Audiences in Vietnam once again have access to the best Australian television content from Australia’s most trusted media organisation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). This week, the ABC’s Australia Plus Television service launched in Vietnam via VTV Cable channel 199 and ONEtv channel 177. VTV Cable viewers can access A+ TV on the new high definition digital service, following the shutdown of the analogue service, allowing a higher quality viewing experience.

Australia Plus delivers a mix of programs including news and finance, sport, entertainment, drama, award-winning children’s programs, documentaries, arts, education and English language learning. The service also covers the big events from Australia and has arrived in Vietnam just in time for the broadcast of the 2015 AFL Finals Series, culminating with the Grand Final broadcast live on Saturday October 3.

CEO of ABC International, Ms Lynley Marshall said that launching Australia Plus Television in Vietnam has been a key priority for the ABC.

“Our aim is to further enhance Vietnamese people’s knowledge and understanding of Australians and Australian life and strengthen links between the two neighbours.”

“This follows a strong bilateral educational relationship, which has seen Australia contribute to education services in Vietnam for at least two decades and many students from Vietnam studying in Australia. The ABC has also participated in media exchanges and collaborations.”

“These many links between Australia and Vietnam support an increasing interest for building cultural and business relationships between our two countries,” she said.

In addition to this, Ms Marshall noted how Australian expats will now have more opportunities to connect with home by consuming Australian content, particularly key national events such as the AFL Grand Final, Carols from the Domain and Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations.

VTV Cable and ONEtv join ABC International’s extensive distribution network which includes the region’s largest media organisations such as NowTV in Hong Kong, Astro and TM Net in Malaysia, Singtel and Starhub in Singapore, Indovision and Telkomvision in Indonesia, True Visions and Thai Cable Holdings in Thailand, Dream, Sky Cable and Cignal in the Philippines and DD Direct in India.

Delivered by the ABC, Australia Plus TV combines a targeted subscription television service with an established and growing network of local media partners across TV and digital platforms. The Australia Plus international media service is a digital-led multiplatform commercial service which is fully commercial. Australia Plus works closely with businesses to enhance their opportunities for market access and growth across the region.

Ends

For more information please contact Joanna Corbett on + 61 448 525 374.
For information regarding VTV’s new digital HD service, please contact VTV on 097 629 4698 or 094 988 6254
Visit Australia Plus TV online at tv.AustraliaPlus.com

Local content is key to the long-term success of pay-TV in Asia, the regional boss of broadcasting giant Fox said at the Sports Matters conference in Singapore today.

Talking in an interview with the head of events company Branded, Jasper Donat, Gandevia, who is president, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, Fox International Channels, said that for pay-TV operators to do well in this region, the industry as a whole needed to thrive.

Read more at Mumbrella

Singapore’s StarHub TV is adding general entertainment channel &TV from Indian media giant Zee Entertainment Enterprises to its Hindi line-up.

The new channel, available from 16 September, will deliver game shows, dramas and blockbuster movies in high definition (HD). It will be available to subscribers of the pay-TV service on-the-go and across multiple devices through the StarHub Go video streaming platform.

At launch, the channel’s content will include thriller Agent Raghav – Crime Branch, comedy series Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai!, game show Deal or No Deal, and Gangaa – described as the “inspiring story” of a child widow.

Read more at Rapid TV News

SINGAPORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ:BCOV), a leading global provider of cloud services for video, today announced that Kompas Gramedia, leading media conglomerate based in Indonesia, has selected Brightcove to power the video experiences for its leading digital media news properties and entertainment channels online. Brightcove will enable the next generation of online video distribution and publishing for Kompas.com, Indonesia’s leading news site with 43 million unique visitors monthly.

Using Brightcove’s next-generation Video Cloud, Kompas.com will be able to leverage a single, integrated solution to manage its online video content with ease. The new Video Cloud will provide Kompas.com with a simplified video workflow across its media value chain, and help scale the company’s online video initiatives more effectively to meet the exponential demand from audiences consuming news and entertainment content across the web and mobile devices. In addition, the new Video Cloud incorporates the latest industry-leading HTML5 and mobile-first Brightcove player to enable Kompas.com to deliver a premium playback experience to enhance audience engagement on any screen.

“The Internet, mobile, and social generation has created new ways in which media companies need to engage with their audiences,” said Edi Taslim, Digital Group Director at Kompas Gramedia. “With video, we believe we are making significant strides in appealing to a younger and growing demographic of next generation viewers who are consuming content on-the-go and on the screen of their choice.” Taslim added, “Brightcove not only allows us to deliver amazing video experiences on many of the devices that we need, we are thoroughly impressed with the speed and the elevated performance of the whole user and playback experience on the new Video Cloud. We needed an advanced solution that was easy to deploy and would be highly scalable across all of our digital media properties. We are excited to be partnering with an industry leading player like Brightcove, as we expand beyond the possibilities and potential of video for Kompas.com.”

