Mumbai: SPE Networks – Asia (SPENA), home to top pay-TV channel brands including AXN, AXN BEYOND, Animax, Sony Entertainment Television, and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) channels PIX and PIX Thriller, has three new senior appointments to its head office in Singapore.
SPENA’s strategic thrust into the South Korean market and emerging media platforms is one of the key areas for growth, and this is now being led by Kim Sang-Im, who assumes the newly-created position of Director, Korea and New Media. Having joined since 1 September, she has already successfully concluded a deal with KT to launch AXN on its IPTV platform, Mega TV. Sang-Im will also oversee the management of SPENA’s branded SVOD services PIX and PIX Thriller, including programming, marketing and on-air promotional activities.
Sang-Im brings with her more than 14 years experience in the broadcast industry, having last held the position of Programming Director at Animax Korea. Prior to that, she was the Channel Manager with Korean Digital Satellite Broadcasting (also known as SkyLife) from 2001 to 2005, and spent seven years with Daekyo Broadcasting before that.
Joining as Director of Technology and Operations is Law Kim Meng, who came on board SPENA in October, to provide strategic and functional direction in the areas of channel operations and post production. Kim Meng oversees a portfolio that covers satellite, technology and operations, and will offer his expertise in charting the company’s growth plan including new business initiatives and facility expansion requirements. He replaces Simon Wong who left SPENA in August 2008 to pursue other interests.
Kim Meng comes to SPENA after 13 years of service to Malaysian pay-TV operator ASTRO All Asia Networks. Starting out his professional career as an engineer in Motorola and AIWA prior to joining ASTRO, Kim Meng rose up the ranks at ASTRO and last held the position of Head of Broadcast Operations & Services, leading a team of over 350 staff.
Finally, SPENA’s anime and youth entertainment channel brand Animax gets a boost with the appointment of Virginia Lim to the position of Director of Programming from 17 November. Virginia will lead and oversee the programming function of Animax networks in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India and the Philippines. She will work with Animax Asia’s marketing and on-air creative teams, along with Animax programming teams worldwide to drive the strategic direction for Animax’s programming pan-Asia.
Virginia joins SPENA from Singapore telco and pay-TV operator StarHub, where she was Senior Manager, Programming, responsible for the Asia Entertainment programming strategy across cable TV, online and mobile platforms. In her decade’s service to StarHub, Virginia was involved in areas of channel management, program acquisitions and program production, as well as conceptualized, developed, and launched interactive TV service HubTV.
