(Jul 24, 2013) Satellite operator SES (Paris:SESG.PA) (NYSE:SESG) announced today the signing of a 15-year contract with Platco Digital, a sister company of the South African independent broadcaster e.tv, to broadcast a new free-to-air service in South Africa, with future plans to expand across Southern Africa.

Read more at TMC Net

MALAYSIA, 24 JULY 2013 – Sunway Group, one of Malaysia’s most formidable property-construction groups whose property investment division encompasses retail, commercial, hospitality and leisure, today announced that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Asia, a division of Viacom Inc., and a leading provider of youth and adult entertainment content, to extend the cooperation on MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia, where Sunway Resort City will continue as the event venue for the next three years, while exploring potential expanded collaborations across VIMN’s brands. At a signing ceremony in front of Malaysia media today, VIMN announced MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2013, was set to be back for Malaysia fans on September 8, 2013, marking this year’s event as the 5th anniversary of the show in Malaysia.

MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia 2012 at Sunway Resort City last year, smashed all attendance records as over 18,000 people flocked to see global superstar Justin Bieber, K-pop sensations Jay Park and Kara, and one of Malaysia’s top artists, Mizz Nina perform live for fans, celebrities, dignitaries and VIPs in attendance. Demand for event passes was at its highest level ever last year in a night of spectacular performances, breath-taking choreography and social media interaction that put pop music fans center stage of the star-studded evening.

“I am delighted we are joining hands with Sunway Group, who has been our venue partner for three of the previous MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia. The extended collaboration is testament to the strength of the relationship and the success of MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia. We have strong partners who have invested in us because they believe VIMN brings expertise in creating youth-oriented programming, brand strength and production expertise that help them to connect well with the millennial audience. I am confident of the success of this strategic collaboration that will also continue to strengthen our brands’ presence and channels’ line-up for our audiences. I cannot wait to see what else we can offer together,” said VIMN Asia’s Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Indra Suharjono.

“Sunway and MTV, combined, is a powerful proposition. Together, we represent content of global interest at a magnificent destination. Together, we make a greatly compelling experience for youths who seek at every opportunity to enrich their lives by pushing the boundaries of their imaginations. It is a natural progression that we want to not only continue to grow with MTV, but consider potential collaborations across other Viacom brands,” said Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, Founder and Chairman, Sunway Group.

The extension of MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia represents a significant opportunity for both parties’ business partners, including advertisers, record labels, the talent community and multiplatform distributors.

MTV World Stage is a global series that bring multi-genre talents with global relevance, telecast to an audience in over 550 million households. Recorded ‘live’ at the most exclusive gigs, world renowned music festivals and unique concert locations from around the world, the series is the ‘front row seat’ for music lovers to experience the biggest artists on the globe without leaving the comfort of their sofas. MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia is part of this platform that delivers the MTV brand experience not only on the ground with MTV fans in Malaysia, but with a global airing in 154 countries across MTV Networks. MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia is also MTV’s first originally-produced MTV World Stage event globally, which started in 2009.

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About MTV
MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. Outside of the United States, MTV is part of Viacom International Media Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For information about MTV in Southeast Asia, visit www.mtvasia.com.

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.

About Sunway Group
From a tin-mining company established in 1974, Sunway Group has thrived to become one of Malaysia’s most formidable property-construction groups, with a multitude of established businesses in more than 40 locations worldwide.

Sunway Group encompasses 11 business divisions namely Property, Construction, Hospitality, Retail, Leisure, Commercial, Trading & Manufacturing, Building Materials, Healthcare, Education and Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Sunway REIT is one of Malaysia’s largest REITs with an enviable portfolio of growing assets comprising retail, hotels and offices throughout Malaysia. It was incorporated in December 2010.

Community Builder, Innovator, Enriching Lives remain Sunway Group’s core tenets infiltrating our developments as we build landmarks across the region. The Group’s flagship development which has garnered global recognition is the 800 acre Sunway Resort City, an engineering tour de force, and the first green township in Malaysia that has been certified by Green Building Index. Located a mere 20 minutes from Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the township stands as an icon for human endeavour, innovation and forwardness, as it was literally resurrected from a tin mining wasteland. With over seven million square feet of world-class facilities, the Sunway Resort City attracts 40 million visitations every year. Sunway Resort City comprises more than 7,000 residential and commercial units. It is a highly sought-after place to live, work, learn, play and shop, and stands as the only integrated resort city in Malaysia, epitomising Sunway’s trademark “resort living within a city” concept. It remains today as one of the region’s most preferred tourist destinations. Visit www.sunway.com.my for more information about Sunway Group.

