CABLE network Home Box Office (HBO) Latin America is hailing Broadcasting Commission’s recent effort to streamline the local industry as “positive”.

“Kudos to the Broadcasting Commission for moving forward and doing the right thing. We see this as positive,” Javier Figueras, HBO Latin America corporate vice-president of affiliate sales, told Jamaica Observer recently.

The HBO executive was speaking to the Sunday Observer at the premiere of the hit series Ray Donovan at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

In April, the local regulators said 19 channels were to be removed as cable providers do not possess the requisite agreement to air these channels. The channels include the Encore, Showtime and Starz suites. An extended deadline of August 31 was given.

Professor Hopeton Dunn, chairman of local regulator Broadcasting Commission, said it had to be done to protect Jamaica.

“We are protecting Jamaica. We don’t want to be seen as a rogue agency, but this is simply not the way forward. What we are about is copyright compliance not just for the international content providers. Jamaican content providers of music and film have a legitimate expectation that their rights will be protected. The question of piracy works in every direction,” said Dunn at the April press conference.

Figueras said the copyright issue was a critical one, and it was good that Jamaica was signalling its intention to play by the rules.

“We are paying for the rights to air this programming, meanwhile, there were certain channels being aired in Jamaica that nobody was being paid for. We now see this as an opportunity to level the playfield,” said Figueras.

He said local cable providers should use the opportunity to revamp their business models.

“This is going to be an opportunity for all major cable companies, and small cable companies as well, to start building their companies for the future in the right way and paying for the content. We believe that’s the only way to have access. The cable companies need to take care of their customers,” he said.

The vice-president said the Jamaican market was an important one for his company.

“It hasn’t been easy. We believe that we’ll see positive future and grow in the Jamaican market,” he said.

The HBO Latin America Group comprises affiliates of Time Warner Entertainment Company and Ole Communications Group. It owns, operates and distributes the leading cable and satellite programming services in Latin America, Brazil and the Caribbean, including the HBO and Cinemax channels.

— Brian Bonitto