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JAKARTA: Media Partners Asia (MPA)’s latest report, Indonesia’s Television Industry: The Next Five Years, forecasts that revenue from Indonesia’s TV sector will grow at a CAGR of 18 percent by 2016, reaching $3.3 billion. Free TV is expected to contributed $2.5 billion, while pay TV contributes $0.8 billion. Net advertising revenues will …

TOKYO: Commemorating the one-year anniversary of the tsunami disaster in Japan, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific (DNAP) is giving international premieres to the finished films from its Rebuilding Japan initiative. Launched on April, 26, 2011, the Rebuilding Japan project features documentaries from local filmmakers about Japan’s efforts to recover from the devastation …

BEIJING: The creative team behind the hit series Gossip Girl is partnering with Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP), China’s Mei Tian Mei Yu and H&R Century TV, in conjunction with Metan Development Group, to develop a modern teen drama set in China. Metan and WBITVP will provide consultation on …

SINGAPORE: Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia is rebranding the AXN Beyond channel as beTV across Asia, starting April 2. beTV will feature an expanded content lineup and new on- and off-air look and feel. The slate will include the Rob Schneider sitcom Rob, the reality show I Get That A …

HONG KONG: Season two of The Walking Dead returns to FOX Movies Premium in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia on March 9, and will be back for a third season later this year of 16 fresh episodes. The Walking Dead‘s season two premiere in the U.S. delivered 7.3 million viewers …

HONG KONG: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has licensed the crime drama Unforgettable to several broadcasters across the Asia-Pacific region, including WOWOW in Japan, STAR in India and TVNZ in New Zealand. Unforgettable will premiere on May 8 on STAR, this summer on WOWOW and later this year on TVNZ. The …

BEIJING/SHANGHAI: China’s two leading online video services are combining forces, as Youku is buying rival Tudou in a deal valued at more than $1 billion. Youku is planning to acquire the smaller competitor Tudou Holding in an all-stock deal, worth approximately $1 billion. The merger is expected to close in …

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian iOS game Lightopus, developed by AppXplore, is available for the iPod, iPhone and iPad platform on a worldwide basis. Only a few days out, Lightopus is already on the Top 100 Games in the US AppStore portal. It is available initially in English, Spanish, French, Italian …

SYDNEY: Rory Callaghan, formerly the CEO of Southern Star, is joining Shine Australia in the newly created role of executive director. Callaghan will report to Mark Fennessy, the president of Shine Network and CEO of Shine Australia, and Matt Campbell, managing director. His remit will include oversight for the catalogue of Shine …

MUMBAI: Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific (DNAP) is to launch Discovery Kids in the region, starting with India, Indonesia and the Philippines. The target audience for Discovery Kids is 4- to 12-year-olds and their parents, with the core target audience being kids 7 to 10 years old. Content highlights from Discovery Kids …