Your Excellencies,
Mr Paul Beh,
President, Asia-Pacific, Reed Exhibitions,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
1. Good morning and a warm welcome to all participants to the 11th Asia Television Forum or ATF in short.
2. Hosted by the Media Development Authority of Singapore, ATF has grown to become a vital platform for the industry to forge international business networks and explore collaborations and opportunities in television over the past eleven years.
About Asia Television Forum
3. Last year, ATF 2009 secured close to US$88 million worth of programming sales, an increase of 20% from 2008. This year, more than 2,600 participants will participate in ATF 2010. We also welcome the debut of country pavilions from China, Finland and Japan. In total, 50 countries are represented at ATF this year. With increased representation from both countries and participants, we can look forward to ATF’s continued success.
4. With the rising economies in this region and the opportunities presented by a rapidly increasing base of content consumers, the importance of Asia as a market and its influence on global media productions continues to grow. More than ever before, the global television industry is looking to the Asia-Pacific region to lead international growth. For instance, American research firm In-Stat1 projects that the Asia-Pacific region will account for more than half of the world’s pay-TV subscriber population2. ATF represents an excellent opportunity for companies from all over the world to come together and view first-hand the best of what Asian television has to offer.
Mediapolis@one-north as a Holistic Media Eco-System
5. Let me share with you some industry developments which I believe reinforces Singapore’s position as a key media player in the region. In 2008, we announced the development of Mediapolis@one-north, a 19-hectare innovation facility which is set to significantly bolster Singapore’s media landscape. When completed in 2020, it will be Singapore’s first digital media hub where creative talents live, work and play in a synergistic environment, contributing to our economic growth, generating high-value jobs and producing exciting content.
6. I am pleased to announce that MediaCorp, Singapore’s national broadcaster, will be relocating to Mediapolis@one-north. MediaCorp will occupy 1.5 hectares of land area in Mediapolis and will be a key anchor tenant of Mediapolis. The move is expected to entice both local and overseas media businesses across the value chain – from creation, production and post-production – to also establish a presence in Mediapolis to participate in the many collaborative projects that will arise. With its relocation, MediaCorp could also extend its new-built facilities and services, such as studios and equipment, to other production houses for greater synergies and possible cost benefits. I look forward to MediaCorp’s relocation to Mediapolis and its further contributions to the growth of Singapore’s media landscape.
7. Let me now move on to the infocomm capabilities in Mediapolis. The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has developed a media ICT blueprint to guide the industry to provide holistic ICT design, implementation and service delivery. This has the aim of developing Mediapolis as a world-class, globally connected and self-sustaining media ICT ecosystem. Based on this media ICT blueprint, IDA is launching a Request for Information, or RFI, to invite industry players to submit proposals to co-develop the media ICT services at Mediapolis which includes a high-speed media centric campus-wide network and media ICT enabling services. Examples of these services include high density media storage, 3D workflow production management and services for media business analytics.
8. Media ICT services at Mediapolis, such as those that I have mentioned, will be an added value proposition to attract local and international content companies looking to establish a presence in the region. In this respect, ICT will act as a critical enabler for the creation, management, protection and distribution of digital content to reach clients and consumers through multiple platforms and markets.
Local Collaboration and International Co-Productions
9. In parallel with these significant developments in the local media ecosystem and infrastructure, I am also pleased to share with you today a series of announcements that will boost content creation.
10. MDA has been working closely with local media companies to spearhead the development of made-in-Singapore content across different platforms. To help drive further industry momentum in this area, MDA and MediaCorp will be collaborating to support local independent production companies in creating original content exclusively for online viewing.
11. MDA will co-invest up to 50% of the production budget of selected projects. These productions will be distributed on MediaCorp's xinmsn online video platform, and selected projects will also be promoted through MediaCorp's media network. The benefits of this initiative are multifold and are shared among production companies, advertisers and end-consumers. Firstly, it provides a legitimate and dedicated digital channel through which local production companies can distribute their content to viewers. Secondly, advertisers will have a new medium to deliver impactful and innovative marketing campaigns. Thirdly, online viewers will have a wider range of local entertainment content to select from.
12. To take Singapore content even further to other parts of the world, MDA and its UK partner, South West Screen, will launch the second iteration of the MDA - South West Screen Multi-Platform Content Across Continents Initiative today. The initiative is aimed at fostering greater partnerships between media enterprises in Singapore and the UK, to create innovative and engaging digital content. From now till February next year, media companies from both countries will have the opportunity to cultivate closer working relationships and embark on a series of industry exchange activities organised by the MDA and South West Screen. They will also be able to participate in a Call-for-Proposal that will be launched in February next year.
13. MDA and South West Screen will select up to five projects and provide development funds of up to £10,000 each. These projects will see the creation of interactive video programmes for distribution on new media platforms.
14. This is an exciting time for Singapore as we reach new milestones in the development of the local media landscape. In closing, I would like to thank all participants for your continued support and trust that you will have a fruitful time at ATF 2010. To all overseas delegates, I wish you a pleasant and enjoyable stay in Singapore. Thank you.
[1] In-Stat is part of the Reed Electronics Group, a division of Reed Elsevier (www.reedelsevier.com), a world-leading publisher and information provider.
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