Broadcasters extend into Myanmar, Channel News Asia latest to ink deal

The broadcaster said Myanmar is an important sector as the network embarks on its next phase of growth.

Channel News Asia will be shown “live” 24 hours a day from January 2013 across Sky Net’s DTH and IPTV platforms.

Debra Soon, Channel News Asia managing director, said having a voice in Myanmar is a “step in the right direction” for the broadcaster.

“With Myanmar opening its doors to the world, Channel NewsAsia is privileged to be able to share its unique offering of news and information programmes with the people in Myanmar,” she said.

Paul Gibbins, leader of Mindshare Thailand, said having a foreign news broadcaster in Myanmar is a “significant development”.

But he added, “The real value and opportunity for advertisers will come once these channels are able to move from the Pay-TV platform and become free to air (FTA).”

Since restrictive sanctions were eased earlier this year, Myanmar has been attracting significant attention from brands eager to gain first-mover advantage in the untapped market.

The government of Myanmar also recently announced plans to ease restrictions on press freedom and abolish pre-publication censorship in the market—a move welcomed by the media community.  

Other broadcasters have also shown interest, with Japan-based NHK World TV moving into the market earlier this month.

NHK’s English-language service is available through local satellite service provider Skynet. NHK said it hopes the move will “foster mutual understanding between the two countries”.

Neil Stewart, Maxus Asia-Pacific CEO, said that in absolute terms Myanmar is a “very small ad market” but he added that this will change over time.

“From content and programming, through brands trying to connect with new markets, we now have another market with potential,” he said.

Barry Cupples, CEO, APAC, Omnicom Media Group, said it is about time Myanmar took its rightful place in the ASEAN economy.

“Isolation is risky, collaboration and an open attitude will help Myanmar in the long run,” he said. “For the marketing communications industry, the landscape just got more vibrant and Myanmar is a market that will be watched closely by marketers.”