SINGAPORE (November 16, 2015) – Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia announced today that it has commissioned a localized version of the Emmy award-winning format, Cash Cab, for AXN in the Philippines. The series follows hot on the heels of the highly successful Asia’s Got Talent series that saw its season finale break all cable TV records for the highest rated program in the country*.
Set to premiere on AXN in December, Cash Cab will drive into production this week, navigating the busy streets of Manila while picking up unsuspecting passengers. The AXN Cash Cab will appear as a regular taxi service however, upon entering the car passengers will find themselves as contestants on a truly mobile game show.
Ang Hui Keng, Senior Vice President and General Manager, SPT Networks Asia said, “Cash Cab Philippines is a localized adaptation of AXN’s very successful Cash Cab Asia, so the show will immediately resonate with our Filipino viewers. The show continues our commitment to high quality original productions and sustains the momentum gained from The Amazing Race Asia, The Apprentice Asia and the record-breaking Asia’s Got Talent. AXN’s proven track record of hit series demonstrates a strong demand amongst viewers for shows that are smart, intense, unexpected and locally relevant.”
SPT Networks, Asia has commissioned leading independent production company activeTV to produce Cash Cab Philippines. activeTV also produced AXN’s Cash Cab Asia and The Amazing Race Asia.
Cash Cab Philippines is supported by its exclusive partner, Starcom Mediavest Group; show presenters McDonald’s, Sun Cellular and PSBank; sponsor Petron and Toyota Abad Santos, provider of the Cash Cab vehicle.
About Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia is a leading operator of ad-supported 24/7 channels including English general entertainment powerhouses AXN and Sony Channel; and Asian content giants Animax, GEM and ONE. SPT Networks’ portfolio collectively features the biggest and best titles from Korea, Japan and the U.S that are first run, exclusive and aired close to the original telecast. Taking the content beyond the linear screen, SPT Networks, Asia immerses viewers in its premium entertainment via large-scale festivals, celebrity fan meets and social platform conversations. In Asia, SPT Networks’ portfolio is available across 19 territories and in over 42 million homes.
AXN features exclusive top-rated drama series, blockbuster features, reality programs and groundbreaking original productions. The channel appeals to a discerning audience seeking content that is smart, intriguing and unexpected, and all delivered close to U.S telecasts. From The Blacklist and Quantico, to The Voice and The Amazing Race, AXN is defined not by a genre, but by an attitude that truly redefines action. In Asia, AXN is enjoyed in 38 million households across 17 territories and is available in both SD and HD.
GENEVA, Switzerland – Major inter-governmental and private-sector organizations responsible for providing safety-of-life communications to millions of people have requested the national administrations of every region to preserve satellite spectrum for use in delivering mission-critical satellite services worldwide.
The unprecedented demonstration of support for satellite spectrum was made during a series of briefings held at the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU’s) World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), where the wireless industry is attempting to get access to satellite spectrum despite reports that previous efforts have already disrupted communications services with serious interference.
Included among those calling for safeguarding of satellite services were the United Nations World Food Program and Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Broadcasting Unions, NetHope, the International Maritime Organization, and the Space Frequency Coordination Group, a group of space agencies from throughout the world.
In a joint statement issued by an international coalition of seven non-profit associations representing the global satellite communications sector, the show of support was strongly commended: “The high level of support from these organizations makes clear the importance of satellite communications in C band spectrum and how further disruption of safety-of-life services due to wireless interference is unacceptable.”
As governments consider whether any portion of the 3400-4200 MHz band (“C band”) should be identified for IMT, they have heard from the safety-of-life organizations during a series of briefings held for the inter-governmental groups of each major world region, including the Arab Spectrum Managers Group (ASMG), Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT), the Conference Europeenne de Postes et Telecommunications (CEPT), the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), and the RCC & Commonwealth of Independent States.
“Some administrations may be under a misimpression,” the coalition statement continued. “It is not necessary to support IMT identification if they have already authorized WiMax or other terrestrial wireless services. An identification for IMT is not required to make WiMax or other authorizations comply retroactively with ITU rules. No ITU rule change is required at the WRC in order to enable national deployments of WiMax or other wireless services.”
Background
1. Realistic solutions to protect existing satellite links in C band have not been identified; migration of IMT services to this band would cause more extreme harm to the global community that relies heavily on satellite services.
