New CASBAA data confirms industry growth

26 March 2004

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today released the first aggregated data endorsed on an industry-wide basis covering the size and value of the Asia Pacific pay-TV market with newly calibrated estimates of advertising revenues. The CASBAA-validated data has been derived from a six-month consultation process by the CASBAA Advertising & Research Committee with the region’s leading pay-TV channels, system operators, agencies and data providers on both a regional and local basis. Participants in the process included representatives from Discovery Networks Asia, STAR Group, Turner International Asia Pacific, Nielsen Media Research, TAM India and Media Partners Asia.

“This robust consensus provides the firmest platform yet to argue in favor of the pay-TV industry’s maturity and attractiveness as an advertising vehicle,” said Marcel Fenez, the Chairman of CASBAA. “With this data the industry can look forward to the future in terms of forecasting development from a solid and assured base.”

The CASBAA data shows that the Asian cable and satellite industry in 2003 accounted for almost 190 million multi-channel homes, 95% of which are pay homes. Pay-TV advertising revenues for 2002 were US$2.6 billion in 2002 compared to an estimated US$14.8 billion in overall TV ad spend. Previous estimates showed 150 million cable subscribers in 2002.

In 2003, there were 48 million multi-channel subscribers in India, 12 million in Korea, 8 million in Japan, 7.7 million in Taiwan and 100 million multi-channel subscribers in China, according to the new CASBAA data.

This assessment of the market conditions of just over 12 months ago show total multi-channel adspend at US$2.592 million for the industry but with just US$205 million for pan regional advertising buys. China leads with US$752 million; followed closely by India at US$739 million; and Taiwan at US$586 million.

However, in terms of the percentage of the total TV adspend, the numbers demonstrate considerable room for growth, in all representing just 17.5% of the US$14.79 billion on TV advertising in the Asia Pacific outside of Japan. The multi-channel total TV viewing share is now over 50% in multi-channel homes in many markets.

“This highlights the challenge the industry face in promoting itself to clients, agencies and the media community as a whole,” said Mr Fenez. “We need to address these issues through further engaging on a regular basis with the agency and client communities to articulate the value that multi-channel television brings to the advertising community and initiatives such as the launch of the CASBAA Media College for sales and marketing executives in Singapore on April 22nd. The CASBAA Council of Governors recognizes this issue and gives it the highest importance.”

New RCI agreements with DW and Radio Netherlands

26 March 2004

Radio Canada International expands its reach in the major capitals of French-speaking Africa, thanks to a new agreement with German international radio broadcaster, Deutsche Welle. Under the agreement, DW will allow its over 100 local partner radio stations to use its receivers to pick up RCI programming.

“This initiative fits perfectly with Radio Canada International’s repositioning, which puts greater emphasis on building meaningful partnerships with large-scale international radio services. Our agreement with Deutsche Welle will enable us to reach a larger French-speaking audience in Africa,” said Jean Larin, director of Radio Canada International. According to Deutsche Welle’s distribution director, Heinz G. Pianka, “Radio-Canada International programming will enrich our current radio offering by providing a Canadian perspective on the major issues of the day.”

On March 26, RCI also launches new Portuguese programming specially tailored to Brazilian audiences. Journalist Hector Vilar will host the new weekly programme, a prestigious news and information magazine covering key current affairs in Canada and Brazil. Vilar holds a master’s degree in communications, and has worked as reporter and news director at a leading São Paulo daily, Jornal da Tarde, as well as editor and teaching assistant at Université du Québec à Montréal.

Thanks to an agreement with Radio Netherlands, this half-hour programe will be broadcast on 300 AM and FM stations throughout Brazil. It will also be aired live on RCI short-wave on Fridays at 4 p.m. EST, and on weekends via satellite and Internet.

RCI and DW are members of the AIB.

