CASBAA Launches Mobile TV Group

HONG KONG, October 25: The Cable & Satellite
Broadcasting Association of Asia has launched the CASBAA Mobile Group,
consisting of several of the organization’s members, including Turner
Broadcasting, STAR and Nokia, that will work to further the development of
mobile TV services region-wide.

The CASBAA Mobile Group, launched at the CASBAA Convention
in Hong Kong, includes Turner Broadcasting, ESPN Star Sports, CNBC Asia, BBC
World, STAR Group, Walt Disney Television International and Sony Pictures
Television International, as well as platform operator PCCW, handset
manufacturer Nokia and chipset supplier Sun Microsystems.

At the convention, the CASBAA Mobile Group met with the
DVB-H Asia Pacific Alliance (DAPA), which includes operators such as Bridge
Networks of Australia, MiTV of Malaysia and MECA from Indonesia.

“The CASBAA objective is to create an environment where the
regulatory and business issues surrounding mobile TV can be debated with hard
information exchanged to encourage the distribution of paid video content to as
many mobile TV subscribers as possible,” said Simon Twiston Davies, the CEO of
CASBAA.

“As is demonstrated by the heavy emphasis on mobile issues
in our the CASBAA Convention program this year, the pay-TV industry places the
development of a robust business model for mobile TV as one of its highest
priorities for our digital future. There is a long-term commitment by the
content industry to work more closely with mobile platforms and manufacturers
to create an economically viable business for everyone. This is just the
beginning of the development of new and substantive revenue stream for our
industry.”