Media Contacts:

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

CELESTIAL PICTURES PARTNERS WITH THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY ON THE AVENGING EAGLE AND COME DRINK WITH ME

REMAKES WILL BE ENGLISH VERSIONS OF CLASSIC MARTIAL ARTS TITLES

New York, NY – July 24, 2013 – Celestial Pictures Limited (Celestial Pictures) and The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that they are partnering on remakes of two classic 1970s martial arts titles: THE AVENGING EAGLE and COME DRINK WITH ME. Both original films are part of the renowned Shaw Brothers library, the largest Chinese-language feature film library in the world. The two films with TWC will mark Celestial Pictures’ first English-language martial arts remakes of Shaw Brothers’ films. Harvey Weinstein and David Thwaites will be producing; John Fusco, who is also set to pen the screenplay for the upcoming sequel CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON II: THE GREEN DESTINY, is confirmed to write both projects.

In the thriller THE AVENGING EAGLE, a cabal master known as King Eagle raises orphans to be his own personal thugs in an outlaw band called The Thirteen Eagles – The Assassins Of The Iron Boat Clan. One of the orphans decides to rebel and strike out on his own, leading the rest of the group to want him dead. He joins up with a mysterious warrior and proceeds to take down King Eagle. The original film, directed by Sun Chung, was released in Hong Kong in 1978, winning awards such as “The Most Outstanding Actor” (Ti Lung) at the Asian Film Festival and “Best Editing for Drama” (Chiang Hsing-loong) at The Golden Horse Awards.

A ruthless band of thugs kidnap a young official as hostage to exchange for their captured leader in COME DRINK WITH ME. The prisoner’s sister, highly skilled martial artist Golden Swallow, is sent to free him. Although she is able to handle the overwhelming odds, she is hit by a poison dart, and needs help from a beggar who is really a Kung-Fu master in disguise. With his help, she forms a plan to get her brother back. The original film was directed by King Hu, who is best known for directing various wuxia (Kung-Fu) films in the 1960s and 1970s. This was his first success and remains a classic of the wuxia genre, catapulting the then 20-year-old starlet Cheng Pei-pei (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) to fame. The original film, released in Hong Kong in 1966, participated in various film festivals such as New York Film Festival, Festival de Cannes and Tokyo International Film Festival.

“Audiences in Asia and indeed the world over have enjoyed classic titles from the Shaw Brothers library for decades,” commented Ralph Marshall, Director of Celestial Pictures. “With Harvey Weinstein and TWC, we have the best possible partners to reinvent THE AVENGING EAGLE and COME DRINK WITH ME for a new generation. With further productions in development, and the imminent release of library titles globally on digital platforms, Celestial Pictures will continue to showcase its rich, enthralling and iconic stories and characters in new and innovative ways”.

Said TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein: “Shaw Brothers and Sir Run Run Shaw were responsible for ushering some of the first great, legendary Asian filmmakers and acting talent onto the world stage. It’s an exciting opportunity to be bringing new life to these two classic films and taking them into the global market with Celestial Pictures.”

The deal for THE AVENGING EAGLE and COME DRINK WITH ME was negotiated by Kristen Tong for Celestial Pictures with David Glasser for TWC.

ABOUT CELESTIAL PICTURES LIMITED
Celestial Pictures Limited (Celestial Pictures) is a diversified entertainment company bringing the best in Asian entertainment to the world. The company focuses on film and television content origination, aggregation and worldwide distribution.

Celestial Pictures owns the Shaw Brothers library, the world’s largest Chinese film collection, with over 760 feature films originally released over a fifty year period. The library has inspired countless filmmakers with its vast pool of classics including THE FIVE DEADLY VENOMS, HEX, THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN, KING BOXER and THE FLYING GUILLOTINE. These award-winning films have been digitally restored frame-by-frame for global distribution. The company has also been active in producing new film content, both originals and remakes based on the Shaw Brothers library films. Recent releases include PERHAPS LOVE, MY KINGDOM and CONTROL (in post-production).

