Budiey
The digitization of the broadcasting and entertainment industry in Malaysia presents enormous opportunities for the various delivery platforms to thrive and acquire viewerships.
This was among the key arguments as about 500 participants representing key industry players came together for a special seminar discussing the prospects of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Malaysia and how the digital revolution would impact viewership, advertising spend, business as well as revenue opportunities, here Wednesday.
The one-day seminar, aptly called ‘Planet Digital Episode 2: Exploring a New World’, featured renowned and high-profile industry spokespersons and thought leaders from Malaysia and abroad. It was organised by MYTV Broadcasting Sdn Bhd, the implementer of the DTT project in Malaysia.
“As the country gears up for the full migration to DTT by 2017, it is crucial that industry players and key stakeholders be equipped with the relevant knowledge on DTT and the many ways to seize the vast opportunities brought about by the broadcasting evolution. As we move closer to achieving the nation’s DTT goals, MYTV is pleased to be providing a platform where industry players could come together to share their views, knowledge and experience. It is also an excellent avenue for both potential and existing players to explore new ways of income-generating opportunities or even a new business model to sustain their businesses,” said Haniza Ros Nasaruddin, the Chief Commercial Officer of MYTV.
Planet Digital Episode 2 was designed to cater to specific needs of major industry players that cover existing and potential broadcasters, channel owners, content providers, advertisers and advertising agencies, Ministries and Government agencies as well corporations and organisations.
EXPLORING DTT POTENTIALS INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSS HOW VARIOUS PLATFORMS COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER THROUGH DIGITISATION
A sequel to the first of the Planet Digital trilogy series held in February, speakers at the seminar included Ahmad Izham Omar, CEO Television Networks, Media Prima Berhad; Jeremy Kung, TM’s Executive Vice President, New Media & CEO of TM Net; Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of iflix Malaysia; Benjamin Ting, Executive Director of Nielsen Malaysia; Manoj Menon, Managing Director, Asia Pacific & Senior Partner of Frost & Sullivan; Anne Chan, General Manager of Life Inspired TV Asia; Azlan Rudy Malik, COO of 1Malaysia For Youth; as well as MYTV’s very own Chief Operating Officer Mohamed Redzwan Yahya.
Junjiro Saito of Nippon TV Japan; Mikko Karppinen, Director of Icareus Limited, Finland; Patrick Tong, Managing Director of Mei Ah Entertainment Group, Hong Kong; and Ms Ling Pek Ling, Project Director at the Media Development Authority of Singapore shared insights and experience of their respective countries in DTT migration.
“With a line-up of well-respected industry leaders to share their experience and bounce ideas with the participants, we are anticipating a highly-charged seminar that would provide invaluable insights into the DTT transformation, its challenges and opportunities, impact to the viewers and the ecosystem as well as the potential of its features and services,” added Haniza Ros.
Discussing funding opportunities for content and application developers were Johan Ishak, CEO of MyCreative Ventures; Amiruddin Kemat, Vice President Corporate Planning & Communication at Malaysia Debt Ventures; Hasnul Hadi Samsudin, Director of Creative Multimedia at the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC); and Shahril Anas, Senior Vice President at Malaysia Venture Capital (MAVCAP). Malaysia’s all-time favourite TV personality Wan Zaleha Radzi moderated during the morning’s main session.
With the DTT transformation, Malaysia will join the league of developed countries such as the United States, European countries, Australia and New Zealand, which have fully migrated to the DTT system. Through DTT, Malaysians irrespective of their household locality, will be able to enjoy and embrace various lifestyle enhancements through information and education services provided by a wide variety of broadcast channels.
When the DTT services are officially launched in Malaysia next year, users and viewers will not only enjoy free digital quality terrestrial TV transmission, but also in terms of channel variety as well as a wide range of lifestyle services including online shopping and education.
MYTV has been appointed by the Government of Malaysia to develop and operate the infrastructure and network facilities for DTT services in Malaysia in order to migrate the national broadcasting system from analogue to digital by 2017. The DTT infrastructure and network facilities includes a digital multimedia hub and a network of high, medium and low-powered digital TV transmitters that are capable of carrying and supplying up to 80 digital TV channels which includes both standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) channels.
The DTT services will be officially rolled out covering up to 85 percent of the population by early next year, followed by the second phase that includes an increase in coverage of up to 98 percent by mid-2016.
About MYTV Broadcasting Sdn Bhd
MYTV has been awarded the license by the Government to develop and manage the infrastructure and network facilities for DTT services in Malaysia, which is to realise the migration of analogue terrestrial broadcasting to digital throughout the country by 2017. MYTV will be responsible to develop DTT infrastructure and network facilities, which include a digital multimedia hub and a network of high, medium and low-powered digital TV transmitters that are capable of carrying up to 80 digital TV channels comprising of both standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD). The initiative is under the purview of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, and monitored by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is the regulating body supervising the project. For further information regarding MYTV, please visit www.mytvbroadcasting.my.