“We are incredibly proud to be working with another leading media company in the region,” said Mark Blair, Vice President of Asia Pacific at Brightcove. “Video has the power to engage the masses and to move businesses. The new Video Cloud not only powers the next generation of video experiences for Kompas Gramedia’s audiences, it provides them with the speed and the agility to deploy new and innovative video offerings, a high-quality and engaging playback experience to reinforce the brand, and the ability to monetise these important assets on mobile screens and across social channels where there is demand for content.”

About Brightcove

Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ:BCOV) is the leading global provider of powerful cloud solutions for delivering and monetising video across connected devices. The company offers a full suite of products and services that reduce the cost and complexity associated with publishing, distributing, measuring and monetising video across devices. Brightcove has more than 5,000 customers in over 70 countries that rely on the company’s cloud solutions to successfully publish high-quality video experiences to audiences everywhere. To learn more, visit www.brightcove.com.

Contacts
Press
Asia Pacific:
SlingStone for Brightcove
James Hutchinson, +61 404 786 423
brightcove@slingstone.com

Yesterday, we told you about some rumored specs related to the LeTV Max 2, the successor to the LeTV Max. The original is a 6.33-inch phablet with a bezel-less screen, and features a 1440 x 2560 QHD resolution. Powered by the Snapdragon 810, the OG model carries 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, a 20.7MP rear camera and a 3400mAh battery.

The first report about the sequel indicated that it will have the Snapdragon 820 SoC under the hood. This means we can expect it to carry a quad-core CPU using Qualcomm’s proprietary Kryo cores, and the Adreno 530 GPU. The chipset has scored pretty well on benchmark sites, facing its chief competition from the MediaTek 6797 Helio X20 chipset, featuring a deca-core CPU.

But we digress. Besides the Snapdragon 820 SoC, the LeTV Max 2 will be equipped with a more manageable 5.7-inch screen. It also will give owners the ability to quickly charge their battery with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0. We should see the unit released in Q1 2016.

Read more at Phonearena

Sony has announced that customers who buy one of its compatible 4K Ultra HD TVs will be entitled to receive up to $100 worth of 4K HDR movies for free.

This new limited time promotion will start this fall (Sony hasn’t yet revealed the promo’s exact start and finish dates), and essentially entitles people who’ve bought a Sony HDR-capable TV to watch four Sony Pictures Home Entertainment titles in 4K UHD and HDR delivered through the Amazon Video app built into each set. The four films are: The Amazing Spider Man 2, Men In Black 3, After Earth and Fury.

Read more at Forbes

MIAMI, Sept. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — NBC UNIVERSO, the modern sports and entertainment cable channel for Latinos, today announced that Comcast, the nation’s largest cable TV provider, has launched NBC UNIVERSO in HD. Subscribers on Xfinity TV across Comcast’s West Division markets will be able to enjoy edgy entertainment, blockbuster movies, and many of the world’s top sports franchises in Spanish, telecast in brilliant high definition.

NBC UNIVERSO in HD is now available to millions of Xfinity TV households in California (San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Fresno and Stockton); Colorado (Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Greeley); New Mexico (Albuquerque and Santa Fe); Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City; Tucson, Ariz.; Minneapolis/St. Paul and Houston.

Read more at Yahoo Finance

(London, 16 September 2015, Wednesday) BBC Worldwide today signed a deal with Multi Screen Media Private Limited (MSM) India to bring BBC Earth, a new premium factual channel, to Indian audiences.

BBC Earth is home to the BBC’s award-winning factual programmes and the work of some of the world’s foremost factual film makers. It showcases the incredible wonders of our universe, from the smallest creature under the microscope to the limitless expanses of space and brings viewers face to face with heart pounding action, mind blowing ideas and the wonder of being human.

The channel, called ‘Sony BBC Earth’ on air will broadcast in HD and will be available in Tamil, English and Hindi across India.

BBC Worldwide will draw on its extensive catalogue of programming and reputation for excellence in the premium factual, while MSM which runs the Sony network of television channels in the country has extensive experience and expertise not only in programming but also in operating and distributing televised entertainment both in India and across the globe.

Both the formation of the JV as well as the launch of Sony BBC Earth is subject to necessary regulatory approvals in India, for which the process is currently underway.

Paul Dempsey, President, BBC Worldwide Global Markets commented on the deal: “This is a pioneering model for us. By working with a respected local partner of the calibre of MSM we can bring BBC Earth’s world class content to a new audience who we know have a huge appetite for premium factual programming.”

NP Singh, Chief Executive Officer, MSM said: “Sony BBC Earth is a joint venture (JV) between Multi Screen Media (MSM) and BBC Worldwide; with MSM owning the majority stake. This partnership with BBC Worldwide gives us an unparalleled edge in distributing factual programming to viewers across MSM’s network in India and to sharing with them, some of the best television content ever.”

