Deal marks the first appearance of BBC World News, BBC Knowledge and BBC Lifestyle

(Wednesday, 30, January 2013, Singapore)… BBC Worldwide has inked a deal that will see the inaugural launch of three of BBC’s pay TV channels in Cambodia– BBC World News, BBC Knowledge and BBC Lifestyle on Cambodia’s newest digital pay TV platform, One TV.

BBC World News is the BBC’s commercially-funded international 24-hour news and information channel. BBC Knowledge showcases high-quality factual entertainment from the world’s foremost producers of non-fiction and documentary programming; while BBC Lifestyle offers inspiration for home, family and life with programmes on home and design, food, fashion and style, to entertain, engage and inspire viewers

All three channels will officially launch on One TV, the first provider of digital TV services in Cambodia. With this launch, BBC World News, BBC Knowledge and BBC Lifestyle will now be potentially available to the 1.2 million households subscribing to the Cambodian DTT service.

“We are very excited to officially launch our channels in Cambodia,” commented Mark Whitehead, Senior Vice President and General Manager of BBC Worldwide Channels Asia. “We ended last year with introducing BBC World News, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies in Burma for the first time; and we have kicked off 2013 with entry in another new market – Cambodia – where we are proud to be delivering our wide range of highly rated and award-winning programming to viewers. We are confident that this year, we will deliver our great content to even more new viewers in Asia.”

Colin Lawrence, Director of Distribution, Global News Limited, said: “This latest partnership the BBC has undertaken with One TV is another important foothold for BBC World News – not just in Asia, but globally; BBC World News is fresh from announcing landmark distribution deals in Burma, and in the US. We could not be entering the Cambodian market at a better time – the channel has just relaunched from new, state-of-the-art studios in central London in an ongoing commitment to its viewers to bring them the highest quality in newsgathering, production, along with its already established reputation as a global news channel that delivers accurate and impartial news.”

Mr. Samir Badzhadzh, CEO, One TV, also commented, “Viewers in Cambodia appreciate quality content. We are thus delighted to partner with inspirational broadcasting corporations like the BBC and BBC Worldwide to bring amazing viewing experiences to our subscribers.”

More information on the Channels

BBC World News, the BBC’s commercially funded international 24-hour news and information platforms, is owned and operated by BBC Global News Ltd, a member of the BBC’s commercial group of companies. BBC World News is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and over 350 million households and 1.8 million hotel rooms. The channel’s content is also available on 158 cruise ships, 53 airlines and 23 mobile phone networks. For further information on how to receive BBC World News, download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbc.com/tvschedule

BBC Knowledge showcases high-quality factual entertainment from the world’s foremost producers of non-fiction and documentary programming. The channel offers the broadest range of programming from natural history to science, technology, adventure and history.

Come February, the latest installment of Top Gear will premiere first and exclusively on the channel. This 19th series, which airs two weeks after the UK telecast, will see irreverent hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May engage in another collection of incredible adventures, absurd stunts and dream drives, ably assisted by their tame racing driver, The Stig.

BBC Knowledge will also premiere a new series of Bang Goes the Theory in February. Hosted by a gang of presenters who are passionate about science and happy to share their knowledge, banter and experiments, Bang Goes the Theory is a blend of family-relevant stories, spectacular stunts, future-facing items, competitive team challenges and street science.

BBC Lifestyle offers inspiration for home, family and life with programmes on home and design, food, fashion and style, to entertain, engage and inspire viewers.

Masterchef premieres first and exclusively on the channel in February. In this original UK version, judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace search for the UK’s best amateur cook from tens of thousands of applicants. They eat and judge all manner of dishes to find the chefs to fill the 20 coveted places in the competition to compete for the Masterchef title.

BBC Lifestyle is also home to Gordon Ramsay’s latest series as well as The Great British Bake-off, where passionate amateur baking fans compete to be crowned the UK’s Best Amateur Baker. The series has been credited with reinvigorating interest in baking throughout the UK and launching baking careers of many of its participants.

For more information on BBC’s pay TV channels in Asia, please visit www.bbc-asia.com

– Ends –

For further information, please contact:

BBC Worldwide Channels
Jeanne Leong
Senior Manager, Communications, BBC Worldwide Channels
Tel: +65 6849 5292
Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com

BBC World News
Shivani Sundralingam
Senior Publicist, BBC World News
Tel: +65 6507 4234 
Email: Shivani.Sundralingam@bbc.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

BBC Worldwide Channels is one of five core BBC Worldwide businesses. Formed in 2005, the business’ diverse portfolio of channel brands provides a global showcase for the best mix of British TV across factual, entertainment, children’s and lifestyle programming. The company is the UK’s leading international broadcaster, operating a network of localised channels that reach over 300 million homes in more than 100 countries around the world.