It is clear from the most recent reports and studies from the ITU that mitigation techniques, such as separation distance, earth station shielding, or the use of filters on satellite receive antennas, to block interference from IMT networks into satellite networks are often ineffective and moreover would be far too severe to be justifiable from a technical or economic perspective. This means that in practice, mitigation measures would not be effectively implemented. Furthermore current IMT proposals offer no protection for FSS receive-only earth stations, which are deployed broadly and on a licence-exempt basis in many countries.
Within the last few months, satellite stakeholders have experienced further degradation of services in some parts of the world due to terrestrial mobile operations using the same C band frequencies. For example, millions of Philippine citizens’ television signals were disrupted due to interference from mobile services. Similar cases of interrupted service were also reported in South Asia, South America, the Caribbean, and Africa. These are not isolated incidents – disruption of C-band satellite services from terrestrial wireless interference has been taking place around the world since 2006.
It is understood that this has been the result of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) systems being deployed in the C band. However, the negative effects will be far more wide-reaching in the case of terrestrial mobile IMT broadband services, which have larger coverage requirements and are expected to transmit at higher rates and consequently with more power.
2. Global and national studies indicate that less than 50% of the spectrum currently allocated to IMT is in use.
Claims have been made that mobile broadband will need between 1100 and 1900 MHz more spectrum by 2020, even though IMT is not using most spectrum currently assigned for its use. In anticipation of the growth of the mobile industry, the ITU has already allocated and/or recommended a substantial amount of spectrum for use by IMT. Around the world less than 50% of this spectrum is licensed and even less is in use according to a recent detailed study on the subject by LS Telcom.
It would be unwise to unnecessarily reassign spectrum used for other often-critical services. IMT can achieve its growth targets without a need for the additional spectrum they are requesting, often on the basis of predictions, population density and traffic numbers that are grossly exaggerated.
Conclusion
New and existing C band satellite services are actually bridging the digital divide. It is the duty of the international community to safeguard these vital services. The effects of failing to do so fall disproportionately on the developing world and rural areas. IMT should be directed to use their current frequency allocations fully and more effectively, or concentrate its planning for additional allocations to other, more appropriate bands.
Editor’s Note:
This press release has been prepared by the Asia Pacific Satellite Communications Council (APSCC), Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), EMEA Satellite Operators’ Association (ESOA), Global VSAT Forum (GVF), Interference Reduction Group (IRG), Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), World Teleport Association (WTA), and other international associations of the satellite industry.
For More Information Visit: www.satellite-spectrum-initiative.com
Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Nov 13th. Curated by CASBAA, News Views keeps you in the loop. We always value your feedback, so tell us what you think!
In Geneva, the global mobile phone industry is doing its level best to grab the satellite C-band spectrum. (Oh, they call it “sharing…” And what other kind of “sharing” theft comes to mind?) The first part of the ITU’s WRC conference was marked by release of dueling studies, with the GSMA claiming that if telcos were only given oodles and oodles of new spectrum, the world would find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The satellite industry responded, noting a fair analysis needs to take account of the costs that would impose on current satellite users (that’s us, boys and girls, plus hundreds of millions of TV viewers), and that the claimed benefits were “grossly exaggerated.”
Starhub just announced some great financial results booking a net profit of $118.7 million for the three months ended Sept 30. This is up 21.5 per cent, compared with the same period in the previous year. Starhub also "are excited to be exploring the partnership with Netflix," said StarHub chief marketing officer Howie Lau. "However, he added : "Discussions right now are in a commercial stage, so we are not able to share too much details.” Aravind Venugopal, from CASBAA member Media Partners Asia, has a piece this week analyzing the proposed partnership. And, as we found out last month from the NYT, “in many countries, Netflix faces an uphill challenge."
Indian Space & Research Organisation (ISRO)’s latest satellite launched, GSAT15, brings good news for users of satellite capacity. But the joy could be limited for broadcast and telecoms sectors. Agreed GSAT15 carries 24 KU-band transponders, which could be used by DTH operators whose growth plans presently are severely hampered by inadequate supply of transponder capacity, but it remains to be seen how many transponders are allotted to needy DTH ops. India’s commendable satellite story starts meandering here. Indian customers’ need for satellite capacity and ISRO’s lack of interest in clearing foreign satellite capacity just don’t match leading to helplessness all round.
