C NTENT 13-26 July 2020 www.contentasia.tv l www.contentasiasummit.com ABS-CBN vows to fight on Broadcast frequency grab, spotlight on Duterte allies the C NTENT The Philippines’ broadcast and entertain- ment industry spent the weekend count- ing the costs of Friday’s vote not to renew ABS-CBN’s broadcast – and the picture, while full of prayers and promises to fight- ing on, looks grim. The Social Distance Edition The full story is on page 7 q 27-28 August 2020 Backstreet Rookie hauled over the The Heart of Content in Asia coals A+E Networks-backed SPREAD THE LOVE Korean series too sexy, content cops say A+E Networks-backed Korean drama, Backstreet Rookie, has landed on the of- ficial naughty step for sexually suggestive scenes involving, among others, teens, cigarettes, underage kissing, sex workers, language and sound effects, and the “commodification” of women. The full story is on page 3 q Plus... • ITV continues winning formats streak • Korea’s Coupang buys Hooq tech • iQiyi unveils new slate, content strategy www.contentasiasummit.com • Screen Queensland woos Asian creators • Who’s who in Thailand • What Hong Kong is watching ... plus a whole lot more formats that innovate New primetime format for ABC, US. From the producers of Gogglebox. FUN BEHIND EVERY DOOR @all3media_int all3mediainternational.com 13-26 JuLY 2020 page 2. C NTENTASIA 13-26 July 2020 Page 3. Malaysia’s TM, Digi Backstreet Rookie hauled over the coals tie-up to boost hi-speed A+E-backed Korean series too sexy, content cops say broadband access Malaysia’s Telekom Malaysia (TM) and The A+E Networks-backed Korean dra- in which a young student asks an adult for Digi have unveiled a new collaboration ma, Backstreet Rookie, has landed on a cigarette and ends up kissing him. designed to boost high-speed broad- the official naughty step for sexually sug- Local reports say more than 6,000 com- band access across the country. gestive scenes involving, among others, plaints have been submitted, break- The alliance involves offering Digi sub- teens, cigarettes, underage kissing, sex ing the 2020 record for complaints and scribers access to TM’s fibre network, workers, language and sound effects, making it one of the shows with the most and fast-tracks Digi’s national expansion. and the “commodification” of women. complaints ever. Digi says the new deal will open fibre Following rising online chatter since the Production house Taewon Entertain- access to another three million homes. show debuted on free-TV network SBS on ment has been called in to explain the The new deal builds on the two com- 19 June, Korea’s Communication Stan- need for pushing the boundaries of lan- panies already-close relationship. TM dards Commission has now stepped in guage and other standards. said during the announcement that it with a formal review. Commission members allege that the has always been “a strong advocate The 16-episode series, based on a webt- drama’s “ethical and emotional harm to of infrastructure sharing”. The telco oon, stars Ji Chang Wook as 30-some- teenagers is great”, and have objected also said it would “continue to play our thing store owner Dae-hyun Choi, and to the 15+ rating. unique role as a neutral provider by pro- Kim Yoo Jung as college co-ed Saetbyul, Backstreet Rookie is A+E Networks’ first viding open access for access seekers who Dae-hyun hires against his better investment in premium Korean drama. amongst fellow industry player”. judgement. The show is scheduled to run The show airs on SBS in Korea. A+E Net- The two also talked about the benefits until 8 August 2020. works has global distribution rights out- of avoiding infrastructure duplication. Early controversy emerged over a scene side of Korea. C NTENTASIA 13-26 July 2020 Page 4. ViacomCBS titles pack ITV continues winning formats streak new free linear channel Cambodia on board with two seasons of Divided 10 ViacomCBS Media launches free- to-air linear channel, 10 Shake, later The Cambodian Broadcasting Service tions over five rounds and accumulate this year targetting a broad audience (CBS) has commissioned two seasons of as much cash as they can. At the end with an “escapist television” schedule ITV Studios’ classic general knowledge of each round, the team is given 15 sec- that covers everything from SpongeBob game show Divided. onds to decide whether to continue the SquarePants and Bubble Guppies to The The new deal continues ITV Studios’ Q1 game or stop and divide the money into Late Late Show with James Corden and 2020 winning streak. For the first time, the three unequal shares. a slate of movies, including The Hunger U.K.