One TV is a joint venture between the Cambodian holding Royal Group of Companies and the Russian company General Satellite. The main goal of the joint venture is to launch a pay digital terrestrial television service (DVB-T, 60 channels) in Cambodia and to become a market leader in this new technology.

RMEC started its operations with broadcasting on a new Digital DVB-T platform in Cambodia in mid-September 2012 under the brand name “ONE TV”. This new platform will bring about 60 Khmer and international digital TV channels to almost every Cambodian house, providing people with affordable and reliable source of information, education and entertainment. Broadcasting coverage will include Phnom Penh and eight other provinces – Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Kompong Thom, Kampong Cham, Svay Rieng, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.

Singapore, January 30, 2013-Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB) announced today that SingTel will use Dolby® Digital Plus™ technology to deliver cinema-quality surround sound on Mio TV, its IPTV platform. SingTel is broadcasting in Dolby Digital Plus to enhance the audio quality of premium content such as Star Chinese Movies HD, Fox Action Movies HD, and National Geographic Channel HD.

“mio TV aims to provide the very best home entertainment experience for our audience,” said Goh Seow Eng, Managing Director, Television, SingTel Digital Life. “The combination of high-definition video and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound for high-definition content helps capture the excitement of the moment to make viewers feel as though they are living the experience.”

“We are excited to strengthen our collaboration with SingTel and enable more viewers to enjoy their favorite shows and events in Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound,” said Mahesh Sundaram, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Dolby Laboratories. “As high-definition broadcasts become more widely available for viewers in Asia, market leaders such as SingTel are setting the benchmark for a higher standard of home entertainment.”

Dolby Digital Plus has already been included in broadcast standards around the world for HDTV services, including key terrestrial specifications in China, France, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, and it has been included by operators in emerging markets such as India and the Middle East. It supports up to 7.1 channels of discrete audio for terrestrial television, IPTV, cable, and direct broadcast satellite and is the preferred audio technology of online streaming services such as Netflix® and Vudu™. To date, Dolby Digital Plus has been included in more than one billion products worldwide, including TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc™ players, audio/video receivers, and mobile phones.

About Dolby Laboratories

Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound, Dolby creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. Visit www.dolby.com for more information.

Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Dolby Digital Plus is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. S13/26545 DLB-G

Media Contact:

Keith Kowal
Dolby Laboratories
65-6248-4554
keith.kowal@dolby.com

26-01-2013: AMC/Sundance Channel Global, the international division of AMC Networks, has inked several new distribution agreements for its international television networks and video-on-demand (VOD) services with a variety of pay-TV platforms around the world.

In addition, five independent films have been acquired at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival to premiere internationally in conjunction with the second annual Sundance London Film & Music Festival.

Read more at Rapid TV News 

FOX SPORTS EXPANDS ITS GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION ACROSS 16 COUNTRIES IN ASIA
FOX International Channels renames all ESPN networks as FOX Sports Networks, launching the brand into over 100 million homes overnight.

Asia – January 29, 2013 – Sports fans in over 100 million households across 16 countries in Asia today switched on their television sets to welcome FOX SPORTS networks into their homes. FOX International Channels (FIC) Asia, News Corporation’s international multi-media business and Asia’s leading pay-TV network, has renamed all ESPN networks to FOX SPORTS networks across all major affiliate platforms in Asia. This follows News Corporation’s successful acquisition of ESPN’s partnership interest in ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) in November last year.

The renaming signals the introduction of the flagship new channel FOX SPORTS to Asia, the world’s leading sports media brand, as the new destination for sports in the region along with the high-definition channel FOX SPORTS PLUS (HD); the 24-7 sports news channel, FOX SPORTS NEWS; the broadband network, FOX SPORTS PLAY and the mobile service, FOX SPORTS MOBILE. FOX SPORTS is already the leading sports media brand in the US, Latin America and Europe. Now through the renaming, the brand has expanded into Asia significantly, making FOX SPORTS’ footprint truly global.

Going forward, FIC Asia will manage all the FOX SPORTS networks along with the current STAR Sports, FOX Football Channel, STAR Cricket and STAR Cricket HD networks across various countries in the region*, giving the sports networks an opportunity to be cross promoted to over 500 million subscribers across Asia.