John Medeiros
Chief Policy Officer
The NCC in Taiwan wants to propose three major legislative revisions, and some of the clauses would actually lessen regulation on the cable industry. I can understand that, as the current commissioners inherited a legislative hodgepodge written in the last century that overregulates just about everybody; nobody’s very happy with the status quo. Hearings are planned… but don’t expect quick action. That’s not a hallmark of Taiwan’s democracy.
On the heels of 2020 session at the CASBAA Convention, YouTube is seemingly taking advantage of the HUGE buzz we created (smirk) by announcing their grand plan to make VR accessible to everybody. "The goal is to ‘democratize virtual reality’ and ‘bring VR to everybody, no matter who you are or what your favorite piece of content is’.” For live sports, VR is really moving forward. A very cool company, NextVR, has developed a custom lens-to-lens system for capturing and delivering live and on-demand virtual reality experiences in true broadcast quality. One punter says "I Watched an NBA Game With Next VR and I Can’t Go Back to Normal TV”.
Recent chai pe charcha (discussion over tea) and Silicon Valley digital bonding with a tech-savvy PM Narendra Modi notwithstanding, tech biggies are finding it difficult to push through initiatives in India. If it was Facebook’s internet.org mission that ran into a wall of net neutrality proponents, it’s now Microsoft, which is under attack by telcos and broadband players for its plans to harness ‘white spaces’ for last mile connectivity.
13 November 2015 – MP & Silva has landed the exclusive distribution rights for the English Premier League (EPL) in select Asian territories, including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
MP & Silva will represent the live audiovisual broadcast rights across all platforms for three seasons from 2016-17 to 2018-19. The pact covers Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Pacific Islands, Taiwan, the Philippines and Mongolia.
Paris, Anchorage, 12 November 2015 – Futaris, Inc. announces it is investing in a new C-Band antenna for its Anchorage teleport to provide services in Alaska using Eutelsat Communications’ (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) new-generation EUTELSAT 115 West B satellite. This investment complements Futaris’s Colorado based antennas connected to EUTELSAT 115 West B, supporting Internet, broadcast, VoIP, and disaster recovery/business continuity solutions from the most advantageously positioned hub for Alaska, including the most remote locations.
EUTELSAT 115 West B is the first all-electric satellite of Eutelsat’s global fleet, with 24 C-band and 41 Ku-band equivalent transponders connected to specific service areas including Alaska, Canada, Mexico and South America. The satellite’s C-Band footprint offers exceptional power levels over Alaska to provide cost-effective capabilities for clients providing services that include video broadcasting, broadband access, cellular backhaul, VSAT solutions and social connectivity.
Patricio Northland, CEO of Eutelsat Americas, said: “We are excited to be working with Futaris and to enhance telecommunications in Alaska at a moment when many satellites serving the state are nearing the end of their life cycles. We look forward to working closely to provide best-in-class connectivity solutions to a broad range of customers in Alaska and beyond.”
“Futaris plans to access EUTELSAT 115 West B’s C-band capacity out of our two major teleports: Anchorage will primarily serve the Alaskan and Pacific Northwest U.S. market while our Sedalia, Colorado, facilities will allow us to reach the Western U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico as well and Central and South America,” said Futaris Acting President Valerie Pettit. “Both teleports are undergoing expansion to continue providingquality communications to our customers in the oil & gas, mining, energy, government, broadcast, tourism, and communication sectors.”
Futaris is continuing its build-out in the heart of mid-town Anchorage, positioned right next to the city’s Alaska Communications’ AKORN fiber vault. All of Futaris’ earth stations are designed with fully redundant fibre, power, and RF infrastructure armed for collocating commercial, government, and telco primary operations. Futaris’ full coverage of Alaska now includes locations such as the far-reaching Aleutian chain, South-east Alaska, and north of Barrow’s offshore. With EUTELSAT 115 West B, Futaris can provide direct or mesh connectivity in a single hop between Alaska and South America.
11 November, 2015 – South African pay-TV platform MultiChoice is to adopt Elemental technologies for its planned timeshifted SVOD service.