-based company tops ContentAsia’s ITV Studios was particularly strong in Games 1 and 2. The 6am to 6pm sched- Q1 formats leaderboard with 34 formats Southeast Asia in the first three months of ule targets children, switching to adults on air or commissioned in the region. The this year with four formats each in Thai- under 50 in the evening. Screen Pro- win was driven by 24 local versions/sea- land and the Philippines, seven in Viet- ducers Australia (SPA) used the launch sons of The Voice. nam, two in Indonesia and six in Cam- announcement to call on the govern- The first Cambodian versions of the bodia. The two new seasons of Divided ment to resurrect quotas suspended in game show will be produced by CBS and bring the total in Cambodia to eight. 2020 because of Covid-19 containment is scheduled to air in the Spring of 2021 on In other parts of the region, ITV Studios’ measures. “The lack of clarity regarding free-TV network CTN. presence is growing. quota requirements for 2021 is heavily Cambodia is the 23rd country to license In Q1 this year, broadcasters in South distorting the market for this content, the format, including Thailand, India and Asia (India/Sri Lanka) had acquired/ and throwing doubt over projects Vietnam. commissioned four versions of The Voice. which were well developed and ready The game show involves three strang- Three titles are in or headed to China, Ko- to be greenlit,” the SPA said. ers attempting to answer up to 15 ques- rea and Japan. | Rock Oyster Media Ltd. 10 x 60 min | RumLime Productions, LLC 10 x 60 min | Rock Oyster Media Ltd. 10 x 60 min 40 x 30 min (2 seasons) entertainment One | back2back Productions 8 x 60 min and Afro Mic Productions | CIC Media 20 x 60 min (2 seasons) 13-26 JuLY 2020 page 5. C NTENTASIA 13-26 July 2020 Page 6. Korean e-commerce giant iQiyi unveils new slate, content strategy eyes Hooq streaming tech Content is shaping consumption trends, streamer says South Korea’s Coupang Corp is believed to be buying the software assets of failed Southeast Asian streamer Hooq for Chinese streamer iQiyi has unveiled a an undisclosed amount. slate of 60 drama and variety titles and The e-commerce platform has not a ramped up brand-driven content yet unveiled its video streaming plans, marketing strategy as rumours continue reported by Bloomberg, citing unnamed about a merger/acquisition by rival Ten- sources close to the deal. cent in the face of mounting losses. No price tag is being put on the acqui- Forty of the new titles are drama and 20 sition, which is being managed by Hooq are variety. Digital liquidators. Variety titles include new seasons of Coupang is backed by Softbank, The Rap of China, Youth With You, I Can BlackRock Inc and Sequoia Capital. I BB, Fourtry and The Big Band. Others are The company has not responded to Let’s Party, iQiyi Scream Night at Chime- Chen Xiao, SVP, iQiyi requests for more information. long and virtual idol competition Dimen- In a statement to Singapore’s stock ex- sion Nova. “Content will be the starting point of change, Hooq majority owner Singtel said Drama includes suspense series Luoy- new business models for the next decade,” on 9 July that “there has been no material ang based on Ma Boyong’s novel, and CMO and president of iQiyi’s new consum- development in relation to the creditors romance Go Go Squid 2: Dt and Vaca- er business group, Vivian Wang, said. voluntary winding up of Hooq Digital Pte tion of Love. “Content is now shaping consumption Ltd.... that may have a significant impact Under the banner of “new content, trends. Businesses will only be able to gain on Singtel’s financial position”. new consumption and new growth”, iQ- traction by creating content-based con- iyi bosses talked about entertainment in- sumption scenarios and expanding their dustry trends, including “content market- content-driven business, using content as q ing” and “redefining” content. their entry point and making their brands iQiyi SVP Chen Xiao said “nurturing new popular,” she added. BBC, RTL pick up CJ ENM’s idols” was central to the platform’s “re- The new titles would build on experi- defined content” to meet user needs for ence gained through, among others, The I Can See Your Voice IP that is “of high quality and trendy and Rap of China, which iQiyi says “spawned emphasises social networking”. He also a market for rap performance and re- Broadcasters in Germany, the U.K. and said tech was being used to “improve lated consumption”, and reality show Netherlands have pick up format rights the efficiency of content creation”. Fourtry, which led to the creation of the to CJ ENM’s music mystery show, I Can The platform, talking about “multi-di- Fourtry brand.