http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20100514-216158.html
Group raps MDA over media code
Fri, May 14, 2010
my paper
BY JOY FANG
A REGIONAL pay-TV group has slammed the Government's recent amendments mandating the cross-carriage of exclusive content, saying it violates international trade and intellectual-property treaties.
In a strongly-worded statement yesterday, the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) said the move hurts Singapore's investment environment and deprives "content owners and creators of their freedom to negotiate contracts in a competitive market".
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Ultimately, they "violate Singapore's international commitments to the likes of the World Trade Organisation and World Intellectual Property Organisation copyright agreements", said the Hong Kong-based group.
It said the pace of investment in creative content, additional channels and technological advances, such as high-definition TV, could be shut off if providers cannot negotiate free and fair contracts and conditions.
Mr Simon Twiston Davies, Casbaa's chief executive officer, told my paper via e-mail that, ultimately, consumers will suffer as the ruling discourages content distributors from offering new and improved products.
The ruling, announced by Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew on March 12, stated that all exclusive content deals signed from that day would have to be carried by other pay-TV operators. This came about after SingTel nabbed the exclusive contract to broadcast English Premier League games from StarHub last October.
Content owners have been up in arms over the ruling because they might not get the best deals out of competitive bids and maximise revenues.
Instead of cross-sharing, the Media Development Authority (MDA) could regulate the pay-TV market by expanding its list of must-carry events, which currently include five sporting events exempt from these exclusive deals, suggested Casbaa.
Also, complaints about multiple set-top boxes for different telcos would be resolved by the development of a common set-top box, said Casbaa.
"The Government and the regulator, the MDA, have made a serious miscalculation of the damage to Singapore's economic interests through this excessively broad regulatory decision," said Mr Twiston Davis.
In response, a SingTel spokesman said it is supportive of MDA's mandatory cross-carriage ruling. "We believe that the new regulations will level the playing field and disagree it will impede technological advancement," she said.
A StarHub spokesman said its objective is "to ensure the new cross-carriage regime is workable and that it allows us to deliver benefits to our customers".
Ms Eileen Ang, head (competition and market access) of development policy at the MDA, said yesterday its cross-carriage measure "aims to make content more widely available, reduce inconvenience to consumers and encourage more innovative services", adding that it expects "an even more vibrant pay-TV market".
[email protected]
Group raps MDA over media code
Fri, May 14, 2010
my paper
BY JOY FANG
A REGIONAL pay-TV group has slammed the Government's recent amendments mandating the cross-carriage of exclusive content, saying it violates international trade and intellectual-property treaties.
In a strongly-worded statement yesterday, the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) said the move hurts Singapore's investment environment and deprives "content owners and creators of their freedom to negotiate contracts in a competitive market".
Click here to find out more!
Ultimately, they "violate Singapore's international commitments to the likes of the World Trade Organisation and World Intellectual Property Organisation copyright agreements", said the Hong Kong-based group.
It said the pace of investment in creative content, additional channels and technological advances, such as high-definition TV, could be shut off if providers cannot negotiate free and fair contracts and conditions.
Mr Simon Twiston Davies, Casbaa's chief executive officer, told my paper via e-mail that, ultimately, consumers will suffer as the ruling discourages content distributors from offering new and improved products.
The ruling, announced by Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew on March 12, stated that all exclusive content deals signed from that day would have to be carried by other pay-TV operators. This came about after SingTel nabbed the exclusive contract to broadcast English Premier League games from StarHub last October.
Content owners have been up in arms over the ruling because they might not get the best deals out of competitive bids and maximise revenues.
Instead of cross-sharing, the Media Development Authority (MDA) could regulate the pay-TV market by expanding its list of must-carry events, which currently include five sporting events exempt from these exclusive deals, suggested Casbaa.
Also, complaints about multiple set-top boxes for different telcos would be resolved by the development of a common set-top box, said Casbaa.
"The Government and the regulator, the MDA, have made a serious miscalculation of the damage to Singapore's economic interests through this excessively broad regulatory decision," said Mr Twiston Davis.
In response, a SingTel spokesman said it is supportive of MDA's mandatory cross-carriage ruling. "We believe that the new regulations will level the playing field and disagree it will impede technological advancement," she said.
A StarHub spokesman said its objective is "to ensure the new cross-carriage regime is workable and that it allows us to deliver benefits to our customers".
Ms Eileen Ang, head (competition and market access) of development policy at the MDA, said yesterday its cross-carriage measure "aims to make content more widely available, reduce inconvenience to consumers and encourage more innovative services", adding that it expects "an even more vibrant pay-TV market".
[email protected]
