HONG KONG: Local competition for Asian viewers is prompting a 'localisation' drive at the News Corporation-owned Fox International, it has been reported.
Viewer demand and the proliferation of domestic suppliers must inevitably lead to more targeted programmes in local languages, according to Ward Platt, regional president at Fox.
"While the content may be similar, the packaging will be more local," he said.
Platt believed that Asian viewers had begun to look askance at the lack of subtitling, the English-only promos and the single feeds being beamed into a plethora of markets and he promised that the firm would change its tactics.
In August, News Corp restructured Star TV; its Asian broadcast business, to reflect its Indian ambitions. The same has been done with a largely-Chinese operation.
Platt added that while Fox had a strong presence in South Korea and Japan, the company was playing what he called "catch-up" in other parts of the region such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
The push to become more local reflects the growing sophistication of local competitors and the opportunity for Fox to forge profitable partnerships.
Viewer demand and the proliferation of domestic suppliers must inevitably lead to more targeted programmes in local languages, according to Ward Platt, regional president at Fox.
"While the content may be similar, the packaging will be more local," he said.
Platt believed that Asian viewers had begun to look askance at the lack of subtitling, the English-only promos and the single feeds being beamed into a plethora of markets and he promised that the firm would change its tactics.
In August, News Corp restructured Star TV; its Asian broadcast business, to reflect its Indian ambitions. The same has been done with a largely-Chinese operation.
Platt added that while Fox had a strong presence in South Korea and Japan, the company was playing what he called "catch-up" in other parts of the region such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
The push to become more local reflects the growing sophistication of local competitors and the opportunity for Fox to forge profitable partnerships.
Data sourced from Reuters; additional content by WARC staff
