CASBAA Connections Issue ONE 2014 by CASBAA

CASBAA CONVENTION 2014 PREVIEW ULTRA HD: THE NEXT DIMENSION DENYING PIRATES AD REVENUE COUNTRY REPORT: AUSTRALIA

Volume 9 Issue 1

CONVENTION 2014 Oct 27 - 30 | Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong | #casbaacon

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C O N T E N T S REPORTS

19 Technology 35 CASBAA Convention 2014

Ultra HD, or 4K, is the next big thing

Flagship event looks “Beyond the Box”

43 Country Report | Australia 52 CASBAA Album 58 CASBAA Profiles

Where interest and innovation drives change

Snapshots from a frenetic event schedule

Deepakjit Singh Chatrath, Asia MD, Encompass

Volume 9, Issue 1

CASBAA Connections is published biannually by CASBAA, the Association for digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising, and video delivery across Asia, on behalf of its 130 member companies serving the region’s nearly 470 million connections. Copyright © 2014

DEPARTMENTS 2

Board and Council

Chairman’s Report

Marcel Fenez, Chairman; Christopher Slaughter, CEO; John Medeiros, Chief Policy Officer; Anjan Mitra, Director, India; Sara Madera, Director, Member Relations and Marketing; Annie Ma, Director, Events; Tammy Choy, Head of Administration; Desmond Chung, Associate Director, PR & Communications.

Media Grabs

Briefing

Executive Office: 802, Wilson House 19-27 Wyndham St, Central, Hong Kong Telephone: +852 2854 9913 Email: casbaa@casbaa.com Website: www.casbaa.com

By the Numbers

Committees

CEO Memo

BOARD AND COUNCIL

Board of Directors

CHAIRMAN MARCEL FENEZ PwC

SOMPAN CHARUMILINDA TrueVisions

CHRISTINE FELLOWES NBCUniversal

ANDREW JORDAN Eutelsat

JANICE LEE PCCW

TODD MILLER Celestial Tiger Entertainment

ALEXANDRE MULLER TV5MONDE Asia Pacific

MARK PATTERSON GroupM

BILL WADE Asia Satellite Telecommunications

CHRISTOPHER SLAUGHTER CASBAA

Council of Governors

JANICE LEE PCCW (Patron)

LAURENCE PEAK Verimatrix (Patron)

ALAN HODGES A+E Networks (Patron)

MARCEL FENEZ PwC (Patron)

INDRA SUHARJONO Viacom International Media Networks (Patron)

DEREK CHANG Scripps Networks International (Patron)

WARD HANSFORD Ericsson (Corporate)

HUANG BAOZHONG APT Satellite (Patron) TOM CHOI Asia Broadcast Satellite (Patron) BILL WADE Asia Satellite Telecommunications (Patron)

ARJAN HOEKSTRA Discovery Networks Asia Pacific (Patron) DEEPAKJIT SINGH Encompass (Patron) ANDREW JORDAN Eutelsat (Patron)

SREEDHAR SUBRAMANIAM Asian Broadcasting Network (Patron)

ZUBIN GANDEVIA Fox International Channels (Patron)

ROHANA ROZHAN Astro (Patron)

JONATHAN SPINK HBO Asia (Patron)

DOUG FRASER Australia Network (Patron) MARK WHITEHEAD BBC Worldwide (Patron) GARY GROENHEIM Bloomberg Television (Patron) 2

TODD MILLER Celestial Tiger Entertainment (Patron)

CASBAA

TERRY BLEAKLEY Intelsat Asia Pacific (Patron) BENGT JONSSON Irdeto (Patron) CHRISTINE FELLOWES NBCUniversal (Patron)

Issue Two 2014

DEEPAK MATHUR SES (Patron) ANGELOS FRANGOPOULOS Sky News Australia (Patron) ANG HUI KENG SPE Networks (Patron) DEEPAK JACOB STAR India (Patron) ROBERT GILBY The Walt Disney Company (Patron)

BRICE BERTRAND France24 (Corporate)

HANS-GÜNTHER HERRMANN Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison (Corporate) TERENCE TEO Tata Communications (Corporate)

DARBY SANCHEZ GlobeCast (Corporate)

HARIT NAGPAL Tata Sky (Corporate)

MARK PATTERSON GroupM (Corporate)

BELINDA LUI Time Warner (Corporate)

PJ WONG iMediaHouse Asia/Focus Media (Corporate) GABRIELA KENNEDY Mayer Brown JSM (Corporate) PAUL BROWN-KENYON MEASAT (Corporate)

SOMPAN CHARUMILINDA TrueVisions (Patron)

FRANK RITTMAN Motion Picture Association (Corporate)

RICKY OW Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific (Patron)

TED McFARLAND Orbital Science Corporation (Corporate)

JEREMY KUNG TM Net (Corporate) ALEXANDRE MULLER TV5Monde (Corporate) JAMES ROSS Lightning International (Individual) STEVE GARTON Steve Garton Consulting (Individual)

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Staying focused amid the tumult

hen the most recent issue of Connections came out at the end of 2013, we had just finished another successful CASBAA Convention based around the theme of “Change is on the Air.” That was a topical issue, as revolution seemed to be affecting every aspect of our industry from the rapid development of new technologies to evolving consumer habits and even to the very leadership of some of the biggest media companies in the Asia-Pacific region. While the end of last year felt tumultuous, 2014 has been a time to process the myriad changes and to settle into this “new normal”. However, the industry is far from just coasting along as multichannel television continues to refine and redefine itself and the very act of “watching TV” becomes a new experience. In this part of the world, there is no doubt that traditional linear TV still rules the roost. With huge potential for pay-TV growth, especially in developing markets across the region, traditional TV-consumption continues to thrive. But it would be shortsighted not to look beyond our living rooms and to acknowledge the alternate streams of consumption available to viewers today and into the future. As the proliferation of portable media devices continues, digital deployment of content will only increase in importance to the industry. With the popularity of smartphones, personal media players, tablets and laptops, consumers are no longer tied to their homes or to the notion of appointment viewing anymore. With a new TV paradigm on the horizon, issues of transcoding, delivery and standards of authentication become increasingly important. CASBAA has helped to increase awareness of these issues through a variety of reports and events including our first ever OTT Summit held earlier this year and at this year’s Satellite Industry Forum, which included panels on the continued encroachment on C-band spectrum and C-band

usage among Southeast Asian countries in advance of the hotly anticipated WRC-15 forum taking place in Geneva next year. While all the news seem to focus on how the TV viewing experience is moving “beyond the box”, it is important to remember that initiatives are under way to enhance the picture quality of television sets in the home. From HD to Ultra HD (or 4K) and even 8K transmission, TV has grown by astounding leaps and bounds from the original black-and-white box dominating the living rooms in the 1940s (see page 19). As we look forward to the second half of 2014, “Beyond the Box” plays a key role as the theme for this year’s CASBAA Convention 2014 (see page 35). Taking place from October 27-30 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, this year’s event will explore linear TV’s dominant role in the region, look at its inevitable evolution beyond the TV set and facilitate thinking outside of the box to capitalise on new opportunities. For CASBAA, the association, we are looking outside our own box, so to speak, to make the most of the changing TV landscape in the region. In order to provide the best possible service to our many members, CASBAA is planning on opening an office in Singapore to meet the needs of the evolving multichannel TV industry in the region. Scheduled for later this year, the Singapore office will complement the head office in Hong Kong and satellite office in India to offer high-quality engagement between the association and its membership. There are many exciting developments for both CASBAA and the industry on the horizon. As always, we are keenly interested in hearing from you, our members, as to what is important to your business and how we can better meet your needs. Feel free to contact any of our staff or board members and let us know what’s on your mind. Marcel Fenez Chairman, CASBAA

CASBAA

Issue One 2014 3

A new breed of

Ishai Golan

Top Tables, Top Cities

Chef Wan East Bites West

Cesar Millan Cesar To The Rescue

MEDIA GRABS

CASBAA Cuts Broad Swathe

ASBAA made the news in a number of countries across the region as it kicked off 2014 with important events in India, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. Indian media, both consumer and trade, showed particular interest in CASBAA’s annual India Forum, held in March, before, during and after the event. Another March event getting ink was the inaugural OTT Forum in Singapore, while Indonesia was the location of CASBAA AD’s gathering of media agencies, clients, pay-TV broadcasters and partners this year, with the Jakarta Upfronts

Voice&Data March 14, 2014

CASBAA India Forum 2014 As an annual spotlight on the Indian multichannel TV market, CASBAA India Forum 2014 took place in New Delhi recently attracting over 150 delegates, speakers and the media. “Our roster of knowledgeable and high-profile speakers from both the government and business sectors provides invaluable information for the future prospects of multichannel television in India,” said Christopher Slaughter, CEO, CASBAA.

held in February. There was also wide coverage by Manila-based media on the enormous potential of pay-TV, the headline topic of the Philippines In View event in January. International magazines, in print and online, are already taking an interest in CASBAA’s views ahead of the World Radiocommunications Conference to be held in Geneva in September 2015.

The Financial Express March 4, 2014

India’s Regulatory Regime Continues to Be Restrictive On the eve of its India Forum, Christopher Slaughter, [CASBAA] CEO, spoke to Ashish Sinha on the … overall regulatory environment. What is your view on India’s regulatory regime? “For a democratic, market-oriented economy, it is among the most restrictive in the Asia-Pacific region. This strikes us as odd, given India’s effervescent public dialogue and highly capable video-production industries. CASBAA supports a light-touch regulatory regime, and we believe India’s consumers — and overall economic development — would be better served by a less heavy regulatory hand.”

