Streaming app execs support MTRCB bid to regulate content of Netflix, other similar platforms
“I Promised You the Moon”
“It’s a fantastic move,” said Singapore-based Jyotimoy Saha, head of the all-Filipino streaming app, POPTV Philippines, on the proposal of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to be allowed to regulate contents of online streaming platforms like Netflix.
“This is something that we completely support. I think that digital networks for the homes need to be safe, not just in terms of the kind of content that it comes up with, but also in terms of not exposing the children to the kind of stuff that they shouldn’t be watching,” said Saha, referring to the argument of the MTRCB that under the law, no material should be sold or distributed in the country without the agency’s approval.
“When POPTV Philippines started, we were very clear that we are creating a service that’s for the family,” said the POPTV Philippines CEO. “You will find that if you watch any movie on Pop TV, preemptively, we … have been using some form of censorship to make sure that the content we give out is completely safe.”
POPTV Philippines, launched in September 2020, has further expanded its services with the launch of POPTV Kids and POPTV Trip. POPTV Kids is the first all-kids programming on mobile streaming, specifically catering to Filipino kids ages 3 to 10 while, POPTV Trip is the first in-transit streaming service in the country, which will be made accessible to the commuting public via special POPTV buses.
“Mouse”
Responsible service
“Let me share with you what happened to big services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video when they began operating in Singapore about three years ago or more,” said Saha. “When they were launched, one of the first things they needed to do was build a child-lock feature. I think every responsible service should be willing to offer that feature.”
POPTV Philippines chief operations officer Jackeline Chua added: “As a parent, I think it’s better that our app has proper curation and proper safety features for kids … since we know that what our children consume has a psychological effect on them.”
Chua added: “We are the first SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) platform in the country to offer this kind of all-kids programming, especially now that we don’t get to see much kids content on free TV. Here, our children can enjoy different preschool and kids content for free, even without subscriptions. The best part is that, everything is dubbed in Filipino.”
Meanwhile, in terms of producing original content, Saha said they want to make sure that “while there are certain genre that the Filipinos love, such as romance and comedy, we also want to present stories that will touch their hearts, particularly of the market we are targeting. We are all for the young people, families with small kids and families with young parents.”
“We are working with local and foreign producers to help us come up with our original materials,” said Jan Enriquez, who is POPTV Philippines head of content. “We just want to make it world-class. Filipinos are talented, especially in storytelling.”
“Tish Tash”
‘Localized content’
Enriquez said POPTV Philippines is also known for is it’s “localized content,” meaning it dubs foreign films and series in Filipino. Some of these are the mystery-thriller, K-drama series “Mouse,” or the sci-fi “L.U.C.A.”; the BL series “I Promised You the Moon,” “Together With Me” and “Our Skyy”; and the anime “Jujutsu Kaisen” series, as well as “Citrus.”
As for Filipino-dubbed kids shows, there’s the preschool show “Tish Tash,” which will broadcast for the first time ever in Philippine territory. Also airing for the first time are “George of the Jungle,” “The Journey of Long,” “Ella Bella Bingo,” “Tilda Appleseed,” and “The Kids from Seagull Street,” which are all coproduced by Saha and Chua via their respective animation companies August Media Holdings and Synergy88 Entertainment Media.
Since POPTV became available in the Philippines in September 2020, it has already acquired more than 1.5 million users nationwide amid challenges posed by the pandemic. To download the app, just search for POPTV PINAS on Google Play, Huawei App Gallery and Apple App Store. For more information, visit facebook.com/poptvph or visit www.poptv.ph.
