4/3/2010: PAY TV LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

The 2010 ASTRA pay TV industry The Future is Now conference (March 18, 2010, Sydney Convention Centre) will feature a live satellite interview by Bridie Barry of Sky News Business Channel with Mark Burnett, one of television’s power-house executive producers. He has revolutionised television programming around the world with programs such as Survivor, The Contender, The Apprentice and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. He will share his experiences in the television production and development business and give a perspective on future program directions.

Foxtel CEO and Managing Director Kim Williams AM, and AUSTAR CEO John Porter will address the current regulatory environment, issues and challenges for subscription tv sector in Australia, which will no doubt cover the recent windfall of $250 million to the free to air networks announced by Comms Minister Stephen Conroy on February 7, 2010.

ASTRA CEO, Petra Buchanan said ‘The line-up of speakers for the ASTRA 2010 Conference represents the expertise of the subscription TV industry. With a strong international contingent, the topics and depth of discussion will be reflective of current challenges in the Australian market while taking in the international context and opportunities for growth.’

International leaders across the key content genres of news, sport, lifestyle, general entertainment and kids programming including Eric Schrier, Executive Vice President, FX Productions (based in Los Angeles), Phil O’Sullivan, Executive Producer, CNN Asia Pacific (based in Hong Kong), Paul Robinson, Managing Director, KidsCo (based in the London), Michael Morrison, General Manager, ESPN Asia Pacific (based in Hong Kong) and Bruce Mann, CEO, XYZnetworks will talk about the current state of play and their predictions on content challenges for the future.

Evan Hansen, Editor in Chief, Wired.com (based in San Francisco), Kym Niblock, GM, Foxtel Broadband, Online and Mobile and Ian McDonald, CEO, Amnesia will share their insights on new media, including digistation, multi-channelling, fixed and wireless broadband and the implications of such changes for business, consumers and government.

The ASTRA Conference will commence with the Women in Television breakfast, a conversation with inspiring women including Sandra Levy, CEO, AFTRS, Deirdre Brennan, Director of Programming, Nickelodeon and Joe Pollard, CEO, NineMSN. This event will be a discussion with women of influence across the media spectrum.

The Women in Television Breakfast will be supporting the 1 Million Women Campaign, which aims to empower a million Australian women to take practical action on climate change by collectively cutting 1 million tonnes of CO2 pollution in their daily lives, thus driving long-term behaviour change.