) – A+ E Networks® has appointed Glen Hansen as Vice President, Content Sales, Asia-Pacific. The announcement was made today by Alan Hodges, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific and Joel Denton, Managing Director, International Content Sales & Partnerships, to whom Mr. Hansen will report.

Hodges said: “Glen is a welcome addition to our stellar in-region content sales team. Glen’s extensive sales expertise and knowledge of the Asia-Pacific television market is crucial to leading the Asia team, and expanding A+E Networks’ syndication business throughout the region.”

Mr. Hansen will oversee content sales for Asia, Australia and New Zealand beginning August 1. He will manage A+E Networks’ Asia-based sales team and maximize revenue from A+E Networks’ 11,000+ hour library. He will be based in Los Angeles.

Denton adds: “We are expanding our offering to include scripted fare, and Glen’s proximity to Hollywood and A+E Networks’ scripted programming partners will further strengthen our ability to service the content needs of broadcasters across Asia.”

Mr. Hansen joins A+E Networks from Zodiak Rights (UK), where he was Senior Vice President of Sales & Acquisitions for North America, overseeing co-productions, program and format sales, and program acquisitions. During his tenure, he also maximized sales revenues via strategic windowing across all media rights/platforms, including TV, SVOD, AVOD, TVOD and DVD. Prior to Zodiak Rights (UK), Mr. Hansen held senior sales positions at FOX LOOK, Target Entertainment Group, Granada International and Itel.

About A+E Networks
A+E Networks, LLC. is an award-winning global media content company offering consumers a diverse communications environment ranging from television networks to websites, to home videos/DVDs to gaming and educational software. A+E Networks is comprised of A&E® Network, Lifetime®, HISTORY®, LMN®, FYI™, H2™, HISTORY en Español™, Crime + Investigation™, Military HISTORY™, Lifetime Real Women®, A&E IndieFilms®, A+E Networks International®, A+E Networks Digital® and A+E Networks Consumer Products™. A+E Networks’ channels and branded programming reach more than 330 million households in over 160 countries. A+E Networks, LLC. is a joint venture of Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.

###

Media Contacts:
Kerri Tarmey, +1 212 551 1504 Shannon Kerr, +1 212 641 3341
Kerri.tarmey@aetn.com Shannon.kerr@aetn.com

(Aug 6, 2014) MP & Silva will distribute all of the matches for the European Qualifiers to UEFA EURO 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Japan.

Read more at OnScreen Asia

(Aug 8, 2014) A+E Networks has appointed Prem Kamath as deputy managing director for Asia Pacific, effective immediately.

Based in Singapore, Kamath will be in charge of the commercial, financial and operational functions of A+E Networks Asia, A+E Networks’ wholly-owned Southeast Asia business. He will also provide strategic support for A+E Networks’ portfolio of businesses throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and will have oversight of negotiations with affiliates, suppliers, clients and institutions for the company’s portfolio of channels, including HISTORY, Lifetime, H2, Crime + Investigation and BIO.

Read more at Rapid TV News

August 6, 2014 – Taiwan – FOX Sports Taiwan announced today that it closed a deal with Uni-Lions, one of the key teams in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), for rights to broadcast all its home games against rival team, the Lamigo-Monkeys, for the remainder of the current season starting from August 6. This is the first time CPBL games will be broadcast on FOX Sports. Broadcasts will be available in both SD and HD.

FOX Sports Taiwan is dedicated to bringing to sports fans in Taiwan a variety of international major sports events, including Major Leagues Baseball (MLB), Nippon Professional Baseball, National Basketball Association (NBA), the FIBA World Cup (basketball), the Australian Open (tennis), the French Open (tennis), the Wimbledon Championship (tennis), Formula E (motorsport), all the golf Majors, Ladies’ Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the UFC. FOX Sports also has the broadcast rights for the Bundesliga (football) starting from 2015. The agreement with Uni-Lions affirms FOX Sports’ commitment to viewers in Taiwan of bringing to them sports and events that matter to them.