OnScreen Asia March 5, 2014

CASBAA OTT Summit 2014: On Top of OTT CASBAA’s first ever event focusing solely on the fast evolving over-the-top (OTT) services is to take place on March 25, 2014 at the Grand Hyatt, Singapore. “While traditional, linear TV still has a strong foothold in the Asia Pacific region, there is no denying that OTT is making its presence felt throughout the industry,” said Christopher Slaughter, CEO, CASBAA.

TvAsia.ws (World Screen) March 5, 2014

CASBAA TV Upfronts Find Success in Jakarta The most recent CASBAA TV Upfronts, which took place late last month in Jakarta, Indonesia, brought in close to 100 delegates and attendees representing media agencies, clients, pay-TV broadcasters and partners. “As a showcase for the multichannel TV industry, media buyers and advertisers can see firsthand the hottest content and bespoke and localized advertising solutions our members can offer,” said Christopher Slaughter, the CEO of CASBAA.

CASBAA

Issue One 2014

Advanced Television March 25, 2014

CASBAA, Olswang Boost Oz Anti-Piracy Battle “Many Australian consumers are still accessing pirate content and, unfortunately, piracy levels in Australia are high by any international standard,” said John Medeiros, Chief Policy Officer, CASBAA. “It is our hope that consumers would benefit from a service that will help them find the legitimate sources of content and therefore reduce the incentive to access pirated content.”

Via Satellite January 21, 2014

WRC-15: Winning the Spectrum War John Medeiros … chief policy officer at CASBAA… notes that governments are sorting through all kinds of frequency bands and points to a consultation paper from the Australian government that poses several possibilities. He says CASBAA has taken a firm stance on this issue. “We accept the legitimacy of allocating spectrum for wireless, and growth for wireless video communications will be an important cornerstone of the video delivery industry going forward. But C-band is not the best for broadband wireless applications. Other frequency bands should be studied and allocated for wireless services,” Medeiros says.

www.pwc.com/e&m

Advancing from a digital strategy – to a business strategy fit for a digital age

PwC stays on top of trends and developments that impact your business now and in the future. In this way, we work with entertainment and media companies to find their competitive advantage, despite the current business environment. Digital has brought entertainment and media businesses the ability to deliver myriad new experiences to consumers. Advertising is forecast to outpace consumer spending in the migration to digital. However, monetising the digital consumer will not just be about the application of technology. It will be about applying a ‘digital mindset’ to build the right behaviours, advancing from a digital strategy – to a business strategy fit for a digital age, according to PwC’s Global entertainment and media outlook 2014-2018. Get an insight into our forecasts and industry trends for 2014-2018: http://www.pwc.com/outlook To find out more on how we can help, please contact us: Marcel Fenez Global Leader Entertainment and Media Practice

Greg Unsworth Partner Entertainment and Media Practice

+852 2289 2628 marcel.fenez@hk.pwc.com

+65 6236 3738 greg.unsworth@sg.pwc.com

© 2014 PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the Hong Kong member firm, and may sometimes refer to the PwC network. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. HK-20140520-4-C1

BRIEFING

Supporting Singapore‘s Creative Community in Content Theft War

he theft of content in Singapore has reached alarming levels, according to rights holders. Recent data show that Singapore, on a per capita basis, has an exceedingly high degree of online infringement relative to other countries not only in Asia Pacific but also around the world. (See By the Numbers on page 60.) In response, Singapore’s arts and entertainment industry has begun a public relations campaign to raise awareness of content piracy’s deleterious effects on the city-state’s economy. “The creative community suffers when our work is stolen from us on the Internet,” said Chai Yee Wei, Director of Blood Ties and Founder of Hot Cider Films. Chai is one of several personalities who filmed a public service video drawing attention to the problem. The video was posted on CASBAA’s website and social media sites, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn, to back the creative community. “If you’re downloading something that is meant to be paid for, but you are not actually paying for it,

that… is stealing,” said rapper Shigga Shay (pictured above), who features in the video along with actor Aaron Aziz, actress-director Michelle Chong and other stars. Singapore’s advanced communications environment provides high-speed online access, while Internet service providers (ISPs) offer attractive packages with unlimited downloads. This, together with the Lion City’s high smartphone penetration, creates an infrastructure that facilitates illegal downloading. A recent study by international market researchers Sycamore Research found that seven out of 10 Singaporean youths admitted to being active pirates, while 66% of active pirates agreed that piracy was stealing. Peer pressure plays a big part in motivating their behaviour, the study found. Alarmingly, there are also indications that suggest an increased degree of consumer acceptance of online piracy as a way of accessing content in Singapore. “We recognise the need to reduce the incentive for consumers to choose piracy,” said Tan Ying Zh, Assistant Vice President of Content Services at StarHub. “So we are continuing to bring in new channels with fresh content to add to our selection of over 200 channels.” CASBAA backs Singapore’s creative community in its deploring of content piracy as it threatens the continued success of the vibrant media and entertainment industry, which supports tens of thousands of high-paying jobs.

“If you’re downloading something that is meant to be paid for, but you are not actually paying for it, that… is stealing.”

CASBAA

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BRIEFING

Both CASBAA and the creative community in Singapore have welcomed the Singapore Ministry of Law’s proposal, following recommendations by the Media Convergence Review Panel, to amend the Copyright Act. Under the proposed legislative changes, rights holders will also be allowed to apply directly to the courts for injunctions to prevent access to pirate sites without having to first establish the liability of ISPs for copyright infringement. CASBAA “warmly welcomed” the consultation paper from the ministry and its proposals to empower courts to issue injunctions that would prohibit Singaporeans from accessing the most egregious pirate websites. “The steps are badly needed,” said Chief Policy Officer John Medeiros, as “the rapid growth of flagrantly infringing websites in recent years has eroded the business of the pay-TV industry.” The judicial process would be targeted at websites that show a blatant disregard for, and that clearly infringe, copyrights. Legitimate search engines and content sharing sites such as Google and YouTube would not be affected. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Norway and Belgium have adopted similar legislation and have issued injunctions for their ISPs to block sites.

Inaugural Summit Offers Overview of Over-the-Top The first CASBAA over-the-top (OTT) television summit, held on March 25 in Singapore, brought together thought leaders from across industries to share their experiences and insights into the fastmoving world of alternative content delivery. “CASBAA’s first summit dealing solely with the topic of OTT was an unparalleled success,” concluded Christopher Slaughter, Chief Executive Officer of CASBAA, noting that more than 160 delegates, speakers and media attended the CASBAA OTT Summit 2014: On Top of OTT. “OTT services around the world are revolutionising the way content is being produced, programmed, distributed and consumed,” said Christine Fellowes, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Universal Networks International, setting the summit’s tone in her welcome remarks. “Innovative technical solutions will enable a new ecosystem of companies to distribute content across a range of connected devices at home and on the go,” added Fellowes, who is also the CASBAA Board Member responsible for the CASBAA OTT and Connected Media Group. During the opening Asia-Pacific market review session, Kerry Brown, Vice President for Southeast Asia at digital business analytics consultancy comScore, indicated that the Asia-Pacific region now

“Innovative technical solutions will enable a new ecosystem of companies to distribute content across a range of connected devices at home and on the go.” accounts for 41% of all global online audiences, with China accounting for nearly 60% of regional traffic. The company’s research also revealed that more than 75% of online audiences in India and Southeast Asia were below the age of 35. “You have to take on board just how young those audiences are” when devising online content strategies, Brown added. A high-profile roster of industry experts took to the stage in several lively panel discussions. OTT, according to panellists, can be a means to distribute vanilla linear services as well as niche content. The subjects included monetisation – how to create a profitable OTT service. “Technology is only 25% of the solution,” said Tony McGinn, CEO of Movideo. “Content strategy is a huge issue.” Advertising is an important aspect of monetisation but it is early days yet, experts say. “Advertisers are struggling to measure the value [of OTT],” suggested Nick Seckold, CEO of Mindshare Singapore. Closing the summit, Patrice Slupowski, VP, Digital Innovation & Communities at Orange, urged media executives to embrace OTT. “TV meeting the Internet is a permanent revolution.” CASBAA

Issue One 2014 11

BRIEFING India. He noted that commercial deployment of broadband through direct-to-home (DTH) services could only be commercially viable through strong demand. “There are two bottlenecks,” he said. “First is awareness among consumers [of] broadband… and second is affordability of devices.” Punit Goenka, Managing Director and CEO of ZEE Entertainment, delivered an industry keynote speech. “Content creators will have to adapt to the new distribution platforms apart from the primary platforms like linear television,” he advised.

