March 08, 2005


KCRC and i-CABLE Join Hands to Provide Unique Television Service and Advertising Medium on Trains


(From left) Mr Daniel Lam, Director - Property, KCRC, Mr Lee Kang Kuen, Senior Director - Capital Projects, KCRC, Mr Samuel Wong, Director & Chief Financial Officer, i-CABLE Communications Limited and Mr Samuel Tsang, General Manager of Hong Kong Cable News Express Limited(HKCNE) took a group photo.

(8 March 2005, Hong Kong) Passengers of the KCR East Rail, Ma On Shan Rail and West Rail will be able to enjoy real time news provided by i-CABLE during their train rides later this year, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) and i-CABLE Communications Limited (i-CABLE) jointly announced today (Tuesday) as the two entered into a multi-year agreement on the provision of the new service.

Under the license agreement, KCRC will provide the medium, i.e. the Passenger Information Display System (PIDS), on board the KCR trains, while Hong Kong Cable News Express Ltd (HKCNE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of i-CABLE, will be the sole content provider and the exclusive commercial airtime sales distributor for multi media service on the KCRC television screens.

Mr Lee Kang Kuen, Senior Director - Capital Projects, KCRC, said at the contract signing ceremony, "The PIDS is a brand new delivery medium in Hong Kong. With its commissioning, we will be able to keep our passengers abreast of the current news, thus providing them with value-added services. "

"The content of the PIDS can be updated during the journey, an outstanding feature when compared with similar medium on board the other public transport. Information on news and finance can be updated throughout the day via the wireless transmission system. With over 4,000 screens on board the fleet of 77 KCRC trains, the programme can reach more than 1 million passengers daily," Mr Lee said.

Also speaking at the contract signing ceremony, Mr Samuel Wong, Director & Chief Financial Officer, i-CABLE Communications Limited, said: "We are excited about this joint endeavour in which i-CABLE's superb audio-visual content and airtime sales expertise will be joining forces with KCRC's massive delivery platform to enter a promising market."

"This is a truly ground-breaking project which will allow KCRC, i-CABLE and HKCNE to synergise and capitalise on their respective strengths while providing a valuable new service to advertisers and also the travelling public on KCR trains," Mr Wong said.

Mr Wong noted that the project represents another major step in i-CABLE's on-going strategy in expanding its business beyond the conventional residential and commercial markets to multiple media platforms.

Mr Daniel Lam, Director - Property, KCRC said, "The PIDS will adopt the state-of-the-art wireless technology in transmitting the updated content to the screens, which is a first in Hong Kong."

"It was KCRC's plan to provide quiet zones on board the trains such that passengers could have a choice. Quiet zones will be set up on East Rail, Ma On Shan Rail and West Rail trains," Mr Lam continued.

"HKCNE will spearhead the new operation with a dedicated team working exclusively on this project, fully supported by the i-CABLE Group," said Mr Samuel Tsang, General Manager of HKCNE.

"We believe the renowned CABLE TV news on KCRC trains would on one hand offer value-added service to passengers by keeping them abreast on update news and at the same time, provide a unique and effective audio-visual advertising medium for advertisers to deliver their messages to over one million passengers using the railway daily," Mr Tsang added.

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About Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation

The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) is a public corporation charged with the task of operating and developing domestic, cross-boundary and intercity railway services in a prudent commercial manner. The Corporation offers three domestic passenger rail services: East Rail, including the Ma On Shan Rail, West Rail and Light Rail. All networks are supported by feeder buses. East Rail also operates intercity passenger services to Guangzhou, and provides access for other intercity trains running to and from cities in the Mainland. The Corporation is one of the world's most successful railway operators, carrying more than one million people each day. In addition to operating railways, the Corporation has become a planner, designer and builder of major new railway networks and a serious borrower in the world financial markets for the purpose of financing these new railways. KCRC also develops, owns and manages property.

About i-CABLE Communications Limited

i-CABLE Communications Limited is Hong Kong's leading fully integrated communications company that owns and operates one of the territory's two near universal telecommunications networks. It provides pay television and broadband Internet access service, and creates its own multi-media content. Its mission is to connect the people of Hong Kong with its growing portfolio of information, entertainment and telecommunications services to enhance their lifestyles.

About Hong Kong Cable News Express Limited

Hong Kong Cable News Express Limited (HKCNE) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of i-CABLE Communications Limited. It is the Exclusive Licensee for the marketing and operation of KCRC's Passenger Information Display System (PIDS) providing Cable News contents and serving as the commercial airtime sales distributor for the PIDS.