Celestial Pictures has a substantial investment in Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), a venture with Saban Capital Group and Lionsgate. It operates branded pay television channels and produces and distributes content for Asian audiences. CTE’s channel bouquet includes CELESTIAL MOVIES, CELESTIAL CLASSIC MOVIES, CELESTIAL MOVIES HD, KIX, KIX HD and THRILL, with a footprint that spans Asia and Australia.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Celestial Pictures is owned by ASTRO Holdings Sdn Bhd (ASTRO), a leading integrated consumer media entertainment group in Malaysia and South East Asia. ASTRO owns a portfolio of international and regional investments in Pay TV, Radio, Publications and Digital Media. ASTRO’s Malaysian domestic Pay TV business has a customer base of over 3.5 million residential customers (approximately 52% penetration of Malaysian TV households), and offers 170 TV channels, including 37 HD channels, delivered via Direct-To-Home satellite TV, IPTV and OTT platforms.

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes. TWC releases took home eight 2012 Academy Awards®, the most wins in the studio’s history. The tally included Best Picture for Michel Hazanavicius’s THE ARTIST and Best Documentary Feature for TJ Martin and Dan Lindsay’s UNDEFEATED. THE ARTIST brought TWC its second consecutive Best Picture statuette following the 2011 win for Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; 1408; I’M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH’S KEY; SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D; MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE IRON LADY; W.E.; CORIOLANUS; UNDEFEATED; THE ARTIST; BULLY; THE INTOUCHABLES; LAWLESS; KILLING THEM SOFTLY; THE MASTER; SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK; DJANGO UNCHAINED; QUARTET; ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH; DARK SKIES; THE SAPPHIRES; SCARY MOVIE 5; and KON-TIKI. Currently in release are UNFINISHED SONG and FRUITVALE STATION. Upcoming releases include THE BUTLER, THE GRANDMASTER and SALINGER.

TWC is active in television production, led by former Miramax Films President of Production Meryl Poster. TWC is the studio behind such hit television series as the Emmy® nominated and Peabody Award winning reality series PROJECT RUNWAY and its spin-off series PROJECT RUNWAY ALL STARS and PROJECT ACCESSORY; the VH1 reality series MOB WIVES and its spin-off series MOB WIVES CHICAGO and BIG ANG; and the critically acclaimed scripted HBO comedy/crime series THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY which also received a Peabody Award. The company is in production on the upcoming TLC series WELCOME TO MYRTLE MANOR, the A&E series RODEO QUEENS, and the Lifetime reality competition show SUPERMARKET SUPERSTAR hosted by Stacy Keibler. Among TWC’s other projects in development for television are the martial-arts epic MARCO POLO for Starz, an untitled private eye procedural for FX, and THE NANNY DIARIES developed by ABC with a pilot by Amy Sherman Palladino.

(Jul 23, 2013) Nickelodeon has inked a number of deals with Asian broadcasters for such titles as Kung Fu Panda and SpongeBob SquarePants, among others.

Read more at World Screen

(Jul 23, 2013) Brightcove, a global provider of cloud content services, has revealed that Yahoo!7 has teamed with Brightcove to deliver a technology platform for online video consumption and monetisation in Australia.

Read mroe at Advanced Television

(Jul 22, 2013) French PSB group France Télévisions (FTV) has upped its stake in TV5Monde to 49%, after taking over shares formerly owned by l’Audiovisuel extérieur de la France (AEF), the holding company of France 24 and RFI.

Read more at Rapid TV News

(Jul 23, 2013) ABC News veteran Kate O’Brian has been named president of Al Jazeera America, the new US channel from the Qatar-based TV network, which will launch on 20 August.

O’Brian was senior vice president for news at ABC News, having been responsible for all ABC News’ newsgathering operations since 2007. She has won many awards, including an Emmy for ABC’s 2000 Millennium coverage and a Peabody for the network’s September 11 reports.

Read more at Rapid TV News