Television Asia's Executive News
11 December 2006
Japan achieves nationwide digital reach
Japan – All 47 prefectures in Japan can now receive digital terrestrial broadcasts, completing the switch that started in December 2003 with Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya metro areas. Eight prefectures in Kyushu were the last areas to be converted.
The milestone was marked by a ceremony in Tokyo attended by government officials, celebrities and broadcasting execs. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe voiced his government’s continued support of the switch to digital broadcasting.
Although 84% of Japan’s 47 million TV households (39.5 million) can receive terrestrial digital signals, many have yet to commit to the more expensive digital sets. Japan is expected to complete the transition to digital broadcasting by July 2011.
Distraction deals You Be the Judge to US
Singapore – Asian format You Be the Judge, produced by Singaporean Robert Chua and originating in Hong Kong, has been sold to the US by Distraction. Produced by New Line, the show will air on CBS. Also placed in Europe, the reality dilemma format airs civil disputes in a studio. Under the guidance of lawyers, a plaintiff and a defendant present their evidence before handing over the case to the public to judge.
Fremantle Archive Sales secures Caldecott HD titles
Singapore — Fremantle Archive Sales, the clip sales division of FremantleMedia, has nabbed worldwide representation rights for a raft of Asian HD documentaries from MediaCorp's Caldecott Productions International. Among the titles covered by the deal are Fagin and Oliver – The Asian Twist, Tribal Sex (Indian and Yunnan), Voiceless Art, The Alternative Earth (Delhi Air) and The Skinheads of Asia.
CNBC launches CNBC.com
Englewood Cliffs, N.J. – CNBC launched the new CNBC.com website on December 4, providing 24-hour business and financial news and analysis. The website complements CNBC’s live cable television coverage by leveraging the resources of its global network.
Business videos are produced in its new digital studio in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Asian headquarters in Singapore, Europe headquarters in London and bureaus worldwide, and are streamed live and on-demand.
CNBC.com also hosts blogs organized across industry sectors by CNBC anchors and reporters. Its ‘Play-by Play’ blog recaps in real time television segments and provides additional videos, charts and related links.
CNBC Plus gives users access to live real-time streams of CNBC’s Business Day programming in the US, Europe and Asia.
India’s Gemini TV and Udaya TV to merge with Sun TV
India – Satellite television company Gemini TV and Udaya TV, excluding the FM radio division, will merge with Indian broadcaster Sun TV, giving it a dominant position in south India.
As the owner of four Tamil channels and two Malayalam channels, Sun TV adds Gemini’s five channels and Udaya’s four, which earned revenues of Rs1.75 billion (US$39 million) and $21 million respectively, for the year ending March 31.
NDS acquires Jungo Ltd. and launches office in Mumbai
London / Mumbai – NDS, provider of technology solutions for digital pay TV, announced December 4 the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Jungo Ltd, a residential gateway software provider, for up to US$107.5 million cash. That includes $17 million of earnout payment, contingent on achieving fiscal targets for the 12 months following the deal’s completion next March.
The deal sees Jungo bringing its experience in embedded software for home networks and IP service delivery devices; faster introduction of new end-to-end solutions for converging broadcast/broadband markets; and opportunities for NDS to promote its Synamedia IPTV system offerings via Jungo’s market presence in major telcos.
Also announced on the same day was NDS opening a sales and support operation in Mumbai following its five year R&D operations in Bangalore. Dr. Abe Peled, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDS Group, said the Mumbai office recognized the readiness of the Indian market for wide-scale deployment of digital pay TV.
NDS’s end-to-end systems currently support the Tata Sky DTH service, Hathway Cable and Datacom digital cable TV operations in India.
Endemol ramps up in Asia
Singapore – The continued resurgence of game shows is paying off for Endemol in Asia-Pacific. In its first co funding and revenue-sharing deal in South East Asia, Endemol has joined forces with Malaysia’s Juita Viden. The partnership’s first venture, Deal or No Deal, will premiere on Malaysia’s NTV7 on January 15 2007.
Deal or No Deal has also been licensed to Singapore’s MediaCorp, Indonesia’s RCTI and Hong Kong’s ATV.
Endemol South East Asia’s Bangkok-based Managing Director Ed Sharples tells Television Asia he is looking to set up permanent offices in Indonesia and Malaysia to drive Endemol’s business in those markets, particularly for its Call TV shows.
Sharples noted that 24 Endemol programs are in production or have been commissioned in the region.
Network Ten’s digital initiative
Sydney – Australia’s Network Ten, in an attempt to catch up on the digital front behind rivals Nine (ninemsn) and Seven (Yahooi7), will relaunch its website, www.ten.com.au, in February 2007 to focus on video streaming, downloads, and communities surrounding core TV brands.ten.com.au will be supported by more than 50 program sites and online communities, with versions and extensions of programs for mobile devices and broadband users. Advertisers will be offered new opportunities to build brands and engage directly with consumers. Ten has had notable successes in digital media including providing free, advertiser-supported downloads of scenes from its hit comedy Thank God You're Here; the top Australian TV website in 2006, Big Brother; and the Australian Idol site, which generated more than 2.5 million streams.
Nine searches for Lost Tribes
Sydney – Australia’s Nine Network and TVNZ New Zealand are co-producing The Lost Tribes, a series that follows three suburban families sent to live for a month with the last primitive tribes on Earth. Based on the European format Ticket To The Tribes and produced by Cornerbox, the series will trek to African, Asian and South merican villages.Other highlights of Nine’s 2007 line-up nclude Code Blue, an observational documentary series rom the producers of hospital-set RPA; The Dame Edna xperience, a co-production with UK’s Tiger Aspect, eaturing Australia’s favorite megastar interviewing elebrities; Tsunami, a BBC miniseries on the Boxing Day isaster, starring Toni Collette; Monarchy, a program claiming unprecedented access to the life of Britain’s richest woman and the world’s most famous family; and six-part drama Primeval, which posits that prehistoric creatures are appearing millions of years after extinction.
China to launch SinoSat-3 in 2007
China – Television broadcasting satellite SinoSat-3 is due to launch in May 2007 to replace the dud SinoSat-2.
In the skies since October 29 2006, SinoSat-2 suffered technical glitches and failed to deploy its solar arrays and communications antennae completely, rendering it unable to provide broadcast and telco services.
Minority shareholders say no to Li’s sale of PCCW stakes
Hong Kong – Richard Li’s sale of the 23% controlling stake in Hong Kong telecommunications giant PCCW to family friend and associate, Francis Leung Pak-to, was rejected by minority shareholders of Singapore-listed Pacific Century Regional Developments (PCRD) on November 30.
Some 76.3% of the votes were cast against the HK$9.2 billion deal (HK$6 per share). Although Li holds 75% of PRCD, he was barred from voting under regulations governing connected transactions, as Leung revealed that Li’s father, tycoon Li Ka-shing, and Spanish telco Telefonica were the buyers.
Richard Li reportedly had a change of heart after learning of his father’s involvement and hoped PCRD shareholders would reject the deal in a bid to escape the elder Li’s shadow.
People
HIT appoints Huab to head up Asian office
Hong Kong – Antonio Huab has been appointed as Hit Entertainment’s Vice President Asia, based in its newly opened Hong Kong office. Huab was formerly with Hutchison Harbor Ring, which reps Turner for Greater China. He will be responsible for driving HIT’s consumer productions and TV distribution business across the Asia Pacific region.
