Simon Twiston Davies

World Screen Weekly, July 26, 2007

CEO

Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA)

PriceWaterhouseCoopers, in a recent study, estimated that the Asia-Pacific entertainment and media market will hit $470 billion in 2011, with an average 9.6 percent annual growth rate, making it the fastest-growing region in the world. The Hong Kong-based Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has made it its mission to make sure that pay-TV players deliver on those expectations. “Growth, growth, growth—that is what our organization is dedicated to,” says Simon Twiston Davies, CASBAA’s CEO.

CASBAA today has some 125 members from across 14 markets, spanning cable TV operators, IPTV services, DTH platforms and a host of channel brands, including local entities like STAR and international networks such as HBO. On behalf of its channel members, CASBAA has undertaken a slate of initiatives to combat one of the biggest issues facing the Asian cable and satellite industry today: piracy. A recent study from CASBAA and the Standard Chartered Bank found that pay-TV theft and unlicensed pay-TV platforms had cost the industry $1.13 billion in 2006, up from the previous year’s $1.06 billion.

The organization has been actively taking legal action against unauthorized operators in several markets. Earlier this month, in the Philippines, CASBAA lobbied to reinstate search warrants against local cable operators that it believes have been engaged in copyright infringement. The organization is also helping its pay-TV member platforms spread the message that “those who steal will ultimately face some form of sanction,” Twiston Davies says.

Twiston Davies notes that the environment is more conducive today to CASBAA’s anti-piracy initiatives, with many governments now realizing the importance of tackling this issue in order to drive economic growth. “The value of domestic content is going up,” he says, citing as an example the Indian movie market and its revenue potential. Bollywood movies, he says, “are an export earner for the content owner and for the country, and a significant one. The domestic political power and the domestic enforcement agencies now need to ensure the revenues are protected.”

As far as progress made, Twiston Davies says, “We are containing the problem.” While trouble spots like India, the Philippines and Vietnam remain a tough challenge, Twiston Davies cites gains made in Malaysia. “The level of pay-TV piracy dropped last year by about 40 percent thanks to new encryption and enforcement by the local authorities.”

Beyond lobbying activities, CASBAA also works as a networking association, hosting events throughout the year, led by the flagship CASBAA Convention. Set for October 30 to November 2 in Hong Kong, the theme for this year’s event is “It’s All About Content.” While Twiston Davies cannot yet reveal details about the convention, which in the past has featured Michael Bloomberg, Ted Turner and Barry Diller, among others, he says that the “buzz” surrounding the Asian market today is expected to draw a strong speaker lineup.

To turn that buzz into sustained growth, Twiston Davies stresses the importance of regulatory environments that encourage competition. Part of CASBAA’s activities includes lobbying for “free, fair and open markets,” he says, “so that you’re not shutting out content, or services or investment in your market.”

Twiston Davies says that the Asian cable and satellite industry need only look to the telecommunications market as proof of this. “Just the threat of competition has sharpened up telecommunications companies all over the world. It’s made them more efficient, they provide better services to the consumer at a lower price.”

A six-year veteran of CASBAA who spent a number of years covering the media industry for leading retail and trade publications, Twiston Davies has already witnessed numerous shifts in the Asian pay-TV market. “One of the things I am really excited about is the change that satellite television has brought about across the Asia Pacific. Twenty years ago there was virtually nothing. Twenty years ago, Beijing was even a little unsure as to what was happening in Shanghai or Guangdong. Today, Taiwan and Beijing, for all the problems they have, know more about each other and it’s more likely that there will be less friction. That applies to India vs. Pakistan, India vs. China, Singapore vs. Indonesia. All of that knowledge and understanding of your fellow Asians has all been changed by satellite television.”

—By Mansha Daswani