Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) November 2018 Volume 35, Issue 10 | Page 2

2 EDITORIAL FAANG, friend or foe – be friendly to everyone The entry of technology giants Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google, commonly known as FAANG, is being regarded by many as a threat to traditional TV operators, while some believe that it can lead to collaboration to offer consumers a wider choice of viewing experiences. There is no doubt that the new entrants with deep pockets and better resources will drive up competition for eyeballs and this will benefit con- sumers in terms of quality and choice. In fact, the rise of FAANG is forcing exist- ing media companies to merge or to go on an acquisition trail to gain size and scale, as noted in our front-page report. For example, in Europe, the launch of Salto, an SVoD platform, is seen as a collaboration to push back against the new entrants; two companies in Germany have come together to expand the country’s mobile video and over-the-top (OTT) businesses. While platforms, channels and different view- ing options continue to multiply, one thing re- mains key. Compelling content is still king, where audiences are concerned. And great content that can cross borders while retaining its imprimatur requires talent. Here Brit- ish public service broadcaster BBC leads the way. Back in November 2017, it merged its BBC World- wide with BBC Studios, thereby strengthening its main programme production arm with content financing, sales and other commercial operations into a single business operating unit. The realignment transforms BBC Studios into a global content company creating, financing and distributing films, TV series, kids programmes, documentaries and short forms. Albeit, it is still a “big small” global player, according to Tim Davie, CEO of BBC Studios, ex- plaining: “It is happening to a lot of broadcasters within the market where they feel very ‘big’ in their own space, but actually this game has completely Stay connected to changed — it’s utterly global.” And the BBC’s strategy is to stay focused on its trusted brand of British intellectual property (IP), and to attract and retain its talent pool to produce content that generates international interest. Keith Underwood, COO of Channel 4, a British public service TV broadcaster, also agreed that as change intensifies, the only constant is that great content will continue to be a critical factor. A company that welcomes the entrance of tech giants like Facebook into the media and entertainment industry is HOOQ, a video-on- demand (VoD) streaming service. Its CEO, Peter Bithos, believes that Facebook will “quicken the pace of the evolution of the OTT category in Asia” and that the success of Facebook will also educate more consumers about OTT. The bottom line as competition hots up is that everyone needs friends, be it for life or work. Hav- ing good allies opens up new opportunities that allow media companies to take their business to greater heights. Or, as Underwood advised attendees in his opening keynote speech during IBC2018: “It is entirely possible that many of the speakers could leave Amsterdam on Monday as colleagues rather than competitors. So be careful when going around the halls; you never know, you might just be speaking to your next boss!” Friend or foe, be friendly to everyone. November 2018 (volume 35 issue 10) EDITORIAL managing editor Shawn Liew, [email protected] contributing editor (technology) Karl K Rossiter, [email protected] news editor Josephine Tan, [email protected] CORRESPONDENTS ■ India Shirish Nadkarni, [email protected] ■ USA Mike Feazel, [email protected] PRODUCTION production editor Zuraini Ridzwan, [email protected] junior sub-editor Eva Meango, [email protected] senior multimedia designer Raymund Jaudian, [email protected] ad/office administrator Irene Lok, [email protected] accounts manager Tan Hui Min, [email protected] MARKETING chief marketing officer Kylie Chua, [email protected] director - sales & marketing Jessie Tan, [email protected] manager - sales & marketing Mark Ng, [email protected] senior executive - sales & marketing Joey Moh, [email protected] CIRCULATION & PROMOTIONS Kylie Chua, [email protected] PUBLISHING publisher/editorial director Andrew Yeo, [email protected] MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES ■ China Yang Ou BEIJING BUNCH EXHIBITION SERVICES LTD Room 501/B1, Thunis Development Building, No. 11 Huixin East Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [email protected] ■ Japan Mikio Tsuchiya WORLD MEDIA SERVICES INC 3-35-1-302, Hongodai, Sakae-Ku, Yokohama 247-0008 Tel/Fax: [phone] E-mail: [email protected] JOSEPHINE TAN NEWS EDITOR ■ USA & Canada Gary L Rhodes SEDOR MEDIA INC 45 Florence Avenue, Leonardo, NJ 07737, USA Tel: [phone] E-mail: [email protected] APB PANELLISTS Asia-Pacific Broadcasting is published by: Editec International Pte Ltd 61 Tai Seng Avenue #05-01 Print Media Hub @ Paya Lebar iPark Singapore 534167 Tel: [phone] www.apb-news.com Editec International Find us on Facebook n www.facebook.com/APBnews Get Twitter updates n www.twitter.com/APB_News Dr Peter Siebert Executive Director The DVB Project Stan Moote CTO IABM Andrew Anderson Head of Broadcast Operations Seven Network (Operations) Ltd Pte Ltd All rights reserved. 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