"Tune in to Tomorrow,” recommend CASBAA convention organisers.

Hong Kong's Academy for Performing Arts will host a full programme of debates during CASBAA (October 26 to 29). Delegates pitch straight in to an influential Keynote speech from Michael Grindon, president, Sony Pictures Television International. Grindon's address will look at the current media landscape in which creators of content now have a bewildering variety of pay-TV distribution opportunities.

Piracy has been a major issue for CASBAA, with the association taking steps earlier this year to combat the situation in Hong Kong. Accordingly, a full session is devoted to the topic at the Convention: 'Piracy – 2004 and another billion dollars burned!' is the title of the panel. The 'Theft Busters' from the pay-TV and broadband industries count the cost and offer some tips for the fight-back in 2005, promise CASBAA organisers. The CASBAA/CLSA pay-TV piracy estimates for 2004/2005 will also be unveiled.

The Convention continues with 'A Day In the Life of Your Pay TV Viewer', an enhanced snapshot of the Asia Pacific pay-TV audience, including an exclusive CASBAA survey of regional perceptions of its businesses.

The day concludes with a look at content issues. “Local content in local languages is driving development of multi-channel networks across Asia. But what are the magic ingredients that attract agencies and clients to buy air-time and exposure on our networks?” asks CASBAA. Packaged with examples from the best of local pay-TV programming, this panel is drawn from media buyers and clients in China, India, Japan and Malaysia who 'tell it like it is' -- what works and what makes projects fail. What makes for a good JV? Who pays? Who collects? Why should advertisers care?

Day Two begins with a special focus on Taiwan. The Taiwan pay-TV industry was Asia's first market to show great promise and may yet be one of the last to mature. This special examination of the Taiwan cable industry looks at how a market with 85% pay-TV penetration continues to defy optimism, yet may still deliver on its promise.

Subsequent sessions look at contrasting cable and satellite experiences. At CASBAA 2003, a group of CASBAA-member cable operator CEOs revealed what was keeping them awake at night. Have their nightmares come true? Have regulators made a more business-friendly environment? Are content partners providing more choice? How is Broadband affecting their business?

The DTH platform operators make their case in the session 'DTH: So what makes satellite platforms so very different from plain old cable TV?' What are the drivers for DTH take-up as opposed to cable? What new services will be on offer in 2005?

The closing day's 'Breakfast Special' focuses on Korea. The Korean pay-TV market remains one of huge opportunity, yet the industry remains over-regulated and under-financed. True or false? What can be done to free a market with tremendous potential? In contrast to Korea, two subsequent sessions on the vast potential of the Indian and Chinese markets are sure to attract considerable delegate interest.
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