No more pay-TV venture in Indonesia

0

KUALA LUMPUR: Pay-TV operator Astro All Asia Networks Plc (Astro) does not see any possibility to restart another pay-TV venture in Indonesia, following the discontinuation of PT Direct Vision (PTDV).

Astro says it will continue to look at the right opportunity to invest in the region

Datuk Rohana Rozhan

Datuk Rohana Rozhan

PTDV was Astro’s satellite TV broadcast venture with a major Indonesian conglomerate Lippo Group, headed by corporate mogul James Riady.

“We have no plan towards that at the moment, that’s all I can say,” said Astro’s chief executive officer Datuk Rohana Rozhan when met by The Borneo Post last Tuesday.

Around early March, Astro won a US$230 million (RM768.2 million) award from Singapore International Arbitration Centre pertaining to its claims from the failed venture.

It was also noted that Astro had written off around RM1.16 billion over the past few years relating to its investment in PTDV. However, Rohana also pointed out that the company would continue to look at the right opportunity to invest in the region, in line with its core expertise.

“From Astro’s perspective, our core expertise lies in running platforms like pay-TV and radio, as well as contents. This also includes languages namely Malay, English as well as Chinese and Indian dialects.

“We always have operations and businesses outside Malaysia related to our core expertise whether it’s in India via our joint-venture, our Celestial channel’s content from Hong Kong or even in Indonesia through radio broadcast affiliations as well as TV, in terms of free-to-air,” she added.

On the outlook of Astro’s high-definition (HD) platform B.yond and its latest offering B.yond PVR (Personal Video Recorder) in East Malaysia, Rohana believed that there would definitely be a high acceptance level, particularly in the urban town centres.

“Astro B.yond is premised on value proposition that is moving up towards experience and value curve to customers. At the same time, it will also pose a challenge for Astro to innovate in terms of bringing relevant content and experience to customers.

“But so far, the responses have been encouraging since we launched the B.yond platform last December. On this, I hope that it will closely mirror the 70-80 per cent level seen globally of both HD and PVRs,” she said.

Furthermore, Rohana revealed there would be much excitement in store for B.yond subscribers this year, especially for sports enthusiasts. This would be in line with Astro’s expectation of further growing its sports package’s customer base, which accounted for over half of its current total subscriber base of close to three million.

“For the first time ever, all the 64 matches in the upcoming World Cup will be in HD. Adding to this, we’ll also be having this content not only in English but in Malay through Astro Arena, as well as in Cantonese via our Wah Lai Toi channel.

“This is a huge year for sports. We started off in May with the Thomas Cup and apart from the Fifa World Cup, there’ll be the Commonwealth Games.

“If there’s a more appropriate time to switch to HD, now is the time,” she enthused.