“The addition of FOX SPORTS further strengthens FOX International Channels Asia’s portfolio,” said Ward Platt, President of FOX International Channels, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. “FOX SPORTS is already the leading sports network in the US, UK, Australia, Latin America and Europe. We’ll leverage the brand’s leading position around the world to benefit the channel here in Asia.”

“Sports has always been a driver genre in the TV business and with the addition of FOX SPORTS to FIC Asia’s portfolio, we are well poised to further our position as Asia’s leading network,’ said Peter Hutton, Senior Vice President, Sports at FOX International Channels. “We are looking to launch even more premium sports content in the near future and are committed to making FOX SPORTS the premiere destination for passionate sports fans.”

FOX SPORTS will continue to bring to viewers the same great sporting content enjoyed on ESPN and more. This includes the Barclays Premier League, Spanish Liga BBVA; motor-racing (Formula One, SBK, MotoGP, NASCAR, Dakar Rally); Grand Slam tennis (Wimbledon, Australian Open) and other events such as the WTA Tour, ATP World Tour and the Hopman Cup; the Golf Majors (The Masters, US Open and The Open Championship) as well as the PGA Grand Slam of Golf; popular American sports (Major League Baseball, NCAA College Football and Basketball), premier Asian events (Asian Football Confederation events, ASEAN Basketball League, OneAsia golf tournaments, HSBC Asian Five Nations) and top cricket properties (International Cricket Council events, Champions League Twenty20, international and domestic cricket from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and England and Wales Cricket Board, Bangladesh Premier league and Sri Lanka Premier League) among others**.

Through this wide range of top quality international and regional sports action, FIC Asia with its FOX SPORTS networks will continue to deliver the most passionate audience in a captive environment and extend multiple opportunities to advertisers and affiliate partners alike.

Driven with a single-minded aim to deliver the most engaging sports experience through an innovative approach, FOX SPORTS is also launching the new sports news programme FOX SPORTS CENTRAL. The show’s bold sports presentation brings alive the most important sport news by offering a comprehensive 360 degree coverage delivered by the most credible presenters and unique insights and opinions from the most knowledgeable and well-informed experts. The new FOX SPORTS CENTRAL programme replaces the current program SportsCenter on ESPN and is aired on FOX SPORTS weeknights at 7:30pm HKT/SGT.

The new fan-focused initiatives will also include new programming blocks** such as the ‘Thursday Fight Night’, showcasing a variety of content from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and ‘ABL Friday Basketball’, featuring the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). In addition, FOX SPORTS will continue to offer its world-class expertise and sports coverage for Asian sports fans, with the broadcast of Sky Sports’ studio coverage of the key games of the Spanish Liga BBVA this season.**

Taking fans’ engagement beyond television, foxsportsasia.com is now the new online destination in place of espnstar.com for comprehensive, real time and authoritative content across an unrivalled breadth of sports news, editorial opinions, scores and more. Fans will also enjoy the same innovative sports coverage online in local languages including Bahasa Malaysia (www.foxsports.my), Bahasa Indonesia (www.foxsports.co.id) and Mandarin (www.foxsports.com.tw).

FOX SPORTS, along with its associate sports networks, is the world’s no. 1 sports media brand with the widest coverage across the USA, Latin America, Europe, Australia, Middle East and North Africa and Asia. It has a strong record of fan-centric innovations and unrivalled expertise in sports presentation, such as being the first to introduce on-screen time-clocks and scoreboards that revolutionized the way viewers enjoy LIVE sports.

* Please refer to the fact sheet for details

**Certain content available in select territories only.

###

About FOX International Channels

FOX International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 350 wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports and movie channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 37 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions reach over 1.1 billion households worldwide. We also operate a global online advertising unit .FOX (“dot-fox”) specialized in online video and display, and four TV production houses.

In Asia, FIC operates or distributes 33 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, FIC reaches 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.

For media inquiries please contact:

Kelly Jang
Director, Pan Regional Trade Marketing & PR
FOX International Channels Asia
Tel: +852 2621 8875
Email: kelly.jang@fox.com

Erin Yeh
Assistant Manager, Pan Regional Trade Marketing & PR
FOX International Channels Asia
Tel: +852 2621 9166
Email: erin.yeh@fox.com

January 24, 2013: Dish TV, which remains the largest pay-TV operator in a very crowded Indian DTH market, added some 829,000 net new subscribers during its Q3 trading. Churn remains stubbornly high, but this increased growth (the previous quarter’s was 477,000) suggests that Dish TV is on track to add a total 2.5 million gross additions this financial year.