This new offer will support MultiChoice DStv Box Office and MultiChoice DStv Catch-up such that premium subscribers can watch the latest movies, sports and television shows up to seven days after they air. In the short term Elemental technology will be used for the live streaming and video-on-demand (VOD) delivery of its DStv online service, which makes sports and entertainment content available on smart phones and tablets to more than 10 million subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
CASBAA Announces Thirteen-Strong Board of Directors
New Directors and Member Companies Further Broaden the CASBAA Community
Hong Kong, 12 November 2015 – Since its inception in 1991, CASBAA has welcomed an ever-growing group of members, showcasing the diverse industries and areas that make up Asia Pacific Broadcasting. Now, following its AGM on 29 October, CASBAA has announced its most extensive group of Directors to date, with many of the regional industry’s leading players represented.
A lineup of 13 preeminent Directors will form the new Board: Marcel Fenez (Fenez Media), Amit Malhotra (Walt Disney), Andrew Jordan (Eutelsat), Bill Wade (AsiaSat), Janice Lee (PCCW), Joe Welch (21st Century Fox), Jonathan Spink (HBO), Mark Patterson (GroupM), Ricky Ow (Turner), Alexandre Muller (TV5MONDE), Frank Rittman (Motion Picture Association), Sompan Charumilinda (TrueVisions), and Todd Miller (Celestial Tiger Entertainment).
“We are very fortunate to have such a remarkable group of multichannel TV industry professionals on the CASBAA Board,” said outgoing Chairman Marcel Fenez. “I would like to extend a personal thank you to our long-standing Board members, and a heartfelt welcome to our new Directors. Together, our mission is to lead the Association for the benefit of the CASBAA members and the industry as a whole. Thanks to their combined experience, insight, and dedication, the future of CASBAA looks bright under their direction.”
CASBAA also welcomed two new Corporate Members to its roster. Satellite-to-mobile internet multimedia provider, CMMB Vision is a cutting-edge company employing L-band geo-satellite with converged mobile broadcasting technology to deliver IP-based video, audio and data content directly to mobile users.
Also joining the Association is cable and broadcasting network giant 21st Century Fox, home to the premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets across the globe.
“It is a delight to welcome these new members, who bring with them unparalleled experience and reach in the broadcasting industry. I am confident they will prove to be invaluable additions to the CASBAA community,” said CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter.
In a final piece of news, to encourage an even broader range of industry professionals to join the CASBAA community, the Association has added a new membership category. As the industry develops, new players are emerging, with smaller start-ups and entrepreneurial organisations providing invaluable services to the industry. In order to encourage active participation with the broader CASBAA membership, the new category, Associate Membership, is open to firms with fewer than fifty employees worldwide.
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About CASBAA
CASBAA is the Asia Pacific region’s largest non-profit media association, serving the multi-channel audio-visual content creation and distribution industry. Established in 1991, CASBAA has grown with the industry to include digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising, and video delivery. Encompassing some 500 million connections within a footprint across the region, CASBAA works to be the authoritative voice for multichannel TV; promoting even-handed and market-friendly regulation, IP protection and revenue growth for subscription and advertising, while promoting global best practices. For more information, visit www.casbaa.com
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For enquiries, please contact:
Cynthia Wong
Member Relations & Marketing Director
CASBAA
Tel: +852 3929 1711
Email: cynthia@casbaa.com
SEOUL, KOREA (November 11, 2015) – Boomerang, the global kids’ brand and companion channel to Cartoon Network, has expanded its footprint in Asia with a Korean debut in 15 million households on major cable and IPTV platforms, available from November 14, 2015.
Boomerang is already widely available in Southeast Asia and in Australia, and this market addition in North Asia represents an important milestone for the brand. The all-animation network underwent a huge revamp just 12 months ago, and boasts a line-up of household names and contemporary cartoons programmed for both kids and their families.
Phil Nelson, Turner International’s Managing Director for North Asia, said: “Boomerang’s arrival in Korea will be the perfect accompaniment to Cartoon Network, the country’s No.1 international kids’ channel. Turner has already made a firm commitment to the local animation industry over the years and this investment is set to continue.”
Boomerang will be available in Korean, and will appeal to kids aged 4-9 and their families. On offer for the first time in the country is exclusive content including new episodes of timeless favourites from Warner Bros. Studios such as The Tom and Jerry Show, Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo. Audiences can enjoy a raft of new shows and episodes of familiar favourites with fresh, premium content, including the upcoming series Wabbit and Bunnicula.
