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Profiles several emerging recording artists from Asia. Includes China's Dadawa, South Korea's Pipi Longstocking, Taiwan's Wu Bai & China Blue, Indonesia's AB Three, Hong Kong's Kid Zero, Thailand's Paradox, Malaysia's Prema, Singapore's Force Vomit, and the Philippines' April `Boy' Regino.

Features singer Jacky Cheung, one of Hong Kong's most popular singers and an international singing star in Asia. Sales performance of Cheung's album `Kiss and Goodbye'; Growth of the Chinese pop music market; Cheung's career history; Success of Cheung's 1995 world tour.

Focuses on the Asian operations of global music-video broadcasters Channel V and Music Television (MTV). Asian television stations' broadcast of music videos in their markets; Competition between Channel V and MTV; Channel V as the leader in regional youth programming; Other music video broadcasters in the region.

Examines the difficulties of concert touring in Asia. Bringing international acts to Asia as rarely profitable; 1996 regional tours by major Western stars; Lack of synergy between local and regional promoters and the local and regional labels; Four companies that characterize themselves as regional promoters in Asia; TERO Entertainment's promotion; Comments from Midas Promotions Managing Director Michael Hosking.

Examines Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty and implications for the record industry and creative expression, in general. Concerns expressed in the media and arts; Current state of inoffensive musicians and sweet Canto-pop as no threat, as of yet, to China's censorship standards; China's desire to not derail an economically viable industry; Comments from J.C. Giouw, Southeast Asian regional director of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, and others.

Reports on the 1997 MIDEM Asia music-industry conference. The quest for the right local partner, the right artists and the right contacts as once again in earnest; Possibility that music executives may note a marked change in the direction of talk on China; Dance as a popular topic at the conference; Remarks of music industry employees.

Discusses attempts by the music industry to exploit talent within China's borders. Comments from Norman Cheng, president of PolyGram Far East; Large scale success in China despite the difficulties associated with doing business there; The lack of respect for contracts by Chinese performers; The sticky nature of contracts in China; Comments from Alex Chan from PolyGram Records; The example of Zheng Jun.

Discusses the popularity of Japanese popular music in the Asian music market. Japan as self-contained; The cross-cultural success of Japanese group Dreams Come True; Comments from Matthew Allison, Sony Taiwan vice president, greater China region; Comments from singer/songwriter Miwa Yoshida of Dreams Come True; The lifting of cultural restrictions; The impact of diplomatic relations on the music industry.

Reports on plans for an indigenous music industry in China. A two-day visit to China by executives from three major European-owned multinational record companies in November 1996; Polygram Far East; EMI Music Europe; BMG Entertainment International; Comments from various executives on the future of the music industry in China.

Discusses the difficulties in attempting to license Western music in China. How major record-company owners of Western music release and market pop music in China; The effects of the intellectual-property agreement between the United States and China that was ratified in Beijing, China in June 1996; Deals to release music in China, such as Media Bank's receiving approval from China's Ministry of Culture to release an instrumental album by Louis Clark.

Profiles the music performers Wolfgang. The success of their debut album released on the independent record label Ivory Records; Wolfgang's deal with Sony Music Philippines; Their popularity in the Philippines; The opinions of lead singer Basti Artadi.

Discusses the impact on the music business of the official handover of Hong Kong back to China. Handover to take place on June 30, 1997; Thoughts from music industry executives such as EMI Music Asia president Lachie Rutherford; The benefits of doing business in Hong Kong; How Cantonese pop (Cantopop) helped define an image for Hong Kong in the 1970's and 1980's.

Focuses on Hong Kong-based music performer Cass Pang's career. Career history; Markets targeted by Pang; Albums in Chinese dialects released by Pang; Pang's public image.

Focuses on the problems faced by the music recording industry in Asia. Implications of greater demand for music recordings in Asia for retailers in the region; KPS' expansion in Taiwan; Introduction of new concepts in Asian retail stores; Price wars in Singapore.

Reports on developments related to compact disc (CD) piracy in China. China's failure to act on copyright violations and counterfeit production of CD products; Background on the Chinese government's efforts to curve CD piracy; Hong Kong's and Taiwan's roles in the counterfeit CD industry in China; Industry watchers' comments.

Reports on the United States government's demand that China shut down all its remaining pirate factories, close customs loopholes, and open market-access possibilities by June 17, 1996 or face trade sanctions. Plan to impose at least $2 billion in restrictive tariffs on Chinese home electronics equipment and apparel; Visit by acting US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky to China on June 14, 1996.

Reports on the formation of the Asia-Pacific Music Publishers Association, a new trade group intended to address royalty and copyright issues in markets across the region. Founding members of the group; Asia-Pacific as the world's fastest-developing market; Major objectives of the organization.

Reports on negotiations between sound recordings companies and music publishers to draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish royalty rates and collections in the Asian recording industry. Debate over mechanical rate increase; Recession in Asia; Success of first MOU agreement; Comments of Graham Farquhar of BMG Music Entertainment Asia-Pacific; Other comments; Signatories to the MOU.

Reports that the Wholesaler Surplus company closed its doors in July 1998. How Wholesaler was the second victim in recent months to fall victim to deteriorating market conditions in the territory; What Surplus's closure also means; The company's largest creditor; How BMG Music Asia-Pacific was also affected.