Read more at Advanced Television

VIACOM INTERNATIONAL MEDIA NETWORKS ASIA NAMES ADELINE ONG, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

SINGAPORE, 25 January 2013 – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Asia, a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) today announced that Adeline Ong has been named Senior Director for Corporate Communications in Asia.

In this newly created senior position, Ong will help shape VIMN’s communications strategy and lead VIMN’s external and internal communications efforts across its growing portfolio of brands across the region, and drive the global strategic priorities within Asia. Ong will be based in Singapore and report to VIMN Asia’s Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Indra Suharjono.

Ong brings with her close to two decades of in-house and agency experience in corporate and marketing communications with multinationals including Hewlett-Packard, Fraser and Neave Limited and Burson-Marsteller. Most recently, Ong completed her 12-year tenure with Hewlett-Packard where she headed both Influencer Communications – social media, press, analyst, partner and employee relations – and Enterprise Marketing for the Imaging and Printing Group in Asia Pacific. In this role, she drove cross-customer segment communications strategy and was responsible for global and regional executive communications. She led communications and integrated marketing programmes on branding, product positioning and change communications.

“I’m pleased to add such a seasoned regional communications leader to my team, which is vital to drive VIMN’s visibility and profile as we accelerate our brands’ presence across Asia. Adeline’s extensive corporate and regional experience provides her with a deep understanding of the Asian markets, making her well prepared to develop and execute communication strategies within the region and influence Asia’s role in Viacom’s global strategies,” said Ms. Suharjono. “Our goal is to continue unlocking value and opportunities from the scale and scope of growing businesses within Asia, and Adeline’s leadership of communication efforts will ensure that our business constituents, partners, employees and the media are well informed of our developments.”

Ong received her undergraduate degree in Professional Communications, with a major in Broadcast Journalism from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

-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.

Media Contact:

Viacom International Media Networks
Loh Bi Feng, Executive, Corporate Communications, Asia
t: (65) 6420 7154 m: (65) 9002 9607
e: loh.bifeng@vimn.com

Celestial Tiger Entertainment Partners with Cable Thai Holding to Bring KIX, Thrill and Celestial Classic Movies to 3.5 Million Thai Households

Hong Kong (January 25, 2013) – Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE) and Cable Thai Holding, Plc. (CTH) jointly announced at a press briefing in Bangkok today the launches of three CTE channels on CTH: KIX, Thrill and Celestial Classic Movies (CCM). The three channels will launch in February on CTH’s platform which reaches over 3.5 million TV households in Thailand. Viewers will be treated to three distinct channels specifically created for Asian viewers.

KIX, the ultimate destination for action entertainment, offers CTH subscribers a heart-pumping mix of combat sports, action series, cutting-edge reality shows and action movies. Viewers can catch the first and exclusive broadcast of mixed martial arts tournaments from Bellator MMA season 8 on KIX. Fighters featured include lightweight champion Michael Chandler, Olympian Rick Hawn and featherweight champion Pat Curran. KIX is also airing the first and exclusive broadcast of LFL Canada, the Canadian games of the Lingerie Football League. Viewers can watch the hottest and toughest female football players compete in 7-on-7 American football wearing only their lingerie.

For horror, thriller and suspense fans, CTH subscribers can turn to Thrill any time of the day to get their scare fix. Thrill, Asia’s only 24-hour movie channel dedicated to the horror, suspense and thriller genres, offers many of the most iconic horror movies such as the Ring franchise, Ju-on and its sequels, the Amityville Horror saga, the Friday the 13th franchise, and the terrifying The Blair Witch Project films. Fans of the supernatural can also catch the first and exclusive broadcast of the hit UK series Bedlam.

CCM will offer CTH subscribers movie masterpieces from the golden age of Chinese cinema, digitally remastered to offer picture quality rivaling the original cinematic print. Some of the upcoming movies on CCM include comedy favorites like Look Out, Officer! starring Stephen Chow and Kung Fu epics based on Jin Yong’s novels such as The Emperor And His Brother starring Ti Lung, and Tales Of A Eunuch starring Gordon Liu and Wang Yu.

“We are extremely pleased to partner with CTH to offer KIX, Thrill and Celestial Classic Movies to their broad base of subscribers. Whether it is classic Chinese movies that have stood the test of time or the best in action and suspense entertainment, our channels offer distinct and exclusive programming curated with Asian viewers in mind. Our partnership with CTH represents the 24th carriage deal we have concluded since the formation of Celestial Tiger Entertainment a year ago, and we look forward to working with them to continue the momentum of our growing audience while increasing their subscribers in Thailand,” said Todd Miller, President and Chief Operating Officer, Celestial Tiger Entertainment.

