APB PANELLISTS
2 EDITORIAL
Don ’ t block out blockchain technology – digest it bit by bit
March 2018 ( volume 35 issue 2 )
EDITORIAL managing editor Shawn Liew , shawn @ editecintl . com contributing editor ( technology ) Karl K Rossiter , karl @ editecintl . com news editor Josephine Tan , josephine @ editecintl . com
If familiarity truly breeds contempt , then it is perhaps unavoidable that treading into the unknown fosters aloofness .
As governments around the world suddenly decide that the bitcoin market cannot be left in its current unregulated guise , a different terminology has since emerged — blockchain .
While bitcoin is essentially a cryptocurrency and worldwide payment system , blockchain is being described as the underlying technology used for verifying and recording transactions that are at the heart of bitcoin .
Perhaps more importantly , what can blockchain technology potentially bring to the broadcast and media industries ?
Let ’ s start with cost . Blockchain can potentially facilitate the sharing of Internet infrastructure to lower the cost of distribution , Mock Pak Lum , senior advisor at Tembusu Partners , a Singaporebased private equity firm , told APB .
Mock , who was previously CTO at Singapore pay-TV operator StarHub , explained that if users can be persuaded to share their unused bandwidth and compute capacity , content owners will not need to engage expensive content delivery network ( CDN ) resources to distribute content .
Blockchain can bring about the decentralisation of the Internet distribution model , says the IABM — both in terms of how content is distributed and royalties are paid . And in tandem with artificial intelligence ( AI ), blockchain may improve the process of identifying content for specific audiences .
Unsurprisingly , the topic of blockchain was a matter broadcasters and pay-TV operators APB
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Having said that , broadcasters and content owners might do well to start learning about blockchain today , and understand what the technology can potentially bring to their media business .
Also in this issue , you can read how satellite is continuing to play a key role in the distribution of content in Asia-Pacific . In our Satellite Special 2018 report ( pages 23-36 ), we continue our examination of how high throughput satellite ( HTS ) is continuing to offer more options to deliver specific content to specific viewers , even while fixed-satellite services offered over C-band continues to retain its importance in Asia-Pacific .
Along the way , and as we edge closer to WRC- 19 , an age-old debate is set to be rekindled , as the International Mobile Telecommunications ( IMT ) begins a new charm offensive to wrest more spectrum for mobile services . But , that is another story for another time . Watch this space .
SHAWN LIEW MANAGING EDITOR
APB PANELLISTS
CORRESPONDENTS n India Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk
n USA Mike Feazel , mfeazel @ gmail . com
PRODUCTION production editor Zuraini Ridzwan , zuraini @ editecintl . com junior sub-editor Eva Meango , eva @ editecintl . com senior multimedia designer Raymund Jaudian , raymund @ editecintl . com ad / office administrator Irene Lok , irene @ editecintl . com accounts manager Tan Hui Min , huimin @ editecintl . com
MARKETING director - sales & marketing
Jessie Tan , jessie @ editecintl . com manager - sales & marketing Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com
CIRCULATION & PROMOTIONS Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com
PUBLISHING publisher / editorial director Andrew Yeo , andrew @ editecintl . com
MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES n China
Yang Ou
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Tel : + 86-10-6482 3808-106 Fax : + 86-10-6482 3670 E-mail : yangou @ bbes . com . cn
n Japan Mikio Tsuchiya
WORLD MEDIA SERVICES INC 3-35-1-302 , Hongodai , Sakae-Ku , Yokohama 247-0008 Tel / Fax : + 81-45-891-1852 E-mail : mikio . tsuchiya @ worldmedia . jp
n USA & Canada Gary L Rhodes
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Dr Amal Punchihewa
Director , Technology & Innovation Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
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Dr Peter Siebert
Executive Director The DVB Project
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Stan Moote CTO IABM |
Andrew Anderson
Head of Broadcast Operations Seven Network ( Operations ) Ltd
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