GlobeCast and Embratel launch Olympic coverage for TV Globo

26 March 2004

GlobeCast has partnered with Brazilian telecommunications group, Embratel, to provide contribution broadcast services, internet and telephony for Brazilian terrestrial broadcaster, TV Globo for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. GlobeCast will also be working closely with four additional official Olympic Broadcasting rights holders, ATV and TVB in Hong Kong and Japanese channels, TV Asahi and Fuji TV, to provide specifically tailored packages including satellite transmissions and SNG services, for the duration of the games.

GlobeCast’s services for rights holders form part of the company’s comprehensive presence at the Athens Olympics. GlobeCast is offering extensive facilities for non-rights holding broadcasters, a number of which have already contracted with GlobeCast for their Olympics coverage, through its Broadcast Base formed in association with UK-based Gearhouse Broadcast and Athens-based Stefi Productions. The Broadcast Base offers non-rights holders a one-stop-shop for all of their production and broadcast requirements, including studios, work space, broadcast equipment, worldwide satellite transmissions, uplinking facilities, playout, conversion, encoding and mobile SNG facilities.

TV Globo will be providing Brazil with national terrestrial coverage of the 24th Olympic Games, and will be using GlobeCast and partner Embratel to manage its contribution delivery, via Intelsat satellites, from the Official International Broadcasting Centre. GlobeCast will be supplying a complete suite of transmission services including multiple two-way satellite and fibre paths from Athens, and two dedicated SNG vehicles for sports and news coverage from around the city.

For Hong Kong’s two Olympic broadcast rights holders, GlobeCast will provide six satellite channels with encoding equipment, uplinks and compression for free-to-air ATV and a satellite uplink for TVB.

Japanese rights holders TV Asahi and Fuji TV have signed an agreement with GlobeCast to secure the use of one SNG vehicle each, complete with camera crew for the duration of the Games. This will enable both stations to film live stand ups and report on human interest stories from around the city of Athens.

Graham Smith, Head of European Sports, GlobeCast said: ‘Our reputation for understanding the individual broadcast needs of national stations at major sporting events, and our ability to provide comprehensive tailored services has enabled us to offer our most extensive package to broadcasters at Athens 2004. Our relationship with many broadcasters, such as TV Globo, was established at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 where our Broadcast Base was used by numerous international broadcasters which have already signed up to work with us again. As a result of our continued commitment, industry experience and service levels we have been able to work with our clients to extend our offering to an increasing number of broadcasters looking to present complete and seamless sports coverage to their national home audiences.’

GlobeCast is a member of the AIB.

NABA appoints new Executive Director

25 March 2004

Michael McEwen, Secretary General of the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) announced the appointment of Carol Darling as the new Executive Director of the Association. In this position, Ms. Darling will be responsible for the general management of the Association as well as providing broadcasting expertise and research to NABA members.

Ms. Darling is a respected Broadcast Executive in Canada whose expertise crosses a broad range of disciplines from Engineering to Business Affairs. Ms. Darling has been an active leader in technical and trade organizations in the broadcasting field and has served on Canadian and U.S. based task forces and advisory boards dealing with new communications systems and services. She is currently Chair of the Canadian Digital Television Inc. (CDTV) Technology Working Group and a Director on the Boards of Industry Canada’s Communications Research Centre (CRC) and CDTV.

A graduate engineer from Queen’s University, Ms. Darling’s previous positions include Vice President Business Development and Engineering at the Women’s Television Network (WTN), one of Canada’s most successful specialty networks, and Chair of Advanced Broadcasting Systems of Canada (ABSOC). Earlier positions at Nordicity Group Ltd. and Bell Canada focused on the development of new broadcast and telecommunications services. Most recently, Ms. Darling has provided consulting expertise to a number of organizations in the Canadian television industry.

Peter Smith, Chairman of NABA and Vice President of Advanced Technology at NBC, says the new Executive Director will play a key role in the work of the Association. “Carol’s broad experience and understanding of broadcasting will greatly assist us in making the activities of NABA more relevant to our members” Ms. Darling has been recognized for her contributions to the broadcasting industry through several awards including the Canadian Women in Communications (CWC) Trailblazer of the Year Award in 1997. She will assume the Executive Director position at NABA on April 12.