20 February- C NTENT 5 March 2017 www.contentasia.tv l www.contentasiasummit.com Thailand’s Fiber One, Charoen talk TV revolution Tie-up aims for one million subs in 2017 Thai fibre optic network developer, Fiber One, is eyeing a piece of the country’s entertainment pie, rolling out a new high-definition video platform – Fiber TV – across the country in partnership with the Charoen Cable TV group and talking about its plan to “revolutionise local cable”. Announcing the new TV deal this month, Fiber One also talked about stepping further into a digital economy that supports services such as e-medi- cine and smart households. The infrastructure group aims to have one million subscribers to its fibre optic network this year. Charoen Cable, which currently has about 600,000 subs, said the venture would make HD TV available in provin- cial areas for the first time. Ambitions to deliver better services come at a tumultuous time in Thailand’s TV history. Charoen Cable TV has been operating for more than 30 years as a traditional pay-TV platform licensed by the Nation- al Broadcasting and Telecommunica- Stream and download premium programmes tions Commission (NBTC). from the BBC, anywhere you are What’s inside.... www.bbcplayer.com • CMC’s Li Ruigang headlines at INTV • NHK co-pro debuts in Cannes • S’pore subs fry in Year of the Chicken DISTRIBUTION Southeast Asia: [email protected] Greater China: [email protected] • Thai streamers on high alert South Asia: [email protected] South Korea: [email protected] • ABS-CBN ramps up anti-piracy war BBC Worldwide Channels Asia • GMA doubles down on crime • MIP TV programme picks • Who’s who in Indonesia C NTENTASIA 20 February-5 March 2017 Page 2. CMC’s Li Ruigang Subs #s fry for Year of the Chicken headlines @ INTV Singapore’s two platforms lose 53,000 subs in 2016 Spotlight on China’s role in global media revolution Singapore’s two leading pay-TV plat- Singtel says TV subs at end December forms continue to bleed subs, moving 2016 were down 15,000 (3.54%) from into the Lunar New Year with 53,000 424,000 at the same time last year. The Li Ruigang, chairman fewer subscribers – a loss of 5.5% – from drop has been steady – 423,000 at the of Chinese media the beginning of 2016. end of March 2016, 416,000 at the end and entertain- At the same time, telco Singtel says of June 2016, and 412,000 at the end of ment company TV revenue is up more than 10% – from September 2016. CMC, key- S$57 million/US$40.2 million to S$63 mil- Singtel’s app-based OTT services – notes at this lion/US$44.4 million. This includes whole- Cast and Singtel TV Go – ended 2016 year’s Innova- sale of Premier League content rights at 33,000 subscribers – an increase of tive TV Con- from the June-September 2016 quarter. 11,000 from end September 2016. ference (INTV) StarHub’s pay-TV revenue for the SingTel closed 2016 with 546,000 fibre in Jerusalem. quarter to end December 2016 was broadband subs – an increase of 13,000 The conference, S$93.9 million/US$66 million, S$378 mil- compared to the previous quarter. Li Ruigang organised by Israeli lion/US$267 million (down 3.4%) for the StarHub opened 2017 with 473,000 media group Keshet, whole of 2016. residential broadband customers – runs from 6-7 March. Of the two platforms, StarHub still leads, down 1% year on year. The platform Li’s keynote looks at China’s role in the with 498,000 TV subs at the end of De- reported an 8% increase in broadband worldwide media revolution along with his cember 2016. This gives StarHub 89,000 revenue for the full year to S$216.8 mil- vision for CMC’s diverse portfolio, which more subs than Singtel’s 409,000. lion/US$15.3 million. ranges from TV production and tech in- vestments, to sports and online properties. The discussion on Asia’s media agen- da continues in the session, “Deal or No Deal”, which explores China-U.S. media investments and partnership dynam- TVB ramps up product placement fight ics. Panelists include The Raine Group HK broadcaster calls criteria “impossibly subjective & vague” managing director, Erik Hodge, who will discuss venture capital investment in the media sector with WME partner, Chris Hong Kong’s dominant broadcaster, Tele- TVB’s assertion is that the CA’s deci- Rice, and Jonathan Benartzi, managing vision Broadcasts Ltd (TVB), has ramped sion “contravenes the Hong Kong Bill of partner at Firstime VC. up its ongoing battle with regulator, the Rights”. TVB also said that the relevant Keynotes at the two-day event in- Communications Authority (CA), over in- provisions of the Codes of Practice were clude FOX Television Group chairman programme product