Rupert Murdoch’s satcaster Star TV is buying more ammunition in its Chinese-language program battle with Television Broadcasts Ltd. via a new three-year deal with Hong Kong broadcaster Asia Television Ltd.
The two companies said their pact, announced Monday, marks the beginning of long-term cooperation for programming and co-productions. The agreement supersedes a previous program supply deal made in 1991 (when Star was wholly owned by the Li Ka-shing family) that foundered due to a contractual dispute.
Star will acquire from Asia TV more than 1,000 hours annually of primetime dramas and special programs, dubbed into Mandarin. Asia TV will provide dubbing and other facilities for Star.
The two entities will co-produce no fewer than 40 hours of quality dramas per year, broadcast simultaneously (Asia TV will show them in Hong Kong in Cantonese , Star in Mandarin).
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This represents a further step in Star’s evolution into a web of regional broadcasters, targeting each major cultural group with locally produced programming in its own language.
“Our viewers have spoken. We have listened. And now we continue to deliver on our promise to give them the best entertainment in Asia,” said Star chief exec Gary Davey.
Equal share
Davey claimed that Asia TV-produced programming in China achieves an audience share “roughly equal” to that of TVB.
Lim Por Yen, Asia TV CEO, said the pact will help to strengthen Asia TV’s production capabilities and generate more income through marketing its programs outside Hong Kong to China and Southeast Asia.
Star is beefing up its Chinese-language channel in competition with Hong Kong-based rival TVB. Star bought a library of more than 570 Chinese films from Raymond Chow’s Golden Harvest group and recently inked a licensing deal for more than 50 pictures to be produced over the next three years by Hong Kong’s Media Asia Films.