India’s Digitisation Programme Provides Tangible Benefits The CASBAA India Forum 2014 – an annual spotlight on the Indian multichannel TV market – attracted more than 150 delegates, speakers and media to Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi. “CASBAA’s annual India Forum has become a yearly barometer of the broadcasting market in the country,” said Christopher Slaughter, Chief Executive Officer of CASBAA. ”Digitisation is the biggest shift in terms of the operating practices of India,” he added. “It is a bumpy ride but I am very confident that all the players in this market are embracing the change.” This year’s theme was “Indian Content: Going Global?” which explored the worldwide distribution potential of Indian-originated content. “We are sitting on a goldmine,” said Raj Nayak, CEO of Colors, Viacom’s Hindi-language entertainment channel. Keertan Adyanthaya, Managing Director for India at Fox International Channels, said his network was putting more resources into developing Indian content for the global audience. “We recently made a documentary that was sold to more than 50 countries,” he noted. However, while the distribution footprint is widening, the Indian TV industry has taken only tentative steps towards creating an export model. “What is missing is a risk-taking appetite,” Nayak added. “There is no consolidated effort to market Indian content outside.” The forum also addressed the ongoing digitisation programme. “There is excellent positive impact [from] digitisation for broadcasters including more bandwidth available for more channels and a greater incentive to provide better content and to invest in infrastructure,” said Supriya Sahu, Joint Secretary for Broadcasting at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The event began with a keynote by RK Arnold, Secretary of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of

Taiwan Commission Pushes Restructuring of Cable-TV Industry Taiwan’s plans to restructure its regulation of the cable-TV industry were the focus of a daylong seminar in Taipei on April 8. More than 100 industry leaders, government officials, academics and foreign experts attended the seminar, which was co-hosted by CASBAA and the National Communications Commission (NCC). NCC Chairman Howard Shyr told delegates at the opening session that the commission, which is overseeing the restructuring process, saw the advance of digital technology as an opportunity to develop Taiwan’s TV industries for the benefit of consumers and producers. “Ensuring opportunities for varied services while improving customer satisfaction and increasing revenue are key issues,” he said. Representatives of the international pay-TV industry said Taiwan’s regulatory approach was in serious need of reform and liberalisation, citing the 14-year-old cable price cap as an example of an innovation-crushing obstacle. They expressed deep concern about the NCC’s proposals for the imposition of a closely regulated series of programming tiers, noting that the international trend was for less regulation, not more. Pay-TV operators could and should design their own price and packaging policies to meet public needs. Jessica Chou, Associate Professor of Information Management at Yuan Ze University in Taoyuan, noted CASBAA

Issue One 2014 13

BRIEFING that Taiwan’s digital development seriously lagged behind that of other major Asia-Pacific markets, including India and Korea, where there had been surges of innovation following the abolition of price controls. Nigel Mukherjee, Commercial Director for North Asia at Ogilvy & Mather, observed that all governments have “public service” goals for key sectors of the TV industry but they were confined to either terrestrial broadcasters, as in Singapore and Hong Kong, or the bottom basic tier of the pay-TV hierarchy. Higher tiers should not be regulated, he said, adding that Taiwan’s current law was too sweeping and constrained cable in a way that could not be justified on consumer protection grounds.

Direct-to-home (DTH) satellite providers are receiving most of their sharp growth from outside the capital, said Guido Zaballero, Vice President and Marketing Head at Cignal Digital TV, a DTH operation. Illegal downloading and interception of signals remain major issues. “The problem with piracy is it makes estimating the number of users a real challenge,” Virat Patel, Managing Director for Asia at Venture Consulting, acknowledged in his opening presentation. However, the regulatory environment is also improving. “The market for cable… will grow... partly thanks to the new signal theft law,” observed Allan Dungao, Chairman of the Philippine Cable Television Association. Illegal subscribers now face imprisonment for up to a year and a maximum fine of 50,000 pesos. “It takes time [for court cases], but what’s important is that people know there is a law,” he added.

FOUR NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS SIGN UP FROM ACROSS REGION

Philippine Industry Figures Looking Ahead to Growth Philippines in View, CASBAA’s first event of 2014, took place on January 21 at the Edsa Shangri-La in Manila. Featuring a high-profile roster of influential speakers, this informative forum explored the issues shaping the country’s multichannel TV market. The Philippines remains one of the most exciting Asia-Pacific markets. Overall TV penetration is estimated at about 65% of the country’s 23 million households, but that is largely due to the prevalence of free-to-air (FTA) TV. Given that pay-TV penetration rates are under 20% and only about 5 million people access content online, there is huge potential. Pay TV is growing at a healthy clip of 9% annually, but the future might lie, at least in the short term, with telecommunications. “I think the exciting thing in terms of mobile video is what’s happening in smartphones, where you’ve got 45% penetration,” said Christine Fellowes, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Universal Networks International. While Metro Manila is almost fully digitised, many outlying areas remain analogue. “I think we have about 40% of provincial systems not on digital,” said Rodrigo “Ray” Montinola, Chief Operating Officer of SKY Cable.

One of China’s largest makers of set-top boxes has become a CASBAA Corporate Member. Skyworth Digital, based in Shenzhen, shipped more than 17 million units to more than 90 countries in 2013. The Indonesia Channel, the Southeast Asian country’s first 24-hour English-language channel, has also become a new Corporate Member. The channel, which launched on May 1, features a range of original content, including news and current affairs programmes and also airs Indonesian programmes with English-language subtitles. Another Corporate member is Viacom 18 Media, a 50:50 joint venture operation in India between Viacom and the Network18 Group, which operates six general entertainment channels and a Hindi-language film business through Viacom 18 Motion Pictures. The latest Corporate Member addition is Netviet, a channel featuring a variety of Englishsubtitled programmes showcasing Vietnamese heritage and contemporary culture. It is available across Vietnam and in many regions of the world.

CASBAA

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TECHNOLOGY

Ultra HD Puts Pay-TV In a New Perspective To some players, 4K technology is seen as a “paradigm change” for viewers. Jo Bowman looks at its evolution and how the industry is moving to roll it out quickly.

he next great leap in television viewing will become a reality within a year and adopted by the mainstream consumer market within a decade, leading industry players predict. Early-stage co-operation on standards for recording, compression and transmission means that the rollout of ultra-high-definition “4K” television, also known to consumers as Ultra HD or UHD, will be able to avoid many of the stumbling blocks that held up HD, the preceding generation of technology. About 1.5 million TV sets capable of screening in 4K were shipped last year, and as the price of new sets decreases and the availability of 4K content

increases – added to interest fuelled by high-profile events such as the Olympic Games in 2016 and the football (soccer) World Cup in 2018 – 4K is expected to approach mass penetration by the end of the decade. UHD boasts a 3,840-pixel horizontal resolution of the screens – hence the 4K sobriquet – which is four times the number of pixels of regular HD images. This increased resolution gives video a smoother feel and a sharper, brighter look that feels three-dimensional without any need for the viewer to wear glasses or sit well away from the screen. “The consumer experience will be similar to CASBAA

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TECHNOLOGY

the step change in going from black-and-white to colour,” said Marcus Payer, Vice President, Communications, of satellite operator SES. “It’s a major paradigm change,” he added. “The screens are so much bigger, but it’s not just about size and more pixels, it’s a different viewing experience.” North America is ultimately expected to have the highest penetration of UHD sets, at 50%, partly because the average number of sets per household is already three and they are updated frequently. In Asia, penetration is forecast to reach 184 million sets, or 40% of households, by 2025. Analysts at IHS Electronics and Media, a London-based research firm, expect the number of UHD channels in Asia to reach about 250 by 2025 and about 1,000 globally. By that time, they forecast that almost half of all TVs shipped will be UHD-capable, and a quarter of all households will have at least one UHD set. Cross-industry co-operation to agree on standards for 4K content has built on the links forged during the development of HD standards more than a decade ago. The International Telecommunication Union ratified two new standards for higher resolution viewing, UHD-1 and UHD-2, or 4K and 8K, in 2012, and industry-led discussions are frequent and continuing on the detailed, day-to-day agreements

required for the production and handling of UHD content. “There’s been a lot of learning,” said Payer. “You’ll remember with the development of HD there was a vicious circle: content was waiting for technology, technology was waiting for manufacturers, manufacturers were waiting for broadcasters, the broadcasters were waiting for content, and nobody had a business model. We’ve learnt that we have to turn that into a virtuous circle to get the whole dynamic started. We’re doing that better today.” Development of 4K is for now being led largely by Asia, and the first commercially available cable UHD channel, called UMAX, was launched in April in Korea, home of manufacturers Samsung and LG. Samsung launched its new curved UHD sets in Korea in February, then rolled them out in China, followed by the United States and Europe. A Samsung spokesman said 2014 would prove a turning point in the shift towards 4K, and backed forecasts of sales of 60 million UHD sets globally within three years. “Our goal is to create a new category by making UHD TV mainstream products,” he said. In addition to the large, premiumpriced screens that currently dominate UHD sales, the company is launching mid-sized TVs to broaden their appeal. Samsung is also launching a “UHD Evolution Kit”, which enables owners of its existing smart TVs to upgrade to UHD without buying a new set.

“It’s a major paradigm change, the screens are so much bigger, but it’s not just about size and more pixels, it’s a different viewing experience.” Developers of content are, meanwhile, building up their stocks of 4K video; most international films intended for cinema release are now being shot in 4K, while older films can be digitally remastered. Sport and documentary producers are investing in

CASBAA

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TECHNOLOGY

the 4K equipment that will bring out the best in their videos, while YouTube is also building up its 4K library. Paul Brown-Kenyon, Chief Executive Officer of MEASAT, which is among the satellite providers to have trialled 4K broadcasts, says platforms are ready to support UHD live transmissions from sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics. Like HD, he says, UHD will begin as a format for special events, before being adopted more broadly. The investment required throughout the content value chain to upgrade to UHD is huge, though, and comes not all that long after investment in the necessary technology to upgrade to HD. Many players have also spent big on 3D, which now, partly because of the predicted rise of 4K, seems destined never to move beyond a niche service.

