Mobile TV and content look to be gaining traction in Asia with service rollouts, take-up and returns on the rise, as well as new mobile content growing considerably over the past year. Long-touted as the ‘killer application’ to bring the elusive alternative source of revenue to carriers, operators and content providers, the mobile platform is finally showing signs that it just might live up to those lofty expectations. In monetary returns, 2007 saw the Asia Pacific mobile video … [Read more...] about Mobile rising
Co-Productions
Tuning in to music matters
The music business in the digital era of today faces a host of challenges not dissimilar to those encountered by an audiovisual content market that is moving increasingly towards digital distribution over new media platforms. Efforts and solutions offered by players in the music industry to tackle problems such as piracy and cross-platform licensing issues, as well as new business models, may well serve as a point of reference for those tackling similar problems in the audiovisual content … [Read more...] about Tuning in to music matters
NHK-led Japan Consortium wins Japanese broadcast rights for 2010, 2012 Olympics
Lausanne, Switzerland – Japan Consortium, an association of pubcaster NHK and the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan (NAB) has clinched Japanese broadcast rights for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games for ¥32.5billion (US$310.8million). The Japan Consortium was selected by the International Olympic Council (IOC) for its capacity to reach the widest audience on multiple broadcast platforms including free-to-air TV, pay-TV and digital media including the … [Read more...] about NHK-led Japan Consortium wins Japanese broadcast rights for 2010, 2012 Olympics
BabyFirstTV to debut in China on SMG’s BesTV IPTV platform
Los Angeles – BabyFirst and Shanghai Media Group (SMG) have inked a deal to launch US-based child development channel BabyFirstTV on the latter’s BestTV IPTV platform in China from May 2008. Established in November 2005 as a subsidiary of SMG, BesTV is the first IPTV company in the Chinese mainland. The agreement with BesTV follows recent Asian carriage deals sealed to offer BabyFirstTV in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea, with more regional carriage deals expected to close. … [Read more...] about BabyFirstTV to debut in China on SMG’s BesTV IPTV platform
Japan in focus
Free-to-air networks in Japan are relying heavily on variety/quiz shows to resist the general and continuous fall of ratings across genres and the overall decline of TV viewing over the last decade or so. The ratings and revenue leader Fuji Television is adding five new variety and quiz shows a week this season, striping the 7pm ‘F&F (Family & Fuji)’ quiz belt with different 30-minute and one-hour shows seven days a week. These quiz shows are built around the powerful Wednesday night … [Read more...] about Japan in focus
hanarotelecom sued for alleged sale of subscribers’ information
Seoul – A group of subscribers has commenced collective legal action against Korean telco hanarotelecom for alleged unauthorized sale of subscribers’ personal information. 20 former and current employees including hanarotelecom’s former CEO are facing charges of transferring 83.5 million pieces of personal data including addresses, social security numbers and telephone numbers to some 1,000 telemarketing firms between January 2006 and December 2007. According to local media … [Read more...] about hanarotelecom sued for alleged sale of subscribers’ information