New Asian channels for horror, action fans

Filipino fans of the action and horror genres now have two more “excitement-oriented” cable channels to watch.

Andy Chang, Celestial Tiger Entertainment’s (CTE) senior vice president for marketing, says the KIX and Thrill channels specifically have Asians in mind.

At the recent launch in Shangri-La Makati, Chang told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that KIX and Thrill, already airing elsewhere in Asia, would fill voids in Philippine cable channel lineups.

“Action and horror are the most popular genres in Asia,” Chang said. “We’re going to comply with local rules, but we’ll also try to show what we want.”

KIX and Thrill have been in the Philippines since last year, Chang added, but he clarified that the launch follows a significant milestone: “Late last year, the company that originally launched KIX and Thrill merged with another company, Celestial Movies. It’s like a brand new start. It was previously focused on distributing and getting the channels there. Now, people need to know about these cool programs. We’ve invested millions tying up programming.”

The Hong Kong-based CTE is a joint venture between Saban Capital Group, Celestial Pictures, and Lionsgate Entertainment. Saban and Lionsgate’s equally operated Tiger Gate Entertainment merged with Celestial Movies in December 2011, resulting in CTE.

Chang said that wasn’t part of a “very specific strategy,” but it was still good timing: “We have multiple channels and, because of that, we have to pace our campaigns. Now is just a good time. For October, Thrill is focusing on Halloween!”

KIX’s programs include “Top Gear Korea” (adaptation of the hit motoring show), “Bellator Fighting Championships” (showcasing mixed martial arts fighters), and “Lingerie Football League” (featuring scantily clad female athletes).

“It really is about how tough those women can be,” Chang said. “There’s a reason that ‘Lingerie Football’ is a growing league—people take it seriously!”

Thrill is set to air the British series “Bedlam,” and the Asian horror movies “Tormented,” “Fragrant Night Vampire,” and the Yam Laranas-directed “The Road,” among others. “Thrill is for whenever you feel like watching horror, and we do have some TV series in the pipeline,” Chang said.

(KIX and Thrill can be seen on SkyCable, Cablelink and Destiny.)

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