“The challenges, as usual, are going to be surrounding how quickly all parts of the ecosystem are able to deal with the creation, postprocessing, distribution and consumption of that content.” “The challenges, as usual, are going to be surrounding how quickly all parts of the ecosystem are able to deal with the creation, post-processing, distribution and consumption of that content,” said Aslam Khader, Chief Product Officer at Elemental Technologies, a software company that specialises in multiscreen video solutions. “That will take a little bit of time but it’s happening, and it will happen, much faster than it did for HD, that’s for sure.” Compression technology is vital to the success of UHD, because the vast amount of data required for UHD pictures potentially adds a huge amount to the cost of transmitting and storing 4K content. Satellite transponders that can now carry four of five HD channels can only deliver one or two in UHD without data compression, making it prohibitively expensive. A new compression standard has been developed - the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) – which is

twice as efficient as the Advanced Video Coding generally used for HD content. There is, however, a scarcity of set-top boxes that are capable of processing HEVC, and the cost to pay-TV operators for upgrading customers to new boxes presents a further challenge. Aslam Khader, Chief Product Officer The world’s first at Elemental Technologies live 4K UHD TV demonstration broadcast using HEVC took place in October 2013, during the Osaka Marathon, with video beamed on giant screens in public places, and a range of HEVC-ready set-top boxes were announced by technology producers at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year. System-on-a-chip vendors, including Broadcom and Qualcomm, are reportedly planning to have the required components ready within months, and large-scale shipments of HEVC-ready set-top boxes are expected late in 2014 or early next year. Competition is also coming from over-the-top (OTT) TV content providers that deliver content via broadband straight to UHD-ready smart TVs. Netflix has announced its ambitions to be a major provider of 4K content, and is already providing its House of Cards series and some documentaries in 4K, though it is available only to viewers with the latest 4K TVs as earlier models don’t have compatible decoders. Another potential hurdle for OTT services is that many consumers don’t yet have the high broadband speeds that 4K transmissions require. “The whole ecosystem has to be built involving all major actors – from the camera to the encoding to the compression standard and set-top box manufacturers,” said Payer at SES. “Transmission is the real task. There’s a lot of competitive pressure, which is good for consumers and forces all parts of the industry to essentially get better at what they’re doing and providing more for the same cost.” As the rest of the world gets to grips with 4K, the Japanese TV industry is already working on 8K technology, providing double the resolution of UHD. Taka Izumoto from national broadcaster NHK’s planning division said 8K satellite broadcasting will be ready for the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo.

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TECHNOLOGY

He said it makes a better alternative to HD than 4K, and that most of the Japanese TV manufacturers were working towards an 8K rollout within a few years. “Most broadcasters and other video industries will adopt the 4K format in the near future,” Izumoto said, “but it’s natural to look beyond that world.” Khader at Elemental said 8K technology does not make 4K obsolete before it even gets going. Aside from the discussion about whether double the pixels

is vastly better, or whether greater-quality pixels are the way to improve a 4K image, one doesn’t spell the end for the other. “While 8K will happen, I don’t think it’s something a lot of people today are worrying about. 8K will probably happen faster than 4K happened after HD. That’s taken 15 to 20 years, 8K will probably happen in 10 years, but in terms of technology, that’s several generations. HD will last for a long time and 4K will have a good long life.”

SOFTWARE IS NEW SECURITY FOCUS FOR INDUSTRY’S PREMIUM CONTENT The agility of content pirates – and the expectation that content will be stolen – is being built into the security systems being designed for the industry’s most premium content. With its focus on software rather than hardware, UHD can be quickly updated after a breach. “We’re seeing a bit of a sea change in the industry from very hardware-centric security mechanisms to more software or IP architectures,” said Steve Christian, Vice President of Marketing at Verimatrix, a company that develops software-based content security. “It’s a move towards software-based architecture that is based on much more connected devices and a more modern approach to multi-device security, including devices that can’t accept external removable hardware components.” The key is renewability, and a piece of hardware that’s held in individuals’ homes can’t easily be renewed en masse. Software, however, can be refreshed in no time. Verimatrix Chief Technical Officer Petr Peterka says software enables content providers to authenticate the device being used before every playback of high-value content. “All of this is really coming from the failure of Blu-ray and DVDs,” he said. “Once Blu-rays got broken, there was just no way to upgrade them or fix it. It was just the end of that protection. The [studios] were spending hundreds of millions of dollars making

new movies knowing they would release them into a broken environment.” Peterka said Hollywood learned from the experience. “It was painful for them,” he said. “I think the studios understand that no matter what security they define or somebody builds, sooner or later it’s going to get broken so they want to have a system of revoking and renewing the security on the device.” Forensic watermarking of all 4K content means that if content is released in an illegal way, it’s easy to identify where the leak occurred and to track whether certain devices are more vulnerable to hackers than others. Leaks can be isolated and transgressing devices barred until they are updated with new software, Peterka added. The cost of this process – detecting stolen content, building renewability in the devices, analysing watermarks and creating new versions of software – all adds to the cost of protecting 4K content versus other technologies. It might not be cheap but it is necessary, Christian explained, given that distribution is decreasingly reliant on the traditional big-impact cinema releases and more about on-demand. “The shift in security is very much paralleling the shift in revenue sources that are going to sustain the content creation and distribution industry,” he said. “Super-valuable content in the most pristine quality, now potentially downloaded to a set-top box near you. That’s what the new frontier is.”

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TECHNOLOGY

HITS Technology Tweaking India’s Pay-TV Marketplace The deployment of headend-in-the-sky services could revolutionise multichannel TV in India. The country’s HITS pioneers explain why, and what the future holds in the wake of the digitisation programme

s India began to gear up for life under a new government in May, the country’s pay-TV industry had been undergoing their own revolution with headend-in-the-sky (HITS) services proposing to transform the market for smaller operators. HITS is a downlinking, distribution and transmission technology that enables pay channels to be received at a central facility and uploaded by the operators to its satellite after encryption. These

signals can then be downloaded by local cable operators (LCOs) and forwarded to subscribers, who can view the channels using a set-top box. For LCOs, it means they can offer a wide range of channels while keeping their investment to acceptable levels. “Having 60,000 small operators in the country makes it very difficult to provide state-ofthe-art technology,” said Tony D’Silva, Group CEO (Media) and Managing Director, IndusInd Media Communications, a unit of Hinduja Ventures. A HITS CASBAA

Issue One 2014 27

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licence was granted to another Hinduja company in March. HITS technology has long been expected to gain significant adoption in India over the next few years as a method of distributing channels by Multi-System Operators (MSOs) to LCOs. A CASBAA satellite report from 2013 noted that HITS would be essential “post-digitisation, driven by the need of MSOs to enable consistent delivery of TV channels across their networks.” The technology delivers a large number of pay-TV channels to a wider area and ensures digital delivery in a cost-effective manner. “We provide providers all the backend services and the packaging and bundling of specialty channels,” said D’Silva. The Hinduja company is following a trail blazed by the Jain TV Group. In January, its subsidiary Noida Software Technology Park launched Jainhits, a directto-network service that offers video, voice and data to LCOs. Jainhits provides about 250 channels in India’s most widely spoken languages. “We will soon be launching an exclusive high-definition bouquet of

“Our business model ensures that our partners are not forced to sell their networks and they continue to have full control of their business.” close to 50 channels,” said Jainhits Managing Director Ankur Jain. As well as the technology to distribute channels, Jainhits offers LCOs assistance in regulatory, legal and taxation, finance, marketing and communications aspects. “Our business model ensures that our partners are not forced to sell their networks and they continue to have full control of their business,” said Jain. D’Silva said his company is also planning to be a “white label” service provider that lets LCOs own their network, launch multiple services and scale up monetisation opportunities while the Hinduja company provides technological support. “We have no intention of owning and operating networks ourselves,” he said. The pace of HITS adoption has been accelerated by India’s digitisation programme. “Phase 3 and Phase 4 of digitisation is a great opportunity for us,” said Jain. “The big players are not interested in covering India’s hilly and far-flung areas.” The HITS operators have had to negotiate tortuous red tape in their pursuit of licensing. “The regulatory regime in terms of tariff and interconnection regulations were not fully in place,” Jain pointed out. “That required constant interaction with regulators and licensors. But we finally made it.” D’Silva described the wait for a licence as “long and gruelling,” especially after the company had invested US$100 million in infrastructure. The CASBAA satellite report noted that HITS could well exacerbate the tightness in the Indian market for satellite transponder space. “HITS has been permitted in both the C-band and the Ku-band,” the report noted. “Therefore, the demand for satellite transponders to support one or more headends in the sky could further worsen the capacity crunch.”

Tony D’Silva, Group CEO (Media) and Managing Director, IndusInd Media Communications

CASBAA

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What Lies Beyond For the Pay-TV Industry This year’s CASBAA Convention, the biggest industry showcase in the Asia-Pacific region, looks to encourage members to think beyond traditional parameters. Jemelyn Yadao previews the event of the year

ast year’s CASBAA Convention left members with fresh and engaging insights into the major changes taking place in the industry today, a talking point that will be taken to the next level at this year’s premier event. With the theme of the Convention this year being “Beyond the Box”, the event promises to give members informed and vibrant glimpses of the future. “The box refers to the traditional linear channels business. In the Asia-Pacific region, this is still our business even though television is no longer a big piece of furniture,” said CASBAA Chief Executive Officer Christopher Slaughter. “However,” he added, “we are in a time of change

and a time where we have to be thinking about where we’re going next. We have to be thinking beyond the box and not just outside it.” This year’s CASBAA Convention – the 21st edition – will be held over two conference days and takes place within a weeklong series of events. The tightened format, said Slaughter, comes without compromising on valuable networking time. “In fact, we’ll find that the scope of activities broadens,” he enthused. “There will be more opportunities to interact and network.” The two-day timeframe, he added, means that this year’s Convention will be concise and focused: “It will be more effective.”

