Hong Kong and New York – News Corporation has exercised the remaining half of its option to increase its stake in diversified media company Rotana Group, owned by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, to 18.97 percent from 14.53 percent by purchasing newly-issued shares in Rotana for $35 million. The transaction follows News Corporation’s acquisition of a 9.09 percent stake in Rotana Group in February 2010 and its exercising of the first half of its option to raise the … [Read more...] about News Corporation ups stake in Rotana Group
Cable TV
StarHub Refines international talent format
Singapore – StarHub has imported internationally-successful singing competition Academy Fantasia, into Singapore. The Singapore version will be a reality-based Mandarin singing competition with LIVE-streams utilising multi-platforms. Refinery Media, pioneers of the usage of multi-platform social media tools in Asian-made reality TV productions, is partnering StarHub to provide its expertise to the programme. The show also sees the inaugural collaboration with hair care brand Sunsilk. … [Read more...] about StarHub Refines international talent format
CASBAA: India at digital crossroads
New Delhi – The recent CASBAA India Forum mapped out the direction of the multichannel TV industry across India’s market of 120 million cable TV subscribers. Almost 200 delegates, speakers and media were on hand to discuss the most important opportunities emerging from the ongoing digital deployments. “The Forum 2012 provided the ideal platform to monitor the progress of the impending deadlines and to review the overall health of the multichannel-TV industry in India,” … [Read more...] about CASBAA: India at digital crossroads
Direct reach
Singapore – Fox One Stop Media (FOSM) has launched FOSM Singapore, a specialized local advertising sales team to cater to the country’s advertising sector.FOSM, the commercial branch of the advertising-integrated sales group of Pay-TV network, FOX International Channels (FIC), offers advertisers direct access to the group of 27 channels operated by FIC in Singapore via tailored and strategic 360° media solutions.With the media landscape getting increasingly cluttered, FOSM … [Read more...] about Direct reach
Soccer action in 3D
Hong Kong – CABLE TV is airing Barclays Premier League (BPL) LIVE matches in 3D on its High Definition BPL Platform, starting 22 January. HD BPL Pack subscribers with 3D-capable television sets can tune in without additional charge. The initiative will kick off with Manchester City versus Tottenham Hotspur, followed by Manchester United against Arsenal. Both matches will also be available on CABLE TV in HD and SD formats. Ronald Chiu, i-CABLE Sports Limited Executive Director, said … [Read more...] about Soccer action in 3D
NHNZ increases production
Natural History New Zealand (NHNZ) is beefing up its production slate, introducing 30 hours of programming into its business portfolio over the last month. Managing Director Michael Stedman said the expanded slate reflects the changes the company has put into its development unit in the last six months, which has since seen the company’s production slate increase by 50 per cent. NHNZ’s new projects include a commissioned 10 part series, a series pilot for National Geographic … [Read more...] about NHNZ increases production