“Sony BBC Earth will combine information and entertainment in real surroundings. And audiences that crave the virgin thrill and adventure of exploring natural environments, demystifying science and rewriting history will find it difficult to meander away from this channel. We are confident that within a short span of time, this new channel will carve its own distinct positioning in the minds of the discerning Indian viewer.”

“We at MSM are putting together a whole new team to scale-up this JV with BBC Worldwide. This team will handle the programming, marketing, operations as well as sales and distribution of the channel. “

– ENDS –

For more information, please contact:
Gavin Dawson | BBC Worldwide Global Markets |+ 44.20.8.433.3808 | gavin.dawson@bbc.com

About BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.

In 2014/15, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £138.6m and headline sales of £1,001.8m and returned a record £226.5m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review website:
http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview
bbcworldwide.com twitter.com/bbcwpress

LUXEMBOURG, PARIS, 16 September 2015 — SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) announced today that it has been awarded “Operator of the Year” by Euroconsult (the leading global consulting firm, specialising in space markets) at the 19th edition of the World Satellite Business Week in Paris.

Winners are chosen by a panel of industry experts from Euroconsult, SpaceNews and Satellite Finance who assess candidates using qualitative and quantitative criteria.

The “global satellite operator of the year” award recognises the best achievements in terms of revenue, EBITDA margin and growth, as well as subscriber growth.

“On behalf of my colleagues and SES, I am honoured to be awarded “Operator of the Year” by Euroconsult. At SES, my colleagues and myself are relentlessly working towards our vision to be the foremost worldwide provider of satellite enabled communication services and an indispensable contributor to global digitisation. Thanks to the essential advantage of the GEO and MEO satellite constellations of SES and O3b, we are able to offer an entirely scalable, versatile and hyper efficient network topology to our customers worldwide”, said Karim Michel Sabbagh, President & CEO, SES.

Along with the global operator of the year, three other awards recognised companies and their management for their outstanding accomplishments in the satellite sector.

The awards categories and winners are:

Strategic transaction of the year: EMC
Regional FSS operator of the year: RSCC
Newcomer satellite operator of the year: Arsat

For further information please contact:
Markus Payer
Corporate Communications
Tel. +352 710 725 500
Markus.Payer@ses.com

Follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SES.YourSatelliteCompany
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SESVideoChannel
Blog: http://en.ses.com/4243715/blog
SES Pictures are available under http://www.ses.com/21472913/Our_Pictures
SES White papers are available under http://www.ses.com/18681915/white-papers

About SES
SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) is the world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of more than 50 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.
SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the satellite industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements.

SES holds a participation in O3b Networks, a next generation satellite network combining the reach of satellite with the speed of fibre.

Further information available at: www.ses.com.

BEIJING/SINGAPORE – 16 September 2015 – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Asia announced today that Pierre Cheung has been appointed Senior Vice President and General Manager of Viacom International Media Networks for Greater China, effective 24 September 2015.

In this position, Cheung will be based in Beijing, and reports directly to Mark Whitehead, VIMN Asia’s Executive Vice President and Managing Director. He will oversee the management and operations of the Greater China office, across VIMN’s brands and business including MTV, Nickelodeon, digital media, program sales and consumer products, while developing VIMN’s long-term strategic plan in China. Cheung will be working closely with Whitehead to seek out new opportunities and revenue streams that will bring VIMN’s presence in these key markets to the next level.

“Pierre is a highly-skilled leader who will be able to manage both the creative and business aspects of a company such as ours. Having worked with Pierre previously, I am confident his tenacity, expertise in the market and strong sales background, will bring many new opportunities in Greater China as he focuses on accelerating the company’s growth strategy in this territory. “– Mark Whitehead

Cheung’s 14-year tenure with BBC Worldwide included his most recent years as Vice President and General Manager for Greater China where he was in charge of BBC Worldwide’s channel and content distribution, local production, affiliate distribution and brand development activities across China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He was also responsible for BBC Worldwide’s format and brand licensing for those markets. Prior to joining BBC Worldwide, Cheung had worked for a number of other leading media businesses in Asia including Television Broadcast Limited (TVB), Chinadotcom Corporation and 24/7 Media Asia Ltd.
Click HERE to download a hi res image of Pierre Cheung.

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About Viacom International Media Networks
Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), is comprised of many of the world’s most popular multimedia entertainment brands, including MTV, MTV LIVE HD, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Comedy Central, Paramount Channel, and more. Viacom brands reach more than 3.4 billion cumulative subscribers in 180+ countries and territories via more than 200 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 550 digital media and mobile TV properties, in 40 languages. Keep up with VIMN news by visiting the VIMN PR Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/VIMN_PR. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com, blog.viacom.com and the Viacom Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.

Contact:
Viacom International Media Networks
Adeline Ong, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Asia
t: (65) 6420 7240 m: (65) 9366 7323
e: adeline.ong@vimn.com