A strong push towards investment in relevant local content and newly emerging markets took centre stage on the first day of the CASBAA Convention 2012 in Hong Kong. Featuring global and Asian industry leaders, regulators, media personalities and technologists the conference line-up pinpointed key trends facing the industry today.

The worldwide pay-TV market is growing on all major TV platforms worldwide, including cable, satellite, and IPTV. Pay-TV service revenue is expected to reach $236 billion by the end of 2012, up from $223 billion in 2011, according to ABI Research’s pay-TV Market Data, which looks at average revenue per user (ARPU) and revenues worldwide. ABI Research expects the pay-TV market to continue to grow 19% over the next five years, generating $281 billion in 2017.

the Broadband World Forum, took the broadband industry into a new era of connectivity and services, as thousands of visitors filled Amsterdam’s RAI Exhibition Centre last week. The new venue and fresh new programme reflected the evolving nature of the industry, specifically focussing on the power of broadband to transform lives and the possibilities and opportunities with innovation. It debates the challenges for broadband networks, the policy that governs them and the applications and services that drive demand.

According to the results of Informa Telecoms & Media’s annual industry survey, innovation is a key priority for global telecoms and media players in 2013. Over 500 senior executives from across both these sectors were asked how their businesses and markets would perform in 2013 and the role innovation would play in driving future revenue growth.

Respondents were generally positive about the state of the market and revenue prospects for 2013, with almost 40% saying there were strong opportunities for both vendors and operators in their home markets.

ITU Telecom World 2012 brought together industry representatives and government leaders at the highest level to engage in five days of critical dialogue on networking, knowledge-sharing and the challenges defining the information and communication technology (ICT) sector as well as the opportunities arising from it.

The thirty-first annual MILCOM Conference and Exposition, “Trusted Communications…Awareness to Action”, will be held at the Gaylord Palms Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, October 29 through November 1.  Co-sponsored by AFCEA International and the IEEE Communications Society, and hosted by Harris Corporation, MILCOM is the premier international conference for military communications.

According to Euroconsult’s latest research report Satellite-Based Earth Observation: Market Prospects to 2021, the market for commercial Earth observation (EO) data slowed significantly in 2011 with growth of 6% to $1.4 billion following five years of strong growth of over 20% from 2006 to 2010. The primary factor for this decrease in percentage was the stabilization in U.S. defense data procurement following the awards of the Enhanced View contracts by the NGA to DigitalGlobe and GeoEye.

The CASBAA Convention 2012, October 29 to November 1, 2012 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, will field a roster of speakers to debate the multichannel TV industry in the Asia Pacific. Themed “18 Reasons Why”, this year’s line-up offers the most compelling reasons the CASBAA Convention is the “must-attend” industry event in Asia.

“The Convention continues to attract the most respected and influential speakers from the multichannel TV industry, solidifying its position as one of the most important forums taking place anywhere in the world,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO, CASBAA.

The World Teleport Association today released a new report, Delays in Occasional-Use Satellite Access. The report details results of a WTA investigation into problems reported by its members in gaining timely access to occasional-use satellite capacity. Based on survey responses from teleport operators and discussions with satellite operators, the report lays out the issues as well as offering preliminary conclusions and possible next steps.

NSR’s second installment of the Satellite Operator Financial Analysis study, released today, finds that the FSS sector remains robust in financial terms, with continued revenue growth in the outlook, while imminent IPOs and further industry consolidation (GE Satellite, KT Satellite) continue to shape the industry. In addition, the relatively recent and widespread trend of increased cost control is expected to improve margins further.