FEATURES
Astro ups channels game, Moving Visuals enters new space
03 November 2014
3 November 2014: When new factual channel Spark Asia goes up in early 2015, Malaysia's pay-TV platform Astro takes yet another step into a future that may be Malaysia-based but has a very definite global angle.Astro is backing the new pan-Asia/global documentary channel in partnership with Singapore-based production house, Moving Visuals International, and European factualentertainment joint venture, Spark GmbH.The new all-HD channel launches with a lineup of Asian and global HD content available as a linear service with digital add-ons.Global content, including science, tech, exploration, history, nature and wildlife, will be sourced from Spark JV partners – Autentic, a joint venture of Jan Mojto's Beta Film and Spark chief executive Patrick Hoerl, and ZDF Enterprises, the commercial arm of German broadcaster ZDF.Spark Asia will also drive a strong local production initiative, including training for documentary producers on the ground across Asia.The partners say the new channel will "promote knowledge, celebrate Asian values and traditions and bring Asia to the world in an exciting way".Astro chief executive, Rohana Rozhan, says Spark Asia is "not a Malaysian channel, or a Singapore channel", but a global factual channel with an Asian perspective. Specific titles have not yet been disclosed, but Rozhan says the channel will involve acquisitions as well as original content."A lot of the ZDF content has not been exploited in Asia," she adds. The original productions with production partner Moving Visuals "are an opportunity to own IP relevant to global consumers," she says.Moving Visual's managing director and executive producer, Khim Loh, says the local original content slate will involve a broad base of production expertise in Asia. Spark is Moving Visuals' first channels venture.The production house's titles include Undercover Asia: Cyber Casanovas, which exp...
3 November 2014: When new factual channel Spark Asia goes up in early 2015, Malaysia's pay-TV platform Astro takes yet another step into a future that may be Malaysia-based but has a very definite global angle.Astro is backing the new pan-Asia/global documentary channel in partnership with Singapore-based production house, Moving Visuals International, and European factualentertainment joint venture, Spark GmbH.The new all-HD channel launches with a lineup of Asian and global HD content available as a linear service with digital add-ons.Global content, including science, tech, exploration, history, nature and wildlife, will be sourced from Spark JV partners – Autentic, a joint venture of Jan Mojto's Beta Film and Spark chief executive Patrick Hoerl, and ZDF Enterprises, the commercial arm of German broadcaster ZDF.Spark Asia will also drive a strong local production initiative, including training for documentary producers on the ground across Asia.The partners say the new channel will "promote knowledge, celebrate Asian values and traditions and bring Asia to the world in an exciting way".Astro chief executive, Rohana Rozhan, says Spark Asia is "not a Malaysian channel, or a Singapore channel", but a global factual channel with an Asian perspective. Specific titles have not yet been disclosed, but Rozhan says the channel will involve acquisitions as well as original content."A lot of the ZDF content has not been exploited in Asia," she adds. The original productions with production partner Moving Visuals "are an opportunity to own IP relevant to global consumers," she says.Moving Visual's managing director and executive producer, Khim Loh, says the local original content slate will involve a broad base of production expertise in Asia. Spark is Moving Visuals' first channels venture.The production house's titles include Undercover Asia: Cyber Casanovas, which explores "the brazen world of international cyber criminals who trawl dating sites for single career women", based on real cases; and Making Mao, which looks at the people and events responsible for the massive propaganda campaign that made Mao Zedong a star.Autentic's latest catalogue includes titles such as Vietnam – The World Won't Forget, which marks the 40th anniversary in 2015 of the end of the war in Vietnam. The documentary tells the story of the conflict from the perspective of those who experienced it, including entries from the diary of a young North Vietnamese doctor murdered in 1970 interspersed with interview accounts from contemporary eye witnesses.Autentic Distribution's Little Train, which offers a view of China, is part of the travel slate. The show reports from mountainous regions famous for pandas and earthquakes, where the most important means of transport is a decrepit steam locomotive that once transported coal and now brings kids to school, commuters to work and pigs to market. Another travel title is Fascinating India, which goes behind northern India's exotic facade. Fascinating India is filmed in 3D and 4K.Astro's Rozhan, speaking during the Spark Asia launch at Mipcom in Cannes in October, said there was a "huge opportunity in Asian factual content that resonates not only with audiences in Asia but around the world"."In line with our strength in the creation of IPs and content brands, we believe that the aggregation of Asian-centric stories and factual content in an Asian-branded documentary channel is timely and has tremendous potential," she said, adding, "This joint venture with like-minded partners enables Astro to take a stake in content that will resonate in Asia and around the world"."There is a huge opportunity in Asian factual content that resonates not only with audiences in Asia but around the world." Rohana Rozhan, Chief Executive Officer, Astro.