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Key topics to be discussed during the major sessions at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong include the future development of over-the-top (OTT) television, opportunities for members in relation to ultra-highdefinition “4K” television and future transmission and broadcast technology and its implications on the industry. Andrew Rashbass, CEO of media giant Thomson Reuters, will be among the keynote speakers at the event. “He’s got a great story,” said Slaughter. “Thomson Reuters is such an important media company, with a rich legacy, tremendous scale, and global reach. It will be a great opportunity to hear first-hand how this major corporation is shifting its strategy worldwide, and to get his view on the global media landscape.” Expert speakers such as Barry Cupples, CEO of Omnicom Media Group Asia Pacific, the media services division of the global advertising company, will be speaking to delegates about advertising and the key issue of audience measurement. Discussions will also highlight some key markets and new markets in the region. “We definitely want to look at the China online video space,” Slaughter said, adding that top-flight speakers can be expected to share their insights into the world’s biggest online video market.

“Thomson Reuters is such an important media company, with a rich legacy, tremendous scale, and global reach. It will be a great opportunity to hear firsthand how this major corporation is shifting its strategy worldwide, and to get [Rashbass’] view on the global media landscape.” To enable members to fully capitalise on future possibilities, organisers primarily aim to stimulate innovative thinking, noted Slaughter. “It’s about understanding the core business that we have and how to adapt when going forward to meet the demands of our customers and our audiences.” The event will kick off with the Regulatory Roundtable and the invitation-only CEO Summit,

a first for the Convention, on October 27. “It will be a private, closed-door opportunity for senior executive CASBAA members to interact in a private environment to discuss the issues of today,” said Slaughter. Another highly anticipated event will mark the end of the Convention: the Closing Gala, which

will take place on the night of October 30. “We’re creating a very exclusive invitation-only opening in the CEO summit, while creating the gala as a celebration of the industry with much broader participation from industry members,” he said. Among the sponsors of the CASBAA Convention this year are ABS, Arris, AsiaSat, Australian News Channel, Conax, Deutsche Welle, France 24, InvestHK, Irdeto, ITV, MEASAT Global, now TV, Playboy Plus Entertainment, PwC, SES, Time Warner, TrueVisions and TV5Monde. Outside the Main Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt, where plenary sessions take place, there will be plenty of opportunities for members to get together at the newly revamped exhibition space, which features booths and lounges. Slaughter looked back on the evolution of the CASBAA Convention since it was first established as a trade show 20 years ago, acknowledging that “over the years, the event has adapted to the needs of the moment but remains the inclusive event that touches on the broadest base of themes with a relevance to the industry. “This will be the time when all the segments of the industry will be coming together, sharing experiences, doing deals, making connections and that’s what it’s all about,” he added.

CASBAA

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Asian Advertisers Urged To Shun Pirate Websites Rogue Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia websites attract mainstream companies and ad agencies, as code of practice spreads through English-speaking Internet.

wo years after a study in the United States highlighted the problem of advertising support for pirated content websites, the issue is gaining traction in the Asia-Pacific region for the first time. Data from surveys commissioned by CASBAA and other stakeholders have shown sharp contrasts in ad-supported piracy. “The studies are showing differences in the Internet ecosystem concerning this issue from cultural island to cultural island,” said CASBAA Chief Policy Officer John Medeiros. The major cultural differences concern the sources of advertising, according to studies by a team led by

“It’s all the dregs of the Internet and the ad agencies placing the ads were the specialised dregs-of-theInternet ad agencies.” Paul A. Watters, Professor in Information Technology at the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology at Massey University in Auckland. The team has prepared reports on Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, with studies of Malaysia and Indonesia to follow. The Massey researchers looked at websites that directed viewers to downloads of pirated movies, TV and music.

“They found in Australia and Singapore that when they trawled the websites, the ads were coming from what they called high-risk advertising websites, which means gambling and pornography providers, scams and malware propagators,” said Medeiros. “It’s all the dregs of the Internet and the ad agencies placing the ads were the specialised dregs-of-the-Internet ad agencies.” This contrasted sharply with similar websites aimed at viewers from Taiwan. “The main source of advertising on the pirate websites aimed at Taiwan are largely mainstream companies,” he said, “such as banks, cosmetics manufacturers, government agencies and even cable-TV providers.” Results obtained by the team that examined Hong Kong showed a divide along linguistic lines, according to Medeiros. “We looked at two sets of sites, the English-language and international sites, and the Chinese-language sites. The international sites had a pattern that looked like the results found in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore, but the Chinese sites looked like Taiwan.” Medeiros said more research is needed, but the results seem to indicate there are corners of the Chinese-language Internet ecosystem where, he noted, “advertisers and ad agencies have yet to develop the same respect for intellectual property, or their own reputation, that is in the rest of the world.” The mainstream ads are being provided to the pirate websites aimed at Taiwan and Hong Kong Internet surfers by the world’s major ad servers. “They are served up by Baidu, Google, Yahoo and Taobao – CASBAA

Issue One 2014 39

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

all big names,” he said. With early results in from the Massey survey of Malaysian Internet habits, Medeiros reported that the Bahasa Malaysia-language content seems to show similar characteristics to the Chinese-language sites in Taiwan and Hong Kong. “So it’s not a peculiarity of the Chinese-language cultural milieu,” he concluded. Medeiros speculates that recent action taken against advertisers and agencies on pirated content websites in the U.S. and the United Kingdom have had an extra-territorial impact in the English-speaking world. “But that hasn’t happened on the Asianlanguage cultural islands,” he noted.

“We want to enable a consensus to develop in favour of self-regulatory approaches in Asia Pacific that we see already in Europe and North America.” still knowingly sell ads on piracy sites. The phenomenon fell under scrutiny in other countries and a similar code of good practice principles was adopted in the UK in December 2013 by the Digital Trading Standards Group (DTSG) – an industry association – to significantly reduce the misplacement of display advertising. Medeiros described the DTSG code, drawn from the UK’s Internet Advertising Sales House code, as the current global benchmark. “The British principles are the newest and the firmest,” he noted. “They also have clear and firm government support.” ZAW, the German advertising federation, is finalising a self-regulatory code of conduct for release this year while its equivalents in Austria and Poland are developing their own codes.

DATA PIONEERS

The international attention to the problem of piracy getting support from advertising grew in 2012 when Jonathan Taplin, Clinical Professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, began to study the relationship between online ad networks and media piracy for profit. The problem of ads supporting content piracy websites was well-known but little research had been undertaken as to its extent. The Digital Citizens Alliance, a rights-holders’ advocacy group in Washington DC, estimated that rogue websites generated US$227 million in ad revenue in 2012. The research led by Taplin resulted in the Annenberg Innovation Laboratory Advertising Transparency Report, which began in January 2013 and named and shamed large advertisers and adserver companies on rogue websites. “It found lots of major brands and that the ads were being served by big names like Google and Yahoo,” said Medeiros. The resulting flap eventually led to the drawing up of a voluntary code of practice subscribed by players in the U.S. advertising industry. However, rights-holders say ad networks and Internet firms still do not do enough to stop advertisers from appearing alongside illegal content. The Motion Picture Association of America alleges that some companies

TAKING STEPS While the movement against the inappropriate misplacement of online ads gathers steam in many jurisdictions, the Asia-Pacific region has been only dimly aware of the issue. CASBAA is working with other associations to bring the situation to the attention of the advertising industry, advertisers and governments throughout the region. “We want to enable a consensus to develop in favour of selfregulatory approaches in Asia Pacific that we see already in Europe and North America,” said Medeiros. The Massey report suggested some options for combatting the problem in Taiwan. “Advertisers need to have better mechanisms to control where their ads are eventually displayed on ad networks,” the researchers concluded, suggesting they implement systems such as whitelists and blacklists. The researchers noted that there were no “blank” ad spaces on the Taiwanese websites they studied, suggesting that no filtering was occurring. “Technical controls to block image and text ad content could be explored,” the report said. Medeiros said the first step for CASBAA is to work with the companies whose advertising budgets are the targets of illegal websites. Most brands hire third-party agents to distribute their online advertising to hundreds or even thousands of websites at once. “This is very much a work in progress,” he added. CASBAA

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COUNTRY REPORT: AUSTRALIA

Tackling the Piracy Rates Down Under Australia, with its vast area and small population, is a challenging market. George W. Russell examines the conclusions of a recent report that sees encouraging over-the-top TV growth amid high rates of rights infringements.

ike many markets, Australia is the scene of changing TV-watching habits. Consumers are taking advantage of faster Internet and mobile connections and the proliferation of connected devices to watch content in multiple locations and across multiple platforms and devices. That consumer interest is, in turn, driving innovation within the industry. The TV industry, technology platforms and content providers are responding to the demand for instantly and widely available content by unveiling new services in a range of formats.

