Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) September 2017 Volume 34, Issue 7

www.apb-news.com NEWS & VIEWS W O R L D I N B R I E F Facebook to launch new video platform SVoD a hit Down Under SYDNEY – Australians are flock- ing to subscription-video-on- demand (SVoD) services, reaching 3.7 million at end-June 2017, a year-on-year increase of 30%, reported Telsyte, a technology analyst firm. Telsyte also pre- dicted that SVoD subscriptions in Australia are on track to overtake traditional pay-TV subscribers by June 2018. VR ushers new era of immersive content NEW YORK – 360-degree video, virtual reality (VR), interactive and immersive content formats will generate US$6-billion worth of revenue by 2020, according to ABI Research, who also pointed out how producers, content owners and distributors are experiment- ing with new media and creative tools. 6 CREATION 20 MANAGEMENT 26 | SEPTEMBER 2017 | VOLUME 34 | ISSUE 7 DISTRIBUTION X-PLATFORM 30 34 Critical to ‘air-gap’ network and content by shawn liew AMSTERDAM – While many may strive towards a digital utopia, is the world also, as an unwanted consequence, heading towards an era of cyber insecurity? The recent global ransomware attack left many companies para- lysed, and the recent cyberattack on HBO is hardly the first time broadcast and media companies have been targeted by hackers. A paradigm shift is occurring in response to the spate of global data breaches that are decimating consumer trust and undermining commercial brands, said Cameron Brown (@AnalyticalCyber), who is a cyber defence adviser and information security strategist, as well as a lawyer and digital forensic investigator. SAN FRANCISCO – Facebook has announced Watch, which will allow users to watch live or recorded videos around specific themes and storylines. The social media platform is also reportedly ready to bid for video rights from exclusive rights holder Fox Sports, for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 7 NEWS & VIEWS September 2017 The recent cyberattack on HBO highlights the critical need for broadcasters to be more vigilant in protecting key digital media assets from hackers. He told APB: “Corporations and governments who understand the new status quo are investing heavily in dedicated governance structures, integrated security architecture, identity and access management, data loss preven- tion, threat intelligence and de- ployment of security operations centres to mitigate vulnerabilities and bolster resilience.” Broadcasters, he added, would be well advised to adopt these holistic approaches to secure infor- mational assets and equip in-house security teams with tools needed to extend visibility across data repositories, systems and critical infrastructure. And in this instance, size does not matter, as Brown explained: “As with all industries, the capacity of broadcasters to fend off cyber threats is mixed and varied. It is not necessarily the case that larger broadcasters are better equipped — rather, it boils down to the de- gree of visibility and sponsorship that information security has at a board level.” 8 8 BBC upholds its ‘trusted source of news’ principle LONDON – The digital age has irrevocably altered the paradigm from which news is consumed. As platforms to access news — mainstream or oth- erwise — continue to emerge, are viewers and consumers able to effectively separate the signal from the noise? Globally, the spread of ‘fake news’ has been an issue over the past year, Jim Egan, chief exe­cutive, BBC Global News, told APB. Citing a recent BBC study, he pointed out that in Asia-Pacific, three quarters of news consumers are concerned about fake news and two-thirds struggle to distinguish real news from fake news. Egan continued: “In a world in which there is an ever-thickening ‘information smog’ of false facts and filter bubbles, the digital age means it is increasingly likely that people will only see one side of any story.” As much of the content in social media feeds is chosen by algorithms, rather than real life curation and moderation by a human being, bias is also likely to set in. “It’s easy for people to consume a diet of news 8 8 BBC Global News’ Jim Egan: “In a world in which there is an ever-thickening ‘information smog’ of false facts and filter bubbles, the digital age means it is increasingly likely that people will only see one side of any story.” Ge ng i nt o I P i s ea s y wi t h L ea di ng t he mov e t o I P . Mor e i nf o a t www. embr i oni x . c om www. i dea l s y s . c om