Singapore has Funding

Singapore is set to be a center of finance for the Asian entertainment industry and $385 million is available for film, TV and games development across 13 funds run by private-sector operators.

"The Economic Development Board and the MDA are very generous in their approach to companies that have an interest in Asia. And they are very flexible in the way they allow you to structure the funds," says Ashok Amritraj, topper of Los Angeles-based Hyde Park Entertainment. "They have made Singapore a safe, clear haven in these crazy times."

The territory often has played second fiddle to Hong Kong, but Singapore has outpaced its Asian rival in the fund-management and investment-trust industry. So the development of specialty funds for an industry that has been set as a national-priority growth area seems a natural extension of that process.

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Hong Kong announces mobile TV plans

Mobile TV stations seem to be in everyone's future as TV goes small screen as well as high-def.

The recent announcement concerning Mobile TV for Hong Kong is good news for the Broadcasters and listeners / viewers in HK. Three mobile TV licenses for the territory will be put up for auction in mid 2009, according to the Commerce & Economic Development Bureau.

License holders will be required to start broadcasting within 18 months and the licenses will be valid for 15 years. They will allow operators to broadcast up to 20 channels via the European Union-endorsed DVB-H standard. There will also be six channels through the Korean T-DMB standard.

"Mobile TV exemplifies the technological advancement and media convergence," Duncan Pescod, the permanent secretary for Commerce and Economic Development said. "The market world wide has called for timely response from governments and regulators to facilitate the launch and growth of this innovative service."

LEARN MORE Written by Marcus Lim - http://varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/7735/53/

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