CNBC Asia

CNBC Asia is a business news television channel in Asia. A subsidiary of NBCUniversal, it is the Asian service of the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC). Its programmes originate from Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney and has bureaus in Tokyo and Seoul.

History

1995–1997: pre-ABN merger

CNBC Asia was launched on 20 June 1995 along with sister channel NBC Asia. It was originally based in Hong Kong. Anchors such as Rico Hizon, Bernard Lo, Lorraine Hahn, Dalton Tanonaka and Bill Hartley were part of the original CNBC Asia team. It adopted similar programmes from its US counterpart like The Money Wheel and Business Tonight and had a few of its own programmes as well. In addition, the channel has broadcast programmes from CNBC US and CNBC Europe on a live and repeat basis.

Post-ABN merger

In December 1997, Dow Jones & Company and NBC announced the merger of their international business news channels. This resulted in a merger of CNBC Asia with Dow Jones' Asia Business News (ABN), and likewise of CNBC Europe with European Business News. The merged channel launched on 1 January 2000 and was named CNBC Asia Business News but it was simply referred to as CNBC Asia in mid-1998. As a result of the merger, there were massive employee lay-offs and programme cancellations at CNBC's Asia original headquarters in Hong Kong but Rico Hizon, Geoff Cutmore and Bernard Lo joined the newly merged channel whose operations have been based in Singapore ever since. Programmes and personalities came mostly from ABN and were for the most part retained in their original form (i.e., title and graphics scheme). CNBC Asia also mainly used ABN's own graphics scheme rather than adopt those in use by CNBC US and CNBC Europe. In addition, there was no regional ticker for most audiences until 26 October 1998 and simulcasts of US and European programmes were very limited.