However, another motivation is a desire to curb Australia’s worryingly high levels of content piracy. Rates of copyright infringement, especially through Internet streaming, are among the highest in the AsiaPacific region along with those of New Zealand and Singapore. These clashing trends have been illustrated for the first time in a report jointly prepared by CASBAA and international law firm Olswang. The report, entitled “Digital, Legal and Anywhere – Innovation in Australian TV”, was unveiled during the CASBAA OTT Summit 2014 in Singapore in March.

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COUNTRY REPORT: AUSTRALIA

“The report presents an accurate snapshot of the Australian media environment in relation to overthe-top (OTT) TV and other non-broadcast sources of audio-visual content in Australia, and notes the significant problem of piracy,” concluded Andrew Maiden, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA), an industry group based in Sydney. The report was launched in tandem with finddigitaltv.com.au, an online directory of digital content available from legitimate sources. This pilot directory is an example of the type of resource that could help raise consumer awareness on the options available for accessing legal content in Australia. An Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development-member economy, Australia is one of the richest nations in the world. It is home to about 21.5 million people – a smaller population than Taiwan. However, its land area of about 7.7 million square kilometres is only 5% smaller than the 48 contiguous United States, which have more than 14 times the population. There are about 12.5 million Internet subscribers in the country (as of June 2013) and 19.6 million mobile subscribers with an Internet connection. “There is high broadband penetration [now], although it is below the levels of Singapore, Korea and Taiwan,” said Elle Todd, a Partner at Olswang in Singapore and head of the firm’s Asia-Pacific media and technology practice. The rollout of 4G services is well under way, spurred by high consumer demand. “Australians are still sometimes frustrated and want faster speeds,” Todd added, noting that the government is overseeing construction of a national broadband network designed to bring high-speed broadband within the reach of all premises.

INNOVATIVE IDEAS Television, which began in Australia only in 1956, remains dominated by free-to-air (FTA) choices. This history partly explains the relatively low penetration of

pay TV at only about 30% of households, compared with about 80% in Taiwan and 90% in the U.S. Australia’s linguistic make-up, meanwhile, sets it apart from most other Asia-Pacific markets. “As an English-speaking market, the demand for international, and especially U.S., content is perhaps greater here than in the Asian region,” said Maiden. Pay TV was launched in Australia in 1995, making it a relatively immature market in the region. “The majority of the population does not have access to a large amount of content available primarily or exclusively via subscription television platforms,” Maiden noted. Viewers’ options have broadened markedly in the past few years. The most recent offerings range from catch-up services from FTA broadcasters such as ABC iview and subscription-based services such as Foxtel

“The majority of the population does not have access to a large amount of content available primarily or exclusively via subscription television platforms.” Play, to web-delivered OTT aggregator services such as Quickflix. The report noted the surprising depth of choices for a market as small as Australia’s. “There were more OTT offerings than we expected to see and greater diversity of business models, including various free offerings,” said Todd, who was a principal author of the report. In addition, pay-TV providers have shown a willingness to innovate. “There was a very noticeable growth and increase in the number of offerings just during the time that we were researching and writing the report,” said Todd. “This meant we had to update it frequently as we went,” she added. “We see this as a very positive sign in terms of the industry’s commitment to invest in and continually improve the legitimate OTT market.” CASBAA Chief Policy Officer John Medeiros points to a healthy market for niche offerings, citing the recently launched mySurfTV, the world’s first digital channel about surfing (on the water, not the Internet), as an example. “What you see in Australia is to some extent that it is playing its historical role as a laboratory,” he said. “The players are trying CASBAA

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COUNTRY REPORT: AUSTRALIA

different things to achieve success in an industry or environment where nobody really knows what’s going to work in the future.” Maiden, meanwhile, said the industry has already made significant innovations in the ways in which content can be legitimately accessed and viewed. “The industry will need to continue to ensure that consumers are able to access, at a reasonable price, the content they want, when they want,” he added.

“There is a lack of consumer-friendly services that aggregate or collate the various sources of legitimate content for consumers to easily navigate to the content they want.” PIRATES’ CHALLENGE Despite the ever-increasing range and variety of legitimate TV services available, many Australian consumers are still accessing pirated content. “As noted in the report, Australia has among the highest rates of content piracy in the world,” ASTRA’s Maiden pointed out. One key finding of the report is that there is some scope to increase consumer awareness of legitimate services, both of the specific offerings available and the way in which those offerings can be accessed. Consumers, the report added, would benefit from a service that helps them to find legitimate content. “There is a lack of consumer-friendly services that aggregate or collate the various sources of legitimate content for consumers to easily navigate to the content they want,” said Maiden, who welcomed finddigitaltv.com.au, the CASBAA initiative to link viewers with legal content. While the connected “millennial” generation present opportunities to the industry, there are pitfalls. “A key issue is an expectation that highquality content must be made available instantly, on all devices and yet at the same time for free,” said Todd. “This poses an obvious challenge in terms of developing viable business models.”

More education about pirated content is needed, the report noted. “Too many Australians are growing up in households where piracy is the norm, and in many households young people are copying their parents who are also pirates,” said Maiden. “This second generation of pirates makes the problem particularly hard to address,” he added. Some changes, the report suggested, might come from better laws, which are currently ineffective. “Legislation that enables the most egregious online piracy offenders to be identified and prosecuted would be of great benefit,” Maiden said. The Liberal-National coalition government, elected in 2013, might prove to be more accommodating to content rights holders than the previous Labor administration, Maiden speculated. “The new Attorney-General, George Brandis, has come out strongly in support of protecting creative industries and the need to stem content piracy, perhaps more emphatically than the previous government,” said Maiden. “We hope that this will mean greater determination to ensure greater copyright protection and enforcement.” ASTRA is encouraged by research that has shown Australian consumers are concerned about the impact of copyright piracy on domestic jobs and investment. However, Maiden added: “The difficulty is making the connection between individual behaviour and the cumulative effect of widespread infringement on the content production industry.” One solution, Maiden suggested, is to personalise piracy’s deleterious effects on individuals within the industry. “Education campaigns need to be framed around the impact of piracy on ordinary people working in the industry – the make-up artists, sound engineers and caterers for instance.”

CASBAA

Issue One 2014 47

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ALBUM

CASBAA Cocktails February 20, Hong Kong

CASBAA India Forum 2014 March 5, New Delhi

CASBAA

Issue One 2014

ALBUM

CASBAA TV Upfronts February 21, Jakarta

CASBAA Philippines in View 2014 January 21, Manila

CASBAA

Issue One 2014

ALBUM

CASBAA OTT Summit 2014 March 25, Singapore

CASBAA

Issue One 2014

ALBUM

Taiwan Seminar April 8, Taipei

CASBAA

Issue One 2014

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The CASBAA Convention 2014 provides the ideal environment for your company to reach a captive audience of high-level, broadcast industry decision makers with brand new opportunities to enhance your brand image! • Over 1000 attendees, 100 speakers, 60 media outlets • New! Revamped Exhibition Area • New! Re-Charge Lounge • New! “Snap Out Of IT” Photo Booth Achieve visibility through event sponsorship, exhibition area branding and networking events – CASBAA can provide the perfect solution for your organisation’s marketing goals. Sponsorship opportunities: agnes@casbaa.com Registration: cherry@casbaa.com Pre-release rate ends on Jul 18

Sponsored by:

KNOW YOUR MEMBER

Servicing the Digital Future Deepakjit Singh Chatrath is Managing Director of Encompass Digital Media (Asia), which provides complex technical services to broadcast and pay-TV clients. He explains how the company is expanding in the region and keeping up with both technology and consumer trends.

s a plethora of digital devices captivate viewers, especially those from the “millennial” generation, and the demand for “TV everywhere” becomes pervasive and more global, the technical support facilities necessary to enable such blanket content coverage have become increasingly sophisticated. One manifestation is the Megapod, a US$7 million state-of-the-art digital production and distribution facility in Loyang Crescent, in Singapore’s industrial east, close to Changi International Airport. “We built the Megapod to tackle the changing trends in the industry and provide more value-added solutions to customers,” said Deepakjit Singh Chatrath, Managing Director of Encompass Digital Media (Asia), which owns the facility. From this 8,175-square-metre building, Encompass provides playout, distribution, digital media manipulation, advertising inserts, over-the-top (OTT) services, as well as other creative, technical and global archival services. The facility also houses a post-production studio, giving clients an end-to-end solution for creating and delivering content. The Megapod joins the company’s additional facilities in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Minneapolis and other sites in the United States, as well as a facility in London servicing European clients. The company also offers network origination, central casting, cable neighbourhood platforms, disaster recovery, satellite and fibre transmissions, satellite uplink trucks, digital media encoding services, digital file transfers and emergency and government satellite communications. The company boasts an impressive Asia-Pacific client roster, including international players such as CNBC, Discovery Networks, MTV and BBC, as well as Lion City-based SingTel. Globally, its customers include U.S. networks ABC, CBS, FOX and NBCUniversal as well as satellite network DIRECTV Sports Networks and pay-TV providers ESPN, GolTV, MLB, NASCAR Media Group, NBA, NFL Network, Tennis Channel and Universal Sports Network. Encompass also performs international services for U.S. government organisations such as Centers for Disease Control, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System.

