This month, Foxtel and Austar will be Pay-TV rivals no more, after Foxtel’s application to acquire Austar was green-lit by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on 10 April. The transaction was subsequently approved by the Federal Court on 13 April. Foxtel currently services major cities and Western Australia while Austar services rural and regional Australia; a concerted move by Austar to avoid a head-on clash. The potential good news, Foxtel asserts, would bring the … [Read more...] about Australia: Pay-TV giant Foxtel buys Austar
Archives for May 2012
India: TRAI comes down hard on TV advertising
In March 2012, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper that not just restricts the amount of commercial airtime on Pay and Free-TV, but also determines the way and form advertisements should appear. In the consultation paper entitled “Issues Related to Advertisements in TV Channels,” TRAI made the following stipulations: Regulation on TV advertising for Free-TV and Pay-TV Total commercial airtime per hour must not exceed 12 minutes, (with 10 … [Read more...] about India: TRAI comes down hard on TV advertising
The “Brown” Effect
Maria is late. She apologises, and tells me the flight she was on had just touched down, and that she needed a quick freshening before rushing over. She steadies herself with a cup of hot green tea, compliments of the in-house café that this part TV studio, part retail store, part kitchen called AFC Studio offers. In the hour I was there, I saw all but two patrons. While it is hard to imagine a TV studio in a mall in downtown Singapore, it is even harder to imagine two people starting a … [Read more...] about The “Brown” Effect
Bali High
Vivek Couto, Executive Director of Media Partners Asia (MPA), explains the rationale for the event: “APOS is dedicated to the growth of pay television and related broadband and digital TV industries in Asia Pacific. The high calibre of the event as well as its intimacy and close association to MPA’s research and analysis of the industry ensures that operators and broadcasters don’t just talk about carriage renewal but also secure capital to fund long-term growth, hatch M&A … [Read more...] about Bali High
The Emperor’s new channel
TV ASIA Plus speaks to Joon Lee, Senior Vice President of Programming, Creative and Channel Operations, FOX International Channels in Asia, on the rebrand. TV ASIA Plus: Why the rebrand? The product, the brand, has been out there for many years but we have not been so diligent about updating it and improving its quality. We believe that over the years, Chinese entertainment has not been given a lot of respect, or a lot of attention. We believe this will bring in some fresh impact to the market, … [Read more...] about The Emperor’s new channel
L.A. Programming Highlights
A+E Networks Mayra Bracer, International Sales Representative, Latin America: “A+E Networks is eager to meet with Pan Latin buyers as well as buyers from Central America and the Caribbean. This year, we are also expanding our efforts to focus on the US Hispanic market. ” Pawn Stars (145 x 30 minutes) The hit series Pawn Stars takes viewers inside the doors of the only family-run pawnshop in Las Vegas, where three generations of men from the Harrison family buy and sell … [Read more...] about L.A. Programming Highlights
