Cambodia’s TV broadcast industry, having been static over the past decade, is seeing slow but steady change. Broadcast access to Cambodia’s mobile network and venturing into new programming has placed CTN as a front runner in a tightly competitive broadcasting industry. Now as market leader, the challenge is to stay at the front. “At the moment there are seven TV stations (in Cambodia) and we’re about to launch a second free to air channel in January,” Felgate told Television Asia Plus. “We’re the newest entry to the market and have been on air five and half years.” The introduction of programming from European program sales and distributor, Endemol TV is also changing Cambodian audience’s taste in programming; some might be surprised to learn that reality TV has come to Cambodia. While Asian TV markets’ key strengths lie in soap operas and dramas, with its new programming line-up CTN has captured the lead in viewer popularity. One opening for market entry into Cambodia came back in 2003, after anti-Thai riots, and allegations one Thai soap opera had offended Cambodians, led to a decline in interest in such fare. But Cambodian TV Channel 5, continues to have links with Thai production house, Kantana Group through its subsidiary, MICA Media, and remains actively involved in the Indochina market. “TV 5 used to be the dominant force here and they had their connections with Kantana (Thailand). They have generally fallen by the wayside; we have become the number one and have been for quite sometime,” said Felgate. He says that CTN is currently achieving 65 percent ratings during prime time, with competition coming from rival operator, Bayon TV. Like so many other broadcasters in Asia, soap opera dramas lead the market in Cambodia, especially those made in Korea. “The whole market pretty much here at the moment is driven by soap operas and dramas. It is Korean dramas that are the driving force at the moment, and have been for the past couple of years,” explains Felgate. Vitally, it is the dramas that provide the hook for people to watch and then in turn create the programming loyalty. Other popular formats include music with TV reality shows. CTN has already taken the format for European TV reality show The Bar, re-creating it into a local format known as the Coffee Shop. “And it worked very well, especially among the youth,” he said. The success has led to another similar show – the pizza restaurant – joining the broadcaster’s line-up. Game shows are also in favour, he says. Through Endemol’s production house, the program Deal or No Deal is soon to be aired in a local format. “That’s the first time that in my opinion that a real professional game show has gone to air. There have been local games shows but this is the first time a proper game show will hit the screens on Cambodian TV with proper prizes on a regular basis,” says Felgate. But there are still issues and challenges confronting the local industry – including piracy – but Felgate hopes the station can act as a mitigating factor to reduce levels of copyright infringement. “Whereas before where piracy used to be a pretty big issue there have been some moves so that (while) piracy is not completely gone from the market, other channels are starting to buy more programs – we as a station took the lead from the onset, showing others that programming can and should be bought,” he said. For Felgate the television market in Cambodia is evolving and heading in the right direction. He says the main reason for that has been the lead taken by CTN through its programming purchasing in recent years. “We’ve come in and set up a TV station and basically bought all our programming legally, that’s basically led the way and shown that people can run a TV station in Cambodia (by) legal programme acquisition.” “It doesn’t have to be knocked off satellites. So it basically, us (CTN) that have taken the lead, and we’ve got a very good programming department,” he added. Sound market research as well as looking to bring program formats that have had success in other markets that also are unavailable on satellite also offers opportunities to grab viewer share. The outcome has been, he feels, a ‘raising of the standard’ in broadcasting in Cambodia that has led to other stations having to follow. But the key lesson learnt has been that apart from the region’s love affair with the Barclays Premier League Football, Cambodians prefer programs from Asia, highlighted by the success of the Korean produced dramas. Cambodians, says Felgate, like the region “like what they can identify with and it’s the Asian dramas and specifically the Korean dramas at the moment.” From a ‘pop culture’ viewpoint, Cambodians also see Koreans as trend setters with many Cambodians – especially the youth – keenly interested in joining the mood towards being trendy. A second channel – MyTV – is also underway directed towards the youth market. “It’s still got a way to go but it’s heading in the right direction, I will say,” Felgate said.