| MUMBAI:
The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) has applauded
a decision taken by Singapore's minister for information, communication and the
arts (MICA) Lee Boon Yang to refrain from intervention in exclusive carriage agreements
in the country's pay-TV industry. Casbaa
CEO Simon Twiston Davies says, "We welcome the Singapore government's decision.
The right to contract between parties for premium and exclusive content is part
of the bedrock of the global pay-TV industry. "The
Mica decision is the way ahead for digital media, as new channels of delivery
open new vistas for consumers," Davies says. He
also noted that the recent launch of SingTel’s long-awaited IPTV service
has resulted in the announcement of several additional pay-TV channel offerings
for Singapore consumers. Meanwhile,
statistics from Hong Kong - where exclusive carriage agreements are permitted
and four pay-TV providers compete for consumer dollars - also demonstrate a rapid
increase in the range of content on offer to consumers. International "best
practice" always encourages exclusivity, permitting pay-TV content providers
and platform operators to differentiate their products. "Exclusive
content is an important competitive tool and Singapore is poised to see similar
growth to that experienced in Hong Kong," he says. In
making his decision, minister Lee supported a ruling by the Media Development
Authority (MDA) made after three years of study on the impact of exclusive carriage
contracts.
Twiston Davies adds, "Government intervention in contractual arrangements
can restrict this important competitive feature, resulting in less investment
and – in the long run — less consumer choice. We hope to see similar
policy decisions to that taken in Singapore implemented in other Asian countries."
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