Buyers worry about license fees. Sellers worry about license fees. If like the new A&E series Barter Kings (pg. 30), we can all trade in our programming without paying a dime (and still get associated rights), then the world would be a happier place wouldn’t it? Some distributors I spoke to are well aware that post MIPTV, many buyers would have seen their wallets shrunk as the volatile economy continues its slide. This market should probably see buyers walking down the Croisette with … [Read more...] about The Great Trade-Off
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Ready, Set, Dissolve…
It’s the dawn of a new era for sports broadcasting – and I’m not talking the Olympics. After months of speculation, The Walt Disney Company and News Corporation Limited, coowners of ESPN STAR Sports, will dissolve their 16-year joint venture and say farewell to its MD. Still, the regional sports broadcaster needs to fulfill contractual obligations – like London 2012, for which it has exclusive Pay-TV rights in Asia. So, while undergoing management changes, it looks like … [Read more...] about Ready, Set, Dissolve…
Any Given Sunday
Starting MIPTV on a Sunday (not just any Sunday, but Palm Sunday), with 500 fewer attendees than last year; coupled with a climate of cautious buying, had certainly cast a gloom on the market. Still, there are reasons to celebrate, and deals of all sizes to close, as TV ASIA Plus reveals in this issue. China received massive attention; as massive as the billboard of CCTV-9 that engulfed the Palais’ façade. Note to Reed MIDEM: a Meet-the-experts-from-China session in one of the … [Read more...] about Any Given Sunday
‘Tis the season
What a year it has been; full on from “go” and we’ve not even reached the “whoa” yet. Be it docos, kids TV, news, drama, animation, formats or sport, Asia has both devoured it and produced it – adding its own seasonal ingredients into the mix. Retaining this momentum in the coming year is a definite reality but challenges still abound. For PayTV; technology is not only giving consumers more ways to watch content, it’s also allowing new players – … [Read more...] about ‘Tis the season
Mind your own business
WITH the merger of FOX International Channels with many of STAR’s channels in Asia, FOX executives now boast business cards covered in channel logos encompassing multiple genres across factual entertainment, GE, music, movies and news. Cross-promotion opportunities abound and Fox One Stop Media has been established to offer ad sales solutions at local, regional and global level. Meanwhile Stateside, as the merger of Comcast and NBC awaits regulatory approval, President and CEO of the … [Read more...] about Mind your own business
