January 2014 4 World Brussels is set to launch an anti-trust probe into sales of pay-TV rights to premium sports and newly released Hollywood blockbusters. The probe could have serious implications for U.S. studios and the industry as a whole. According to the Financial Times, this probe comes after a 2011 European Court of Justice ruling that fined a British pub owner for showing football (soccer) to customers using a satellite card from Greece. In 2012, the EU competition commissioner sanctioned a “fact finding” effort in light of the ruling to see whether barriers to cross-border access merited anti-trust scrutiny. Croatia Gets The Girl Southeast Europe has become a popular filming destination for directors from all over the world. According to a recent article in the Financial Times, directors and producers of TV series and movies are enthusiastically using the region’s cityscapes and mountain scenery for their projects, all while taking advantage of government support and lower costs. Local studios are also gaining momentum as a result. Balkan films, inparticular, havebecome increasingly high-profile. Dubrovnik, Croatia, scored a major coup when it was picked as the location for the imaginary kingdom of Westeros on Game of Thrones, a successful U.S. drama series that airs on HBO. Notable Quotes “The big challenge in advertising emerged with the dusting off of sponsored content, and this time with videos cleverly and artfully masquerading as pure content.” VideoAge, June/July 2013 Issue “U.S. warns over use of sponsored content.” The Jakarta Post, December 3, 2013 Brussels ProbeTo AffectPay-TV A contingent of film producers from Southeast Asia have formed the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), a non-profit intended to advance creative development across the region, promote the region’s audio-visual content abroad and stimulate collaborations between members. Singapore-based film financier and founding member of SAAVA, Chan Gin Kai of Silver Media Group, said in a statement: “With the explosion of well-produced [audio-visual] content and a growing media infrastructure in our Southeast Asia film community, there needs to be strategic support and representative bodies in place to protect and properly utilize intellectual properties across platforms for international trade and investment.” Moving forward, SAAVA will be active participants in film markets, festivals and forums throughout the region and internationally. They will also offer prizes and awards to students and professionals, arrange industry exchange trips and conduct workshops for members. Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association Is Formed SPORTELASIA27X36.indd 1 19/12/13 13:53
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