placement. “unconstitutional”. and chief executive, Dana Walden; A notice of application was filed in the In a statement on Monday (20 Febru- CNN Worldwide president, Jeff Zucker; High Court on Monday, 20 February, ask- ary), TVB said Hong Kong’s Codes of NBC Entertainment president, Jen- ing for a judicial review of the CA’s ruling Practise allowed product placement, nifer Salke; and McCann Worldgroup over TV programme Scoop. but that the criteria “are impossibly sub- chairman and chief executive, Harris Three of the episodies, aired in April/ jective and vague, and are ultimately Diamond, who will talk about advertis- May/July last year, were found in Novem- judged by the opinion of the CA on a ing threats in a digital era. ber to have breached provisions in the case by case basis”. Other panel discussions across the two TV Programme Code and TV Advertising TVB added that “this is wholly unac- days will look at scripted content, and Code. ceptable where the provision at issue re- documentary as the new reality, along At the time, TVB described the CA’s rul- stricts fundamental rights”. with a session with the award-winning ing as “unreasonable and erroneous”, The criteria are that the placement has team behind AMC/BBC drama series and accused the body of being “incon- to be justified editorially; not obtrusive to The Night Manager. sistent and arbitrary”. viewing pleasure; and not gratuitous. C NTENTASIA 20 February-5 March 2017 Page 3. Thai streamers on alert for new regs NBTC after a level playing field and licensing revenue Thai streaming/OTT operators are on earned combined advertising reve- alert for possible new regulations that nue of THB2.16 billion/US$61.7 million in will, if current industry speculation is 2016. 70% of this comes from YouTube. accurate, introduce some sort of li- 2017 media forecasts include a 10% in- censing framework for many of them crease in total ad-spend following an for the first time. 11% dip in 2016. Thailand has 11 video streaming plat- Speculation of adjustments to Thai- forms, including four domestic and six land’s regulatory environment follow a regional/international operators. year of turmoil in the country’s media At the moment many operate out- space, including the collapse of pay- side of the licensing regime that gov- TV platform CTH, a radical realignment erns traditional and new broadcast of channels at TrueVisions, the rise of services, including digital terrestrial telco AIS as an entertainment pro- (DTT) players. vider, and an overhaul of the DTT en- The National Broadcasting and Tele- vironment in an effort to prevent more communications Commission (NBTC) is fledgling operators from going down thought to be eager to bring everyone the pan. into the fold and level the playing field. The NBTC has also granted the coun- Local daily, The Bangkok Post, quotes try’s second satellite licence, breaking a NBTC report that estimates free/ a decades-old monopoly held by Thai- ad-supported platforms in Thailand owned operator Thaicom. Wildflower debuts at 20.1% Revenge drama replaces local Big Brother on ABS-CBN Wildflower Philippines’ broadcaster ABS-CBN’s The Onat Diaz revenge drama stars newest prime-time drama, Wildflower, Maja Salvador as Lily/Ivy, an orphan premiered on Monday, 13 February, who grows up determined to avenge with a national rating of 20.1%, accord- the death of her parents. The series re- ing to Kantar Media viewership data. places reality show Pinoy Big Brother. C NTENTASIA 20 February-5 March 2017 Page 4. NHK co-pro global premiere in Cannes Tokyo Phoenix: The Rise of Modern Japan at MIPDoc Tokyo Phoenix: The Rise of Modern Japan NHK coproduction, Tokyo Phoenix: including its resurrection after the dev- The Rise of Modern Japan, premieres astating earthquake of 1923 and the worldwide in Cannes on 2 April as part bombing during World War II. of this year’s MIPDoc event. The programme was originally pro- The screening will be followed by a duced by NHK for domestic broad- discussion on NHK’s content develop- cast, and draws heavily on the public ment in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo broadcaster’s vast national archives. Olympics. The version that will premiere in Tokyo Phoenix: The Rise of Modern Cannes was adapted in partnership Japan charts Tokyo’s rise as a major with Arte France and CC&C and is dis- urban power over the past 150 years, tributed by France’s Terranoa. ABS-CBN steps up U.S. pirate war $8-million suit kicks off year of stronger enforcement Philippines broadcaster ABS-CBN trademark/copyright infringement of marked its US$11-million default judge- 27 movie and TV titles.