“We are delighted to welcome such a world-class brand from Celestial Tiger Entertainment into CTH’s family. Although CTE’s brands are quite new to our market but the company is not a newcomer in the world market. We believe that with CTE’s strong background in entertainment business, our subscribers will have the best experience in all of their content, be it series, movies or reality shows on CTH’s digital network,” said Kittsanan Ngamphatipong, CEO of CTH.

KIX will be offered in CTH’s basic pack, while Thrill and CCM will be carried in CTH’s premium packs. For more information on how to subscribe, customers may visit www.cth.co.th.

###

Media Contact:

Pauline Poon
Celestial Tiger Entertainment
T: 852 2239 6131
E: pauline.poon@celestialtiger.com

About Celestial Tiger Entertainment

CELESTIAL TIGER ENTERTAINMENT (CTE) is a diversified media company dedicated to entertaining audiences in Asia and beyond. The company focuses on the operation of branded pay television channels, content creation and content distribution targeted at Asian consumers.

CTE operates a powerful bouquet of distinct pay television channels including: CELESTIAL MOVIES, the most broadly distributed 24-hour Chinese and Asian movies channel in the world; CELESTIAL CLASSIC MOVIES, the gateway to an unparalleled array of Chinese movie masterpieces; CELESTIAL MOVIES ON DEMAND, Celestial’s subscription Video On Demand service; KIX, the ultimate in action entertainment; Thrill, Asia’s only horror and suspense movie channel; and KIX HD, featuring the best of action with a late-night dose of thrillers in high definition.

As one of Asia’s largest vertically integrated independent entertainment companies, CTE produces original content which complements its channels business. CTE is also the exclusive sales agent for Hollywood studio Lionsgate in Greater China and Southeast Asia, and represents Lionsgate’s television content and vast feature film library in Japan and Korea as well.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, CTE is a joint venture among Saban Capital Group, a leading private investment firm specializing in the media, entertainment and communications industries; Celestial Pictures, a major Asian entertainment company wholly-owned by Astro, the owner and operator of the leading DTH platform in Malaysia; and Lionsgate, the world’s largest independent filmed entertainment studio.

About Cable Thai Holding

Cable Thai Holding, Plc. or CTH was founded in 2009 by over 100 cable TV operators from all over Thailand in order to improve and provide quality contents to Thai viewers. Today, there are more than 3.5 million households or over 12 million viewers nationwide watching CTH programs.

Under the new National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission of Thailand’s new regulations to turn analogue signal to digital signal, there is a need for CTH to go beyond the content acquisition arm of the Association. The management saw the opportunity to build the business beyond cable TV by developing their own optical fiber network covering the whole country. Thus, CTH becomes a broadband cable operator and platform management, distributing variety of customized digital data such as Cable TV Broadcasting, Broadband Internet, and other related products & services for individuals and business customers.

January 25, 2013: SES SA (SESG), the world’s largest publicly traded satellite operator, sees pay-TV services as “a key driver” of growth in the telecommunications industry globally over the next four years.

Pay TV is forecast to generate industry revenue of $259 billion in 2016 from $194 billion in 2012, Leszek Bujak, sales director for Central and Eastern Europe at SES, said in an interview in the Serbian capital Belgrade yesterday.

“With continuous decline of fixed subscribers, stagnancy in subscriber growth in telephony and broadband, pay-TV service becomes a key viable complementary service,” Bujak said.

Read more at Bloomberg Businessweek

SHANGHAI/Jan. 23, 2013 — VTC Digilink, under Vietnam TV Corporation, and PPTV have agreed to provide a global online TV service to serve 5 million Vietnamese immigrants in the international market. The service package will include HD TV channels and Video on Demand (VOD) contents. The service will be hosted on the newly launched PPTV Asian TV Networks (ATN). ATN is a global Over the Top (OTT) TV cloud built on top of Microsoft Windows Azure services.

“VTC is the largest multimedia corporation in Vietnam. The VTC International TV service is the leading online service for multiple screening,” says Jingyu Qiu, GM, PPTV International. “We are honored to work with VTC to enter the international TV market. This is the first large telcom partnership for ATN.”

Read more at http://big5.ifeng.com/gate/big5/finance.ifeng.com/roll/20130123/7595119.shtml