Since FOX Sports launched in Taiwan in 2013, the network has put in great efforts into localizing the sports experience and providing the best sporting content most relevant to audiences in Taiwan. This includes building a FOX Sports studio in Taiwan, expanding the local production team, increasing the number of hours of locally produced programmes with tie-ins to international sporting events, and essentially creating a local sports production hub in Taiwan dedicated to delivering high quality content for Taiwan. In addition, from August 15 the FOX Sports network regionally, including in Taiwan, will be revamped to 3 channel brands – FOX Sports, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports 3 – which will further enhance the sports viewing experience.

On the broadcast agreement with Uni-Lions, Joanne Tsai, Executive Vice President & Managing Director for Taiwan and China at FOX International Channels, commented, “As the broadcaster of Major League Baseball, Nippon Professional Baseball and now CPBL games, we can proudly say that FOX Sports is truly the home of baseball in Taiwan. We are excited for this opportunity to air Uni-Lions’ home games against Lamigo-Monkeys and will apply FOX Sports’ extensive experience in live broadcasts of blockbuster international sporting events to ensure that we provide fans in Taiwan with the best possible viewing experience. In addition, with FOX Sports being part of the FOX International Channels, we will leverage the promotional resources of being part of a larger multi-genre network to drive even more viewership of Uni-Lion games and the CPBL. We will continue to work hard at securing even more locally relevant content to cater to the tastes of Taiwan sports fans.”

-END-

The FOX Sports Network Asia
The FOX Sports network is FOX International Channels’ portfolio of sports channels across Asia, delivering the most compelling LIVE sports events locally and from around the world, including the flagship daily sports news show FOX Sports Central. The network includes the linear channels FOX Sports, FOX Sports 2, FOX Sports 3, FOX Sports News, STAR Sports, STAR Sports 2 and its non-linear platforms FOX Sports Play and FOX Sports Mobile. All channels are available in stunning High Definition and content and commentary available in multiple languages, to deliver to viewers the best and most locally relevant viewing experience possible. The FOX Sports and STAR Sports channels are available across Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, China, Mongolia, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea reaching more than 40 million homes across the region. For more information, please visit www.foxsportsasia.com and FOXSportsAsia on Facebook.

FOX International Channels
FOX International Channels (FIC) is 21st Century FOX’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 300+ wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports, movie and lifestyle channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 45 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 1.6 billion cumulative households worldwide.

In Asia, FIC operates or distributes 30+ channel brands, including the FOX, STAR and National Geographic brands, with over 100 feeds across 14 markets. As the leading pay-TV network in the region, we reach more than 550 million cumulative subscribers across Asia Pacific and the Middle East with offices in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Australia and the UAE. For more information, please visit www.foxinternationalchannels.com.

Media Inquiries:

Mindy Lee (Taiwan)
+886 2 8752 8927
Mindy.Lee@fox.com

Kelly Jang (Asia)
Kelly.Jang@fox.com
+852 2621 8875

FIC pushes forward the global Chinese content wave by partnering with New Classics Media for the exclusive broadcast and distribution rights of the series outside of mainland China

August 7, 2014 – Hong Kong – FOX International Channels (FIC) Asia has announced that it has entered into an agreement with New Classics Media (NCM), a China-based film and television company, which grants FIC the exclusive broadcast and distribution rights in all markets outside of mainland China for NCM’s new modern-family comedy/drama series, Tiger Mom. The series will launch on STAR Chinese Channel (SCC), FIC’s leading Chinese entertainment channel, in various territories around the world at the same time as in mainland China. This is FIC Asia’s first collaboration on a television series produced in mainland China, as well as the most comprehensive partnership with a China-based media corporation FIC Asia has embarked on to date.

This is a milestone for FIC in its roadmap to taking Chinese content global. Whilst both production quality and demand for the content around the world are high, cases of made-in-China television series successfully crossing over to territories outside of the domestic market have been rare. As an international media company with deep roots and extensive operations and experience in Asia, FIC is in the ideal position to push forward this wave of Chinese content around the world. Through this partnership, Tiger Mom will gain access to markets worldwide through FIC’s global presence as well as the opportunity to leverage the network’s extensive international broadcasting, packaging and marketing experience, allowing it to reach more audiences in markets including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, Australasia, Europe, North and South America, Middle East and Africa.

