2 EDITORIAL

January / February 2016 ( volume 33 issue 1 )

EDITORIAL managing editor Shawn Liew , shawn @ editecintl . com contributing editor Millette Manalo-Burgos , millette @ editecintl . com contributing editor ( technology ) Karl K Rossiter , karl @ editecintl . com

CORRESPONDENTS

■ India Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk

■ USA Mike Feazel , mfeazel @ gmail . com

A groundswell of optimism surrounds the broadcast industry , as we usher in a new year that promises to be challenging and rewarding in equal measure .

The news from Geneva that WRC-15 has agreed against the opening up of more sub-700MHz band spectrum to mobile services brought Christmas cheers to many in the industry . The agreement ensures that the 470-694MHz band ( in ITU Region 1 ) and the 470-698MHz band ( in ITU Regions 2 and 3 ) remain predominately preserved for terrestrial TV services .

Of course , this is not permanently binding , as the WRC meeting scheduled for 2023 will review spectrum use in the entire UHF band . Theoretically though , WRC-15 has created a win-win scenario , as the decision was also taken to expand the 694- 790MHz band from a regionally harmonised band in Regions 2 and 3 , to also make this spectrum available for mobile broadband in Region 1 .

However , broadcasters need to take advantage of the opportunities presented by WRC-15 ’ s decision to push ahead to formulate definitive plans that will allow them to remain relevant for the next decade ; it is highly conceivable that leading up to WRC-23 , the mobile industry will once again be lobbying very hard for spectrum in the UHF band .

In the interim , the WRC-15 ruling will ensure that broadcasters , particularly those in Asia-Pacific , will now be able to proceed with their migration to digital terrestrial TV with greater peace of mind , and explore the implementation of other services , such as 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ), which is likely to continue to hog the limelight in 2016 .

Traditionally , major sporting events have been great test-beds for technology trials around the world . From that perspective , 2016 is shaping up to be a pivotal year , as the 2016 Summer Olympics will take place in Brazil this August , while France will host football ’ s UEFA Euro 2016 from June 10-

July 10 . Viewers in a number of countries can expect 4K / UHD transmissions of their favourites sporting events ( 8K if you are in Japan ), while more proof-ofconcepts and trials can be expected as more broadcasters explore the possibilities of integrating IP into traditional broadcast workflows and infrastructures .

An over-the-top ( OTT ) war could also be brewing in Asia-Pacific , as Netflix continues its aggressive global expansion . Now available in more than 190 countries around the world , Netflix ’ s new Asian launches this year include Singapore , Taiwan , Hong Kong and South Korea — and nobody realistically expects them to stop there .

Add to the mix of Asian OTT players such as iflix and HOOQ , and we may witness a real battle for eyeballs ; 2016 is likely to be filled with a number of challenges for the broadcast industry .

However , as we welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Monkey , Asian broadcasters can continue to stay relevant and prosper by adopting the same agility displayed by one of the most beloved animals in the Chinese zodiac — the agility to react quickly to evolving consumer demands , the agility to adopt technology advancements and the agility to provide differentiators to succeed in an increasingly competitive market .

For all our readers who are celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year this February , the APB team wishes one and all Gong Xi Fa Cai and a prosperous 2016 .

SHAWN LIEW MANAGING EDITOR

PRODUCTION production editor Zuraini Ridzwan , zuraini @ editecintl . com junior sub-editor Genevieve Chan , genevieve @ editecintl . com senior multimedia designer Raymund Jaudian , raymund @ editecintl . com multimedia designer Waldomar Zuniga , waldomar @ editecintl . com ad / office administrator Irene Lok , irene @ editecintl . com accounts executive Tan Hui Min , huimin @ editecintl . com

MARKETING marketing & sales director Jason Lee , jason @ editecintl . com senior sales manager Jessie Tan , jessie @ editecintl . com

CIRCULATION & PROMOTIONS chief community officer Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com

PUBLISHING publisher / editorial director Andrew Yeo , andrew @ editecintl . com

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■ USA & Canada Gary L Rhodes

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