GECs
Hong Kong’s Pay TV piracy civil action settled out-of-court
MUMBAI: A success story in the war against the cable pirate. Only it is far removed from Indian shores.
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa), representing 120 member companies has confirmed that civil actions in Hong Kong against the firms for allegedly importing and trading in unlicensed satellite TV signal decoding equipment have been settled.
An out-of court settlement was reached yesterday in the ongoing legal tussle between plaintiffs Star, CNN, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, ESPN Star Sports, Discovery Asia and NGC Network Asia and defendants Alpha Communications Technology Ltd and Andy Yeung Chun Wah.
Both defendants admitted to the charges and paid an undisclosed sum in damages, a Casbaa release says.
Both firms have been restrained by a court injunction from importing into Hong Kong and selling any “smart cards” or decoders that are obtained from distributors in territories outside of Hong Kong. They also had to surrender all the smart cards and pay-TV decoders in their possession. The retail supplier in Thailand who sold the cards has also been identified, the release says.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
