Our new section – NO BLINKS – is where we’re logging what’s bubbling, breaking, or just bugging us, from brewing deals and background drama to strategic moves with the potential to (or not) reshape the industry. 

👉 Friday, 11 July 2025: Philippines' media company ABS-CBN bade farewell to its long-loved compound this week. Outpouring of nostalgia, grief and commitment to the values ABS-CBN holds dear flowed thick and fast. John Arcilla said "ABS CBN molded our love for Country and commitment to serve the Filipino people through our Arts and Talents". He described the building as "the space within its four walls which used to be our playground, strength and refuge". "It is easy to fight back the tears which suppose to be flowing on my cheeks. Instead it flowed inward down to my heart as a new inspiration to a new beginning. Yes we will stay. We will always be here, much wider much bigger and stronger," he said. “ABS CBN is in our hearts and Home is where our heart is”

👉 Tuesday, 8 July 2025: Today’s excitement is led by a date – 25 Sept –  for the premiere of the third season of survival drama “Alice in Borderland”, and what’s next for Arisu and Usagi after their S2 return to the real world. S3 (announced in 2023) is one of 13 Japanese titles (seven scripted, four unscripted, two films) Netflix showcased in Feb this year for 2025. We dug out a few things the streamer has to be hoping that the returning series – one of its most-watched Japanese dramas globally – will at least equal if not beat. “Alice in Borderland” became Netflix Japan's most-watched title ever (including anime), after the season two premiere in Dec 2022. In its first week, S2 was on the non-English language global TV top 10 in more than 90 countries, made #1 in 17 and clocked 200 million viewing hours worldwide. Season two topped Netflix’s global non-English TV top 10 with 61.2 million hours viewed (week of 19-25 December), putting the show within a hair’s breadth of the 63 million hours that “Squid Game” was viewed in its first week on the global top 10. “Alice in Borderland” S2 drew the first season back onto the Top 10 for the first time since October 2021, with 18.7 million hours viewed during the week. For the third season, Netflix has promised a drama at an even grander scale. The countdown has begun…

👉 Tuesday, 8 July 2025: Government/public broadcasters love a MoU (and the opportunity to platform a bit of feel-good in the name of stronger bonds and better collaboration, as well as, clearly, to provide a photo op that will contribute to a post-event report to justify existence). This week’s best use of ceremonial tools goes to Korea’s KBS and Italy’s RAI, which “solidified” their “enduring partnership” with a new MoU “reaffirming their strong bond and fostering enhanced collaboration in the evolving global media landscape”. The pair of pubcasters have been allies since 1985 (ie. 40 years), and the MoU opportunity of the moment was the 94th European Broadcasting Union (EBU) General Assembly in London last week. What’s on the table this time? “Cooperative initiatives including programme and personnel exchanges, expert training, and joint participation in events”. KBS’ avowed need was to highlight its “active role in global media”. In their own words: “This MOU underscores KBS' dedication to strengthening its international network and promoting cross-cultural understanding, further solidifying its global standing in public broadcasting”. Nothing in public, of course, about recent youth drama “Kick Kick Kick Kick”, which broke all-time Korean records for low ratings; “Villains Everywhere”, which wasn’t much better (ratings from 1.4% to a high of 2.7%); and Wed/Thu prime-time series, “Pump Up the Healthy Love”, which averaged 1.3% across its run from 30 April to 5 June this year. “The First Night With A Duke”, currently airing in the Wed/Thu prime time drama slot, is faring marginally better at a high of 608,000 viewers for episode 6 (3.3% share), but still pretty sad. Back to the latest MoU… maybe it will help.

👉 Thursday, 3 July 2025: India’s audience measurement could enter free-for-all territory if new policy amendment by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) go through. This week’s high-excitement follows the publication of revisions suggesting restrictions be lifted on who can be involved in Television Rating Agencies. MIB’s proposals were published on Wednesday. The previous guidelines have been in place since January 2014. The new framework would, if approved, strip the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) of its long-held monopoly and allow anyone who wants to back their own systems. There’s mention of avoiding conflicts of interest in the new policy wording. But that’s not mollifying those who think the Ministry’s U-turn is a terrible idea that will, in the words of one insider, “lower the threshold and credibility of audience measurement altogether”. It’s easy here to get lost in the weeds of what BARC is accused of not doing, and what’s needed going forward, but it revolves around panel sizes, representation and cross-platform measurement. Tracking industry response so far, opinion is split between those who believe the revised environment could be a win for transparency IF certain conditions are met and, on the other hand, the potential for complete chaos. The deadline for comments is the first week of August 2025.

👉 Thursday, 3 July 2025: Bangkok-based Miss Universe owner, the JKN Global Group, has appointed Rubporn Promvongsanon as managing director and stripped previous boss, Anne Jakrajutatip, and her second-in-command, Pimauma Angie Jakrajutatip, of their signing powers on company accounts. JKN told the Thai Stock Exchange this week that it was in the process of recruiting a new CEO. The Jakrajutatip sisters were forced to resign in early June following the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accusation of falsifying financials and the referral to the Dept of Special Investigation “for consideration of legal action”. The latest chapter in the long-running drama, comes a little less than a month since the Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) said JKN’s troubles in Thailand would have NO IMPACT on the beauty pageant’s global leadership. MUO said the rumours that Jakrajutatip was stepping down from her MUO role were unfounded. “We categorically deny any reports suggesting a change in leadership within the organisation. Anne Jakrajutatip remains the Chief Executive Officer of the Miss Universe Organisation, and Raúl Rocha continues to serve as President. There have been no modifications to our executive structure,” MUO said. “These rumors are entirely false and do not reflect the internal operations or direction of our organisation,” it added. 