Comments on the collapse of Fullee Records. The effects the collapse has had on Hong Kong's distribution market; Fears that aftershocks will produce even more casualties; How Hong Kong's weakened economy played a role in Fullee's demise; Comments of EMI Hong Kong chairman Herman Ho; Which major record company was hit worst by the bankruptcy.

Profiles the Taiwanese group Power Station. The success of the group's first album, `Cruel Letters,' which went multi-platinum; How the band benefitted by waiting a year before releasing the album; The sales of their second album, `Tomorrow Never Dies'; Importance of their record label What's Music; The label's expectations; Comments of Tower Records' Hero Mon.

Reports on the 1998 Asian Music Conference and specifically the region's economic crisis. How many industry professionals played down the impact of the economic crash; The results of layoffs and downsizing; Comments of Tom Yoda of Japanese independent label Avex.

Reports that the soundtrack to the motion picture `Titanic' has sold one million copies in both mainland China and the People's Republic of China (Taiwan). How this feat is unprecedented; Reasons why the soundtrack was marketed so well in Taiwan; The importance of the soundtrack's classification as international repertoire; Distribution laws in foreign countries. INSET: Majors' designs on China include local music.

Profiles the musical group Kulay and their album `Vibestation.' What countries will be among the first to hear Kulay's recording; The influence of tropical life in Manila on the group's music and style; Kulay's Philippian heritage; Their two greatest passions; Kulay's Boom Dayupay and his comments on the album.

Reports on the Asian Music Conference of May 1998. The speech of PolyGram Records Far East President Norman Cheng; Organization of the conference; The effect of economic woes on Asians; Discussion of the primary target age group in the Asian market.

Reports on the anti-piracy legislation due to be placed before Hong Kong's provisional government in early April 1998. Fears that the piracy trade will move to another location in Asia; Details of the legislation; How law enforcement officers in Hong Kong will be able to search premises and seize equipment; Involvement of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

Reports on the controversy surrounding Taiwan's national music sales charts in 1998. When the chart began; The importance of the Taiwanese music market in Asia; Efforts by members of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) to close the chart down indefinitely; Reasons; Questions about the chart's methodology.

Examines the status of the Japanese music recording industry as of February 1998. Highlights of data from the Recording Industry Association of Japan; The faults that are attributable to major record labels; How Japan compares with the rest of Asia; The many troubling aspects of the industry.

Looks at the popular music industry in Singapore as of February 1998. The difficulty in bringing the business of music to market on the island; How Singapore does not fit the conventional mold for developing a commercial music industry; Number of record companies on the island; The problems with Singapore's size and cultural fragmentation.

Examines how early 1998's financial crisis in Asia is affecting the multinational record companies with offices there. Comments from Michael Smellie, senior vice president of BMG Entertainment International's Asia-Pacific division; The circumstances that are affecting the companies; Successful ventures for the companies, such as soundtracks and compilation albums.

Reports that BMG Music Publishing Asia opened a representative office in Beijing, China in late 1997. BMG as the first major publisher to enter the country; The appointment of Zhu Mei as the company's first director in China; The intent on which BMG's China representative office was established.

Reports how the financial crisis in Thailand is affecting the region's sound recording industry as of January 1998. The realization of larger companies of the economic advantage of buying out smaller ones; Domination of Grammy Entertainment Ltd.; How cassette recordings still make up the majority of sales in Thailand; Effect the crisis has had on Thai music distributors; Comments.

Presents an overview of events which occurred in the sound recording industry in Southeast Asia during 1997. The success of Cantopop; Effects of the region's financial crises on the music industry; Popularity of international musical groups such as Aqua; The restructuring occurring in Asia's music companies such as EMI and Sony.

Discusses the career of Blumchen, who is being marketed in Asia as Blossom. The singer's album `Verliebt,' which in English is called `In Love'; Comments about the importance of sound and image in Asia.

States that the relocation of MIDEM Asia, the annual West-meets-East convention, to the Indonesian vacation center of Bali from Hong Kong was to reduce costs. Data on the savings from officials at the Paris-based Reed MIDEM Organisation; Approval of the location by music industry professionals, such as Harry Hui, Asian regional vice president of Warner/Chappell Music; United Kingdom subsidies unaffected by the move.

Profiles British pop/dance artist Newton. Manchester, England resident Billy Meyers' job as a fireman when he is at home; His recording career with Dome; His international success; Attempts to break into the market at home; Recording and release plans.

Reports that a music industry body in Korea is advocating a regimen of price maintenance in an effort to cope with fierce competition and declining margins. Response to a spiral of price undercutting; Negative reaction of record companies; Comments from industry executives.

Discusses how local operations of major record companies in Thailand are taking measures to absorb the shock of the economic situation. Staff layoffs at PolyGram and Warner; Comments from record company executives including EMI Music Asia president Matthew Allison and David Gilchrist, vice-president of marketing at Warner Music Southeast Asia.

Reports on the broadcaster's awards held in Delhi, India on October 18, 1997. Channel V's support of Hindi pop acts; Award-winning Indian acts, such as Lucky Ali, Daler Mehndi, and Sukhbir; Hindi pop diva Asha Bhonsle, the top winner; Other award-winning acts, such as the Spice Girls, Jon Bon Jovi, and No Doubt; Features of the five-hour long awards show; Comments from Vijay Singh of Sony Music Entertainment (India); Categories, titles and other award details.

Discusses the efforts of Virgin Records officials to remedy the ban of singer Janet Jackson's album `The Velvet Rope' in the Asian city-state of Singapore because of risque lyrical content as of October 25