Cora Yim, Senior Vice President of the Chinese Channels Group at FOX International Channels Asia, said, “Not only has the quantity of drama series made in mainland China increased significantly over the last several years, but so has the quality, yet very few have successfully been exported to overseas markets, except for maybe a few period dramas. It is our goal at FIC to bridge the gap between great Chinese content and the clear demand for it around the world. We have been steadily investing in Asian and Chinese channels and content for over 2 decades so we are in a great position to lead the charge in catering to this demand.”

WANG Qiao, International Business Director of New Classics Media, adds, “This collaboration with FOX International Channels will enable us to have a more comprehensive access to the international mass media. Through larger distribution networks, as well as more professional programme packaging and broadcasting methods, this will allow more audiences overseas to enjoy authentic Chinese TV programmes, with values that shape mainstream Chinese culture. “

The series’ celebrity cast, cross-over ability of its theme and the reputation of NCM were factors which drove FIC’s decision to make Tiger Mom its first foray into produced-in-China drama series. Cora Yim explains, “The term ‘Tiger Mom’ is a hot buzz phrase in pop culture right now, driven by the stereotype of the determined, tough-love Asian mother with extremely high expectations of her children, so we saw an opportunity to capitalize on this trend with this series. Coupled with the theme of children’s education which is a relevant and hotly debated topic everywhere, we believe this show has legs and marketability outside of China and has the potential to be as successful overseas as Chinese historical and martial arts shows and movies have been in the past. ” She adds, “We’ve been patiently waiting for the right project and partner to jump into content produced in China. When Tiger Mom came along we just felt everything was right, from the theme to the cast to the production company. NCM does fantastic work and we believe we’ve found the right partner.”

Tiger Mom explores love, relationships and the challenges of raising a child in modern day China. The series follows a set of parents and their young daughter. Smart, successful in their careers and happy with their home life, the couple feels blessed, however turmoil begins when their daughter starts school and their darling angel seems to be behind all her peers and unable keep up. Conflict arises between the type-A ‘tiger mom’ and the more docile ‘cat’ dad in their methods to get their daughter up to speed. It’s the battle between ‘tiger’ and ‘cat,’ with their family’s happiness hanging in the balance. Tiger Mom stars Zhao Wei and Tong Dawei, renowned actors recognized in China and overseas amongst Chinese content fans. The series also marks Zhao Wei’s highly anticipated return to the screen after a 6 year hiatus.

-END-

ABOUT NEW CLASSICS MEDIA (NCM)

Founded in 2007, New Classics Media has dedicated itself in making film and television series. Over the past few years, NCM has established a strong relationship by working with many prominent directors and scriptwriters. NCM has earned recognition and praise in the film and TV industries, due to its professional team, rich experience, and excellent human resources. NCM aims to become a leading film and television company in China.

ABOUT STAR CHINESE CHANNELS (SCC)

STAR CHINESE CHANNEL is the leading Chinese language channel produced elaborately by FIC. It is an integrated family entertainment channel especially designed for the Chinese audience. For a long time, STAR CHINESE CHANNEL continues to be the popular channel among the Chinese audiences worldwide. Various types of programs are presented on STAR CHINESE CHANNEL, including games, interviews, exteriors, delicacies and exciting dramatic programs.

About FOX INTERNATIONAL CHANNELS (FIC)

FOX International Channels is 21st Century FOX’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 300+ wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports, movie and lifestyle channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 48 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 1.6 billion cumulative households worldwide.

In Asia, FIC operates or distributes 30+ channel brands, including the FOX, STAR and National Geographic brands, with over 100 feeds across 14 markets. As the leading pay-TV network in the region, we reach more than 550 million cumulative subscribers across Asia Pacific and the Middle East with offices in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Australia, New Zealand and the UAE. For more information, please visit www.foxinternationalchannels.com

Media Inquiries:
Kelly Jang | Director, Trade Marketing | FOX International Channels Asia
Tel: +852 2621 8875
Email: Kelly.Jang@fox.com