The channel will also feature substantial amounts of Korean content and Turner will continue to seek out opportunities to be a part of local animation projects. Turner recently announced the network’s biggest ever animation project in Korea called Beat Monsters, a new co-production with Synergy Media and Studio Goindol.
International premium acquisitions for Boomerang in Asia Pacific include: The Garfield Show, Pink Panther and Pals, Strawberry Shortcake, Mr. Bean: The Animated Series, Inspector Gadget, DreamWorks’ Turbo: FAST and DreamWorks’ two Dragons series: Defenders of Berk and Riders of Berk.
A Korean-language microsite is available to complement the on-air offering and there are plans to localise Boomerang Watch and Play, an Asia Pacific-based app that hosts both video and gaming content.
-Ends-
For further information, contact:
James Moore
Turner International Asia Pacific
+852 3128-3720
James.Moore@turner.com
About Boomerang in Asia
Boomerang provides light-hearted and fun moments, showcasing a mixture of internationally recognised comedy and fantasy series to more than 144 million households worldwide. Core programs includes Tom and Jerry, Mr. Bean, Scooby-Doo, The Garfield Show, My Little Pony and The Looney Tunes Show. A companion channel to Cartoon Network, Boomerang is a dynamic and quirky place where girls and boys can be inspired, laugh and play with the whole family. In Asia Pacific, Boomerang is owned and operated by Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc., a Time Warner company.
About Turner Asia Pacific
Turner creates and distributes award-winning brands throughout Asia Pacific. In the region, Turner runs 59 channels in 13 languages in 38 countries, including CNN International, CNNj, CNN, HLN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, POGO, Toonami, World Heritage Channel, Warner TV, Oh!K, TCM Turner Classic Movies, truTV, WB, MondoTV, TABI Channel and HBO in South Asia. Turner also manages distribution for HBO Defined and HBO Hits in India. Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.
Paris, 12.00pm CET (11.00am GMT) November 12, 2015 – Eurosport invites sports fans across the globe to ‘Fuel Your Passion’ by unveiling a stunning new brand identity that will spearhead the start of an exciting new chapter for the Discovery-owned sports broadcaster.
The new identity, revealed on-air on Friday, November 13, w2015, will be underpinned by the strapline ‘Fuel Your Passion’ and supported by the #sharemypassion social media campaign, which encourages fans to share stories about the extraordinary lengths they go to in order to demonstrate their love for their athlete, team or sport.
Recognisable, distinctive and relatable, the new identity will propel Eurosport into the 21st century while acknowledging the proud heritage of innovation and expertise that has been part of Eurosport’s DNA for more than 25 years.
Now under the full control of Discovery, Eurosport has enjoyed a game-changing year with a landmark Olympic Games rights deal across Europe being part of a broader, long-term commitment to deliver memorable experiences and engage fans of all ages with the sports they love anywhere, anytime and on any device.
Peter Hutton, Chief Executive Officer, Eurosport said: “Eurosport has firmly established itself as a household name for live sport and, under the ownership of Discovery, we have super-charged our growth and re-ignited the brand to connect with fans.
“Today’s launch of the new brand identity is another huge leap forward to make Eurosport the preferred destination for sports fans everywhere. Our new fan-centric strapline ‘Fuel Your Passion’ articulates what has been a transformative year for Eurosport.
“We have secured the premier rights for local sports fans in every market, allowing us to share unmissable live experiences from all four tennis grand slams, every major European football league, the biggest motorsports races, every major cycling race and, of course, we will be the home of the Olympic Games in Europe from 2018-2024.
“We have enhanced production to tell great sport’s stories in a more innovative way, resulting in record-breaking ratings for many major events through 2015. Today we are excited to package that in a whole new identity and language, feeding fans’ passion for sport.”
Antonio Ruiz, VP Marketing & Franchise Management, Eurosport added: “Eurosport’s rebrand followed extensive multi-market research to understand the brand’s perception and enable the company to define its values.
Eurosport will now have a distinct personality and cutting edge visuals to energise and engage fans.
Fans and athletes live their passion for sports in extraordinary ways. Eurosport now fuels that passion and celebrates their devotion, ambition, dedication, sacrifice, madness and joy.”
