CNA launches in UK amid global expansion, now available in 110 million homes worldwide
Audiences in Britain can now catch the broadcaster’s award-winning news and current affairs programming on free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platforms.
CNA's UK correspondent Simon Marks and journalist Pearl Forss speak on stage during CNA's launch in London.
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LONDON: CNA is now available in 110 million homes across the world following its latest expansion into the United Kingdom.
Audiences in Britain can now catch the broadcaster’s award-winning news and current affairs programming on free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platforms.
They include Freeview, the country’s largest TV platform on channel 276, Freely on channel 579, and social TV platform Bolt+. CNA will also be available on smart TV platform VIDAA next year.
The UK launch last Friday (Nov 22) comes hot on the heels of its debut in the United States in June.
The expansion is part of the broadcaster’s international growth strategy aimed at helping global audiences understand news through an Asian perspective.
Singapore's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Ng Teck Hean said CNA offers a nuanced balance and up-to-date coverage of developments in the region.
“Asia today houses many of the fastest growing and most dynamic economies in the world. Naturally, business, political leaders and decision makers in the UK and the rest of Europe would be interested to find out what's happening in Asia,” Mr Ng added.
“CNA's more in-depth analysis and reporting will help them make better and more informed decisions.”
CNA’S DISTRIBUTION NETWORK EXPANSION
The launch, held at the Pan Pacific Hotel in London, was attended by more than 200 guests, including diplomats, think tank representatives, association heads, and business leaders.
The event showcased excerpts from CNA’s award-winning documentaries, alongside insider perspectives from producers and engagements with the audience.
One such screening was The Exiles, a two-part documentary which exposes the forced deportation of Asian men from post-war Britain and Australia. The 2023 documentary has been nominated for this year’s International Emmy Award.
“CNA has incredible programming, really understands compelling storytelling, and has clearly resonated very impactfully within (the Asian) region,” said Ms Kimberley Lim, operations manager of strategic partnerships at British newspaper Financial Times.
She added that bringing CNA’s content and coverage to a wider network “will offer incredible insight” and “invaluable” perspectives to audiences in other parts of the world.
Robin Niblett, a distinguished fellow at London-based think tank Chatham House, said: “We often find it quite difficult to get a perspective of how Asia is changing without being dominated by the China story.
“So, getting … a Southeast Asian perspective, the kind of perspective CNA can provide … kind of sitting alongside China … is pretty essential right now.”
Content available on CNA for UK viewers include:
- Weekday news bulletins from the Asian region on the Asia Tonight programme, and an in-depth look into developments from Greater China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula on the East Asia Tonight programme.
- Weekly current affairs programmes such as Insight, an acclaimed investigative documentary that analyses political, social and economic issues impacting Asia and the rest of the world.
- Award-winning documentaries including:
Walk the Line - featuring the treacherous route of Chinese migrants who entered the US illegally via its southern border in 2023, hoping to live the American Dream.
Undercover Asia - which uncovers hard truths in the underbelly of Asia, and unveils the plight of the disenfranchised and the displaced.
The Mark of Empire - which examines how legacies of the past shape some of Asia’s most modern nations today.
NEWS THROUGH AN ASIAN LENS
Global Distribution Services, the company which facilitated CNA’s launch on Freeview and Freely, said the addition of the network to its channels will help enhance its audience’s “appreciation and comprehension of Asia’s complexities”.
“With CNA providing a deeper insight and understanding into global developments with an Asian perspective, our viewers have access to content beyond mere entertainment,” the firm’s founder and CEO Tanya Kronfli said.
Mediacorp’s editor-in-chief Walter Fernandez said it is crucial for decision makers in Europe to “understand Asia”, as the continent is a significant part of the global political and economic narratives.
He added that decisions and policy responses out of Asia will influence outcomes all over the world.
“Asia is a diverse continent of nations – each with its own distinct cultures, political systems, economic development trajectories and challenges,” Mr Fernandez noted.
“CNA can help audiences navigate this vast tapestry through its extensive reporting across Asia and the nuanced analysis embedded in our documentaries.”
CNA is owned by Mediacorp, Singapore's national media network.
Established in March 1999, the news channel has correspondents in 15 major cities across Asia. It is also supported by 23 bureaus in North America, Europe and Africa.
The broadcaster received two additions to its awards accolade last Friday at the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) in London.
CNA won in the News Explainer category in the video section for an episode in its "Israel-Hamas War - The Occupation Of West Bank" series, as well as the Investigative Documentary award for its "Undercover Asia - Tainted Medicine Scandal" entry.