👉 Wednesday, 2 July 2025: Thailand’s turmoil and the future of a high-hype soft power initiative that hasn’t really had a chance to kick in and, despite lots of smiles, charm, celebrity selfies and grand plans involving red carpets and promises, looks like it may be chewed up and spat out at the feet of the latest political theatre. Thailand started pushing its big, shiny dreams of becoming Asia’s next cultural juggernaut – modelled on Korea’s KOCCA and Taiwan’s TAICCA – in early 2024, hanging out the THACCA (Thailand Creativity & Culture Agency) shingle and spreading around glossy presentation decks. At the time, the plan’s chances of working depended upon who you asked. Although optimism ran high, many wondered how the tangle of government organisations and interests could be united behind the sweeping ambitions. Even then, one year and three months ago, the political will for long-term commitment was being closely watched. The notion of “soft power” is neither new nor novel in Thailand; insiders pointed us last year to previous efforts that died with changes in government and shifts in political power. Which brings us to this week… and the suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra yesterday over a leaked phone call with Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which came atop the political deadlock that has been going on for weeks. Will THACCA survive? Who knows… for now, the “Splash Soft Power Forum” – A THACCA-backed four-day “gathering of global thinkers, creators, and dreamers, all fired up about making Thai soft power go global” – goes on. Head over to QSNCC if you’re in Bangkok from 8-11 July.

👉 Wednesday, 2 July 2025: Given the potential blowback, we’re thinking moves don’t come much bolder than this: The Queer Muslim Project’s QueerFrames Screenwriting Lab in partnership with Netflix. The project – South Asia’s first and only screenwriting incubator for early-career LGBTQIA+ filmmakers – champions “bold new voices in South Asian cinema”. According to organisers, the initiative “addresses a critical gap in industry representation by empowering queer storytellers to shape narratives that challenge norms, affirm identities, and drive cultural change”. The aim is to support “bold, intersectional stories rooted in the realities of South Asia”. This year’s lab brings together eight writer-directors from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and the South Asian diaspora. Since its inception, QueerFrames has supported 14 emerging queer filmmakers. The Queer Muslim Project was founded by Rafiul Alom Rahman. Applications for the third edition close on 13 July.

👉 Wednesday, 2 July 2025: The latest in the death-by-a-thousand cuts story of listed entertainment company mm2 Asia/Cathay Cineplexes and its clearly-irate landlords continued this week, when lawyers delivered a statutory demand for back rent/interest totalling approx S$3.5 million/US$2.7 million and a 22 July payment deadline… or else. The amount relates to Cathay’s Jurong JEM mall cinemas, which mm2 closed at the end of March after more than a year’s worth of rent negotiations came to nought; at the time, Cathay Cineplexes said it would continue to work with the landlord to settle the outstanding sums. mm2 Asia, which has been struggling since Covid and has been closing its complexes across Singapore, is seeking legal advice and said today it would make further announcements as and when there were material developments. In Feb this year, mm2 said the “slower-than-expected recovery of the cinema industry” had hampered its ability to pay its arrears on a timely basis, and that it had paid approx S$12 million/US$9.43 million rent to the landlords between 1 April 2020 and 31 January 2025”. mm2 has applied for an extension to the deadline for filing its latest earnings reports.

👉 Tuesday, 1 July 2025:  How the latest border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia plays out for media companies. Right now, a rude halt has been called on Thai programming in Cambodia, which means holes in schedules, payment issues, and all-round disruption by forces beyond programmers’ control. That comes on top of broader payment issues since September last year, when the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Cambodian tycoon Ly Yong Phat, his conglomerate L.Y.P. Group Co and a few linked entities for “serious human rights abuses” related to online scam operations. The knock-on impact is that PNN TV, backed by the group, hasn’t been able to remit U.S. dollars outside of Cambodia for any of the programming it has signed for. Short of carrying suitcases of cash across borders (illegal in the amounts we believe are due), a solution is way beyond rights holders’ pay grade. So…

👉 Tuesday, 1 July 2025:  “Squid Game” season three’s performance; Netflix premiered the third installment on Friday (27 June). The first numbers are out in the early hours of this morning (Asia time), so we’ll be bringing them to you from tomorrow and tracking them through July. As of today, season one remains Netflix’s all time top show, with season two in second place. S3 could pull the first two back on to the weekly top 10. As of today, S1 has been viewed for 2,205.2 million hours (265,200,000 views). S2 has been viewed for 1,380.1 million hours (192,600,000 views) to take second place ahead of “Money Heist” part 4 (710.2 million hours/106,000,000 views). The top English-language show of all time is “Wednesday” season one, which has been viewed for 1,718.8 million hours (252,100,000 views) – which puts it in front of “Squid Game” S2 on the combined rankings. First half 2025 “what we watched” rankings should also be out soon; our analysis to follow.

👉 Tuesday, 1 July 2025:  The ContentAsia Awards 2025 Jury panels are in full swing. In the interests of the broadest range of eyeballs, opinions and tastes, we’ve hand-picked 100 jury members from around the world to consider 500+ made-in-Asia entries in 27 categories. Score submission deadline is 29 July, nominees will be announced the following week, and the winners announced in an on-ground event in Taipei on 4 September. Plus, new this year – our very first People’s Choice voting category. Watch this space…