25 November – C NTENTASIA 8 DECEMber 2013 www.contentasia.tv l facebook.com/contentasia l @contentasia l www.asiacontentwatch.com Rewind Networks goes live with Hits Himatsinghani intros ‘best of TV’ channel on StarHub snake bits Industry hiss in the Year of the Snake MediaCorp misses out & Nat Geo People on its way MediaCorp misses out: Oooh, drama in Singapore over national broadcaster MediaCorp’s failure to air the Golden Horse Awards from Taiwan this past week- end, leaving half the nation (at best) able to see the country’s biggest film win xxxxxx in, like, ever. Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo – the story of a Singaporean family and its newly arrived domestic helper – won four awards: best Lost feature film, best original screenplay, Former Fox In- wind Networks out of Singapore, is be- best new director and best supporting ternational Chan- ing offered in both standard definition actress. nels’ Southeast and HD, and will also be available on Facebook discussion is pretty fierce. Asia boss, Avi Hi- StarHub’s TV Anywhere service. Words and phrases like “embarrass- ing” and “why don’t they show some Avi Himatsinghani matsinghani, launches On-demand service, Hits Replay, will his first indie pay-TV chan- launch in early 2014 on both StarHub’s initiative” are being used in the public nel, Hits, in Asia on 9 December. cable and TV Anywhere platforms. discussion, along with a bit of sympathy The regional channel debuts on Singa- Hits’ tag line is “television’s greatest hits about MediaCorp not being able to tell pore platform StarHub’s basic entertain- all in one destination”, and the schedule in advance that a Singapore film would ment package, giving it the same reach has cherry-picked the best-performing do so well. as WarnerTV, LIfetime, AXN, Fox and Diva comedy and drama in Asia over the past Lots of likes and thumbs-up for StarHub Universal, among others. two decades. though. The pay-TV platform bought Sin- Hits, operated by Himatsinghani’s Re- More on page 12 More on page 14 25 NOVember - 8 DECEMber page 2. contentasia 25 November - 8 DECEMber 2013 Page 3. Jiangsu picks up Gogglebox format Local China series set for 2014 China’s Jiangsu Satellite TV has picked up rights to All3media International’s factual entertainment format, Gogglebox. The eight-episode mainland Chinese version, produced in-house, will pre- miere early next year. This marks Jiangsu’s first-ever deal with the indie distributor, and follows a Dragon TV deal for a local version of Undercover Boss. Rozhan lauded Gogglebox features local home Astro chief executive, Rohana Rozhan for social viewers’ reactions and opinions of the responsibility week’s TV highlights. The format has Astro boss takes been nominated at the 2013 Grierson Dato’ Rohana Rozhan, chief executive of Other win- Awards and Edinburgh Television Festi- home CNBC Asia Malaysian pay-TV platform Astro, has won ners include val’s Programme Innovation Award. biz leader award the Corporate Social Responsibility Award The Appren- at the 12th annual CNBC Asia Business tice Asia’s Tony Leaders Awards (ABLA). Fernandes, group Countdown to SES-8 The award earlier this month recognises chief executive of budget airline AirAsia, New launch heralds Rozhan’s devotion to issues in education, who took home the Asia Innovator of the environment and society, as well as “in- Year Award. lower-cost space era tegrating social responsibility into business The award ceremony airs on CNBC at objectives”. 8pm (HK/Sin) on 28 November. Satellite operator SES has entered the final countdown to the launch of new satellite SES-8, which goes up on Tues- day morning (26 November, Asia). Fox Japan in record-busting NCIS telecast If successful, the launch not only puts additional Ku-/Ka-band capacity Fox International Channels’ (FIC) Fox above Asia, but also opens a new era Japan entertainment channel begins of shorter, more cost effective paths to a marathon 234-episode NCIS telecast space. on 29 December in an effort to bust its The commercial communications sat- previous Guinness World Record for the ellite, with coverage of South Asia and longest uninterrupted transmission of a Asia Pacific, will be co-located with the television series. SES-owned NSS-6 at 95º East. Fox Japan set the previous record in The new satellite is one of seven January 2011 with the back-to-back tel- satellites SES plans to operate in the ecast of all seven seasons of 24, starring region by 2015. Keifer Sutherland as counter terrorist unit The launch from SpaceX’s complex agent Jack Bauer. at Cape Canaveral is the Falcon 9 The NCIS marathon runs to 8 January. rocket’s seventh flight, and its first Fox Japan premieres the new season communications satellite launched to of the CBS Studios’ crime procedural in NCIS geostationary orbit by SpaceX. February 2014. contentasia 25 November - 8 DECEMber 2013 Page 4. ITV Choice squeezes Celebrity Window I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here ITV Studios’ Asia channel, ITV Choice, has squeezed the window on the new season of I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here to 48 hours after the U.K. ABS-CBN, GMA telecast. The show premiered across From left: Bishop Diocese of Paranaque Most Rev Jesse Mercado; sweep Catholic Asia and the Middle East in Novem- ABS-CBN Palawan station manager Patrick Henry Gayapa; awards ber in a 9.30pm (Singapore/Taiwan) CMMA Trustee Engr Feorelio Bote; CMMA Trustee and Executive Director Rev Fr Rufino Sescon Jr Networks hailed weeknight slot. ITV said the U.K. premiere on 17 November had 12 Philippines’ leading television broadcasters Talk Show for for Christian million viewers, making it the country’s ABS-CBN and GMA, took home more than The Botom- values top programme of the year after the 10 trophies at the 35th annual Catholic line with Boy Wimbledon Final. Mass Media Awards for Filipino media that Abunda, and Best promote Christian values. Station ID for ABS-CBN GMA won seven TV-related awards: TV7 Palawan’s Christmas-themed Kwento Taylor joins NBCUni Best Newscast (State of the Nation with Ng Pasko. Jessica Soho), Best Drama Series (Bayan The Best Public Service Programme Australia/New Zealand TV veteran Ko), Best News Magazine (Kapuso Mo, Jes- award was shared between ABS-CBN Chris Taylor has been appointed as sica Soho), Best Special Event Coverage (Pinoy True Stories: Saklolo) and GMA (In- NBCUniversal’s vice president of inter- (Habemus Papam), Best Comedy (Pepito vestigative Documentaries). national television. The newly created Manaloto: Ang Tunay Na Kuwento), Best ABS-CBN also won Students’ Choice for role covers both channel and content Children and Youth Programme (Poptalk) Best Film for It Takes a Man and a Woman. distribution efforts in Australia and New and Best Adult Educational/Cultural Pro- The awards, organised by Manila’s Arch- Zealand. Taylor is based in Sydney gramme (Follow That Star). diocese, recognise media products that and reports to both Singapore-based ABS-CBN won four TV-related awards “enhance the total human development of Christine Fellowes, Universal Networks among its total eight trophies. The TV the Filipino audience through the competent International Asia Pacific MD, and Jus- awards included Best TV Special for and professional use of mass media tech- tin Che, Asia Pacific SVP of sales liaison. documentary San Pedro Calungsod, Best niques and to promote Christian values”. contentasia 25 November - 8 DECEMber 2013 Page 5. StarHub appoints head MTV, Nickelodeon support typhoon relief of ethnic content VIMN, Unicef tie up to help children in need Singapore pay-TV com- Viacom International Media Networks Sam & Cat, Ariana Grande and Jenette pany StarHub has (VIMN) Asia is backing Unicef’s drive McCurdy, lent support with a PSA to sup- appointed former to help children in need after Typhoon port donations. Both clips are airing on the SingTel/Viacom Haiyan in the Philippines. networks globally. Leto’s stage moment is executive, Aileen In addition to Thirty Seconds to Mars’ also airing on Comedy Central Asia. Joseph, as its senior Jared Leto’s call for donations during the The MTV Voices site is also carrying ac- manager for ethnic MTV EMA event, the cast of Nickelodeon’s counts from the ground. content from this month. Joseph oversees StarHub’s overall ethnic content strategy – from self- packaged channels, such as Sensasi, Jeepney TV turns one to channel providers such as Sun TV. Anniversary party in aid of Typhoon Haiyan victims Joseph was formerly senior program- ming manager at Viacom Interna- tional Media Networks Asia. She also worked as programming manager for rival SingTel mio TV, where she was instrumental in launching popular Ma- laysian pay-TV channel Astro Ria on the Singapore pay-TV platform. TVB, Next Media spat Hong Kong’s dominant broadcaster, Television Broadcasts Ltd (TVB) and Jimmy Lai’s Next Media are locked in combat. TVB has accused Next Media’s publications of, among other things, inaccurate reporting, and banned Next journalists from press conferences and events. Next denies Father-son duo Gary V (a.k.a. Mister Pure first anniversary-cum-fundraiser concert the allegations, saying all it was doing Energy) and Paolo Valenciano dedicate for victims of the super typhoon. Other was telling the truth about the uproar a performance to Typhoon Haiyan victims performers at the gala include The Voice over Hong Kong’s free-TV licence at Hapi-Hapi Kaara-One. The event marks of the Philippines’ Radha Cuadrado and process and related events. Philippine cable network Jeepney TV’s new local pop/rock band Fair Warning. [email protected] 25 NOVember - 8 DECEMber page 6. contentasia 25 November - 8 DECEMber 2013 Page 7.