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“Our customers are broadcasters, cable networks, corporations and governments from diverse markets in Asia and beyond and each has its own set of specifications and requirements,” said Chatrath. “To date, more than six first-tier broadcasters have indicated plans to take advantage of the efficiencies that the Megapod will generate.” The facility doubled the company’s multichannel broadcast monitoring and playout capacity. “It is the largest, fully automated, multi-layered channel playout and monitoring facility of this scale in the region,” Chatrath said. “The facility will enable Encompass to improve its response time with an automated switch-over feature to back-up content.” In part, the choice of Singapore reflected the AsiaPacific region’s increasing importance. “We consider the Asia-Pacific region to be extremely important to our global operations,” said Chatrath. “Singapore and Hong Kong are crucial markets for us as many global networks and broadcasters have their regional headquarters based there,” he added. Chatrath also notes that nearby emerging economies such as India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are also becoming vital due to improving infrastructure and accessibility to digital content.

“It is the largest, fully automated, multi-layered channel playout and monitoring facility of this scale in the region.” EMBRACING EXPANSION

The Megapod was constructed with such growth in mind, according to Chatrath. “Our infrastructure is built to anticipate demand well into the long term,” he said. “In our growth model, we have built the core structure in such a manner where we can continually add modules into the system, which enables us to receive content in multiple formats and accordingly process them into other formats, catered to different markets and for multiple devices seamlessly.”

KNOW YOUR MEMBER

Chatrath said upbeat projections for digital media services have fuelled Encompass’s expansion. “The growth outlook continues to be optimistic, since there is a significant shift away from physical purchases of media to more digital purchases, he said, citing PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global entertainment and media outlook: 2013-2017 report. The rise of mobile Internet, Chatrath added, is a complementary trend. “While the viewership of pay TV and linear TV is declining, total consumption of media is increasing,” he said, noting that viewers on non-traditional screens such as computers, tablets and smartphones are consuming more media overall. “Even TV manufacturers have come to realise this fact and have shifted from pure TV sets to smart TVs,” he added. This has enabled consumers to consume digital content within a near-traditional ‘home theatre’ environment. “From production to delivery, the ecosystem has transformed into digital,” said Chatrath. “It is having an effect on the complete supply chain of content.” The challenge for digital media service providers today is to be able to make their content easily accessible in the right format on the right device. “Video content is now meant to be played on television, and is simultaneously ready for optimal viewing, on mobile devices and vice versa,” said Chatrath. “Users want a seamless transition from their TVs to PCs to mobile devices and this is something digital media service providers need to tackle.” For Encompass, the Megapod is one of the keys to staying ahead. “Speed of change is the key to survival in today’s marketplace,” said Chatrath. “We understand the diversity of the needs our customers have and how frequently they change. In order to better respond to [those] needs, we built the Megapod. It allows content partners to provide entertainment-on-demand across a variety of devices and create new options to monetise content as quickly as possible.” Chatrath said the facility is built to a “digital highway” metaphor, using multiple entry and exit points. “The entry points represent the stages and formats in which we receive the content,” he said, “and the exit points represent the forms and formats in which the content is delivered to different platforms for viewership on different screens.”

EYES ON THE CLIENTS

Megapod is the region’s first comprehensive OTT services facility, and the company’s biggest Asia-

Pacific facility to date, Chatrath added. The project planning – led by Encompass’s in-house engineering department – took more than 18 months, according to the company, while specialised equipment was provided by networking giant Cisco and Miranda Technologies, a maker of interfaces and advanced display products for post-production facilities. Chatrath believes the OTT market is an important area to where even traditional broadcasters and media players will eventually gravitate. “As such, in our facility, we are able to offer playout, management and manipulation of content to get it ready for distribution both on linear television as well as on OTT platforms,” he said.

Deepakjit Singh Chatrath,

The drivers of the OTT Managing Director of Encompass ecosystem are viewers from Digital Media (Asia) the millennial generation, a group of increasing importance to Encompass clients. “This is the first group of users who are consuming video content on multiple platforms, using multiple devices, and [they] demand a holistic form of entertainment experience anytime, anywhere,” said Chatrath. “This is particularly prevalent in Asia,” he added. “Reaching out to them is a crucial aspect for our customers, which is why at Encompass we have the capabilities to help our clients convert and playout video content seamlessly in various formats and also on different platforms.” Chatrath believes his responsibility to the company’s clients extends beyond technical support to active enhancement of revenue maximisation. “Providing our clients with the ability to expand their business models and further monetise their assets through innovative, cost-effective services is what differentiates us from our competitors,” he said.

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Issue One 2014 59

BY THE NUMBERS

Pirates of the Lion City

esidents of Singapore who illegally download copyrighted content tend to know exactly what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing is theft and do so mainly because they can watch for free, a recent survey reveals. Online Piracy Behaviour and Attitudes in Singapore, released in March 2014, is the result of a study of 900 Lion City residents aged between

HOME IS THE PREFERRED LOCATION FOR PIRACY ACTIVITIES, THOUGH FREQUENCY OF OUT OF HOME PIRACY IS STILL CONSIDERABLE

Most pirating of content in Singapore occurs at home, especially among persistent pirates. Significant piracy occurs at work, on the go, or elsewhere.

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16 and 64 using qualitative discussion groups and online quantitative research. Singapore has one of the highest rates of content piracy in the region, according to CASBAA data. Sycamore, a locally headquartered Asia-Pacific brand research consultancy, and InsightAsia, a Jakarta-based market research agency, conducted the survey.

REASONS FOR WATCHING PIRATED MOVIES & TV SHOWS

The main reason given for piracy is preference for free content, but a significant number responded that they could not find any alternatives to illegal content

HIGHER ACTIVITY LEVELS OF ONLINE MOVIE AND TV PIRACY THAN IN AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

Singapore has higher levels of online movie and TV piracy than Australia and New Zealand, two longtime significant problem piracy locations in the region.

THE ONLINE MOVIE & TV PIRATE

A profile of Singapore residents suggested that half of the Lion City’s population aged between 16 and 64 have pirated audiovisual content at some point.

THE LEGAL BOUNDARIES ARE CLEAR

Most pirates know what they’re doing is wrong. However, there is varying appreciation of its illegality, depending on method of access to pirated content.

Source: Sycamore/Insight Asia

CASBAA

Issue One 2014

COMMITTEES

CASBAA 2020 Committee

BENSON KOH Tata Communications

BOARD MEMBERS RESPONSIBLE MARK PATTERSON GroupM CHRISTINE FELLOWES NBCUniversal

ROMAIN OUDART TV5Monde Asia Pacific DARYL KHO Viacom International Media Networks

CO-CHAIRS NICK BINNS GroupM

SARA MADERA CASBAA

SAUGATO BANERJEE A+E Networks COMMITTEE MEMBERS SUSHANT SHARMA Accedo

TIMOTHÉE VIDAL Trace TV

CASBAA Research Committee

CYNTHIA ZHANG APT Satellite

CO-CHAIRS MARTYN UREN FOX International Channels

CHU YOUNG-LEE Astro

DUNCAN MORRIS Turner International

MABEL YEONG BBC Worldwide

COMMITTEE MEMBERS E-LIN KOK A+E Networks

DAWN TAN Bloomberg

SALLY WU BBC Worldwide

AMIT MALHOTRA Disney Media Distribution

AMY LAU Bloomberg

CASBAA OTT & Connected Media Group BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBLE CHRISTINE FELLOWES NBCUniversal

SARAH SANFORD Irdeto TONY McGINN Movideo FARINA YUSOF MPAA

CO-CHAIRS REUBEN VERGHESE Accedo

TAN-WEE TUCK NBCUniversal

MARK CHAN Disney Media Distribution

HANS-GÜNTHER HERRMANN Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

KELLY COOKE ESPN International COMMITTEE MEMBERS SUSHANT SHARMA Accedo RICHARD WOO A+E Networks

DENNIS ROSE Brightcove

PAUL JACKSON Cisco

JOHN KJELLEMO Conax

JANICE LEE PCCW COLIN LIGHT PwC LIN SHU FEN StarHub VISHAL DEMBLA Turner International Asia Pacific STEVEN KOPEC Turner International Asia Pacific ALEXANDRE MULLER TV5Monde Asia Pacific ROMAIN OUDART TV5Monde Asia Pacific SARA MADERA CASBAA

NONIE LLANES Conax

CASBAA Regulatory & Anti-Piracy Committee

KHUSH KUNDI Ericsson Television

DAWN TAN Bloomberg

STEPHEN LEE Conax

MATTHEW KURLANZIK FOX International Channels

ATHENA HO Celestial Tiger Entertainment

AMIT MALHOTRA Disney Media Distribution

CO-CHAIRS ANDREW MARSHALL The Walt Disney Company

JUNE TAN HBO Asia

JULIE PETERSEN Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific

LEONG YAN YOONG Dolby

JOE WELCH 21st Century Fox

JULIEN DUTRONC Lightning International

AMIT MALHOTRA Disney Media Distribution

KHUSH KUNDI Ericsson Television

COMMITTEE MEMBERS LISE-ANNE STOTT A+E Networks

SHAILENDER SINGH MEASAT

JOANNE FAIRHEAD Disney Media Distribution

WALID CHAMAK Euronews

LAILA SAAT Astro

CONNIE CHAN MEC Global

RIX YU FOX International Channels

EDWINA NGAO Fox International Channels

ROBIN CHALMERS BBC Worldwide

MATT POLLINS Olswang

ANNIE YEUN SPE Networks

PATRICK YEUNG GlobeCast

SYLVIA NORONHA Celestial Tiger Entertainment

JOHN CHAN PCCW

HENRY ROBLES NBCUniversal

JOHN McLELLAN Haldanes

AVIGAIL GUTMAN Cisco

VOO CHIH YEONG SPE Networks

JANE BUCKTHOUGHT CASBAA

CHRIS HAMPARTSOUMIAN Irdeto

PAUL JACKSON Cisco

ANNA MATHEW STAR India

NICOLA NGAN CASBAA

CHRISTINA THORSEN Irdeto

ALEC SKELTON CNBC

CASBAA

Q2 2014

HANS KWAAITAAL Conax

CHAIYAN CHOUVAPARNANTE TrueVisions

SEOW SI CHIN Discovery Networks Asia Pacific

MARGARET JOHNSON Turner International Asia Pacific

GUSHI SETHI Eurosport Asia-Pacific

DESMOND CHAN TVB

ADRIAN CANNON FOX International Channels

LAURENCE PEAK Verimatrix

LAWRENCE YUEN HBO Asia MARK PARSONS Hogan Lovells JERRY PARK Irdeto ROBERT CROSSLEY ITV Studios Global Entertainment JUN HORIKAWA Japan International Broadcasting (NHK World TV) GABRIELA KENNEDY Mayer Brown JSM FRANK RITTMAN MPAA FERNAND ALBERTO NBCUniversal ELLE TODD Olswang HANS-GÜNTHER HERRMANN Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison MICHAEL FAGAN PCCW SARAH JACKS Scripps Networks CONOR WOODS Setanta Sports GRACE PAUL SingTel

EMILY FUNG Viaccess-Orca

WEI-HAO LOH Viacom International Media Networks JOHN MEDEIROS CASBAA

CASBAA Satellite Industry Committee BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBLE ANDREW JORDAN Eutelsat Asia

KATSUAKI KOIKE SKY Perfect JSAT

MAX CHUNG SKY Perfect JSAT

BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBLE SOMPAN CHARUMILINDA TrueVisions

CHRISTOPHER SLAUGHTER CASBAA

COMMITTEE MEMBERS ROHANA ROZHAN Astro

DESMOND CHUNG CASBAA

CASBAA Technology Advisory Group

JANICE LEE PCCW

RAY MONTINOLA Sky Cable Corporation

CO-CHAIRS MATT McDONALD Sony Pictures Television International

THOMAS EE Taiwan Broadband Communications

TAN YEE TIANG Disney Media Distribution COMMITTEE MEMBERS SABIL SALIM A+E Networks Asia ROGER TONG AsiaSat

COMMITTEE MEMBERS HUANG BAO ZHONG APT Satellite

PHUAH AIK CHONG Astro

TOM CHOI Asia Broadcast Satellite

YI-FONG CHANG Chunghwa Telecom

BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBLE JANICE LEE PCCW

CHAIRMAN PAUL BROWN-KENYON MEASAT

BILL WADE AsiaSat

CASBAA Operators’ Group

JEREMY KUNG TM Net

GODFREY CHAN CASBAA

CASBAA Wireless Action Group

ANG SOO KHOON Disney Media Distribution

CHAIRMAN GREGG DAFFNER GapSat

KENNETH LEE Disney Media Distribution

COMMITTEE MEMBERS CHEN XUN APT

WINNIE CHANG Colin Ng & Partners

KEVIN PILLAR Discovery Networks International

SOO YEW WENG GlobeCast

AARON SHAW Encompass

MIKE SEERY Inmarsat

COLIN SHERRIFF Fox Sports

TERRY BLEAKLEY Intelsat

VINCENT TEO HBO Asia

SRINI PRASANNA ABS ROGER TONG AsiaSat ETHAN LAVAN Eutelsat PAUL DEEDMAN Inmarsat

CHARMAINE ANG MEASAT

ONG BEE LIAN StarHub

GREGG DAFFNER MEASAT

PATCH KHAN Turner International Asia Pacific

TIM GOODCHILD StarHub

YAU CHYONG LIM MEASAT

KEVIN LIOW Viacom International Media Networks

IZWAN ISKANDAR MEASAT

PULAK BAGCHI STAR India

DAVID BALL NewSat

THOMAS LAM Viacom International Media Networks

DAVID BALL NewSat

BELINDA LUI Time Warner

TED McFARLAND Orbital

CHRISTOPHER SLAUGHTER CASBAA

TINGLING LEE SES New Skies

DEEPAK MATHUR SES World Skies

NICOLA NGAN CASBAA

YOSHIHITO YOKOYAMA SKY Perfect JSAT

JESSICA DEERY SPE Networks

JENNY WONG Time Warner

GONZALO DE DIOS Intelsat

CASBAA

Issue Two 2014 63

CEO MEMO

Our Action-Packed Agenda

s we arrive at the midway point of 2014, CASBAA has been busy during the first half of the year with an assortment of events, publications and resources to help our membership stay informed, represented and connected with one another and with the industry. Kicking off the year in Manila on January 21, CASBAA’s Philippines in View took a detailed look at one of Asia Pacific’s most up-and-coming markets. Featuring a high-profile roster of influential speakers, this informative forum explored the issues moulding the local broadcasting market today through a comprehensive programme of keynote addresses and panel discussions. Published in conjunction with the event, CASBAA’s market research report of the same name provides essential information on the Philippines with an overview of the TV landscape, including both pay TV and free-to-air and a summary of future developments in the Philippines TV industry. Moving to Indonesia, the CASBAA TV Upfronts – The Jakarta Screenings held on February 21, allowed clients and agencies to learn from multichannel, pay TV and cable broadcasters about the season’s hot new programming and content, industry insights and integrated advertising solutions for the Indonesian marketplace. March was a busy month for CASBAA as the Association’s first tent-pole event of the year was quickly followed by an informative technological summit. CASBAA’s annual India Forum on March 5 attracted more than 150 delegates, speakers and media who heard from leading government officials and industry decision-makers debating on the state of Indian television and the global broadcast market. CASBAA’s first OTT Summit in Singapore on March 25 focused on the fast developing over-the-top (OTT) television services market and the evolving world of alternative content delivery, changing content consumption, technology, and revenue streams. As part of the agenda, CASBAA and media and international law firm Olswang discussed a recent comprehensive study into the state of play of the OTT market in Australia, together with the launch of an innovative consumer directory of legitimate offerings. The study, “Digital, Legal and Anywhere: Innovation in Australian TV”, can be downloaded free from our website while the online directory, “Digital TV Content Guide: Australia,” is accessible through finddigitaltv.com.au. Turning to Taiwan, CASBAA and the National Communications

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Issue One 2014

Commission held an International Seminar on Cable TV Policies and Practices on April 8 to shed light on Taiwan’s plans to restructure its regulation of the cable-TV industry and to examine best practices from other Asian countries. In Hong Kong, your Association held its first CASBAA 101 event on April 29 to help members better utilise their benefits and learn how to become more involved with the industry. We will be planning more of these 101 sessions around the region throughout the year to engage with as many of our members as possible. Keep on the lookout for a session near you! CASBAA’s Asia Breakfast at the NCTA Cable Show in Los Angeles on May 1 drew a great deal of interest, with almost 100 people turning up for a breakfast discussion of competition in Asia-Pacific cable markets. Finally, marking the symbolic end of the first half of 2014 for CASBAA, the annual Satellite Industry Forum will take place again on June 16 in Singapore. This year’s forum ponders this question: “As technologies and consumer habits continue to evolve, how will the satellite industry remain relevant during this time of transition?” High-profile industry thought leaders will explore the answers, as well as what’s next for the AsiaPacific market. Looking forward, the coming months will see the CASBAA Executive Office preparing for our Vietnam In View event, scheduled for early September in Hanoi. We’ll be issuing an updated country report in conjunction with the event, providing members with an overview of the latest developments in this rapidly changing market. But the highlight of the latter half of 2014 will undoubtedly be the annual CASBAA Convention – Beyond the Box. Taking place from October 27-30 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, this year’s convention promises to be another exciting, informative and essential stop on the industry calendar. Find out more about the event on page 35. And don’t forget to join us at our quarterly Members’ Cocktails for a fun evening of casual networking. Our first party of the year was held on February 20 at the memorable House of Siren in Hong Kong with our second event to be held at the close of the Satellite Industry Forum in Singapore. Watch out for more information on our upcoming events arriving in your mailboxes! Christopher Slaughter CEO, CASBAA

Jun 16 (Mon)

Satellite Industry Forum

Singapore

Jun 17 (Tue)

CASBAA Council of Governors Meeting

Singapore

Jul 15 (Tue)

CASBAA Board of Directors Meeting

Hong Kong

Sept

Vietnam in View

Hanoi

Sept 15 (Mon)

CASBAA Board of Directors Meeting

Hong Kong

Sept 25 (Thur)

CASBAA Council of Governors Meeting

Hong Kong

Sept 25 (Thur)

CASBAA Mixer

Hong Kong

Oct 7 (Tue)

CASBAA Board of Directors Meeting

Hong Kong

Oct 27-29 (Mon-Wed)

CASBAA Convention 2014

Hong Kong

Oct 30 (Thur)

CASBAA Closing Gala

Hong Kong

Oct 30 (Thur)

CASBAA Annual General Meeting

Hong Kong

Oct 30 (Thur)

CASBAA Council of Governors Meeting

Hong Kong

Nov

Indonesia in View

Jakarta

Dec 4 (Thur)

CASBAA Board of Directors Meeting

TBC

Dec 4 (Thur)

CASBAA Mixer

TBC

casbaa.com

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