TV5 Monde Going from Strength to Strength

The international TV station has undergone rapid expansion since its regional head office was set up in Hong Kong in 2007

Hong Kong has a role to play in our future development

Alexandre Muller
Alexandre Muller
Managing Director for Asia-Pacific of TV5 Monde

Within the last ten years, the size of TV5 Monde’s reach in the region has expanded from 16 to 83 million subscribers, and the Hong Kong office has increased from one to 14 staff. In terms of office space, TV5 Monde has expanded from one to three units at Cyperport and it now has representative offices in Japan, Korea, Singapore, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and a Network Operating Centre in Hong Kong.

TV5 Monde set up an office in Hong Kong originally as a distribution and sales office. As the regional headquarters, the office is also responsible for all new media and technology development for Asia-Pacific and provides full technical backup to its headquarters in Paris. TV5 has expanded from one to three channels and has developed a dedicated OTT service to cope with the new demand from its subscribers. It is available in 42 countries which together represent for 60 percent of the world’s population.

“Hong Kong is right in the middle of our key markets geographically speaking. Within four to five hours, I can be in any place in the region (except Australasia). I can travel to Beijing and Taipei within one day. If I were based in Singapore, I would have had to spend more time travelling and so it makes sense to be here,” Alexandre Muller, Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, TV5 Monde, said.

While the French community is the fastest-growing expatriate population in Hong Kong, TV5 Monde is particularly concerned with generating interest from local people for its channels, and hence its strategy is to develop programmes of interest for them. The content is also subtitled in English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean (depending on the channels and markets) to make it more accessible.

“Hong Kong has a big role to play in our future development and this is why we have invested so much in the technical infrastructure and equipment. While the Mainland is an important market, other markets such as India, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are also important, and being in Hong Kong allows us to be in these markets at the same time,” Muller said.

Muller hires local people and is keen to create a multicultural working environment. Having a team composed of different nationalities also helps him understand better what works in which market. The office also has a dedicated team solely dedicated on internet-based development and interfacing with TV live.

Having lived in Hong Kong for ten years, Muller finds it a very well-organised and efficient city. He particularly enjoys the working environment at Cyberport, which is more spacious in a green environment and less than 30 minutes from the central business district. “As Cyberport is a public property and offers a more stable tenure, we feel more confident to invest in our technical equipment here. Cyperport is a great place to be, especially for people working in the creative industries,” he concluded.

Friday, December 29, 2017

29.12.2017

Fast Facts

  • Created in 1984 and launched in Asia in 1996
  • Global reach with 200 countries and territories
  • 15 languages, 9 specific regional channels, 2 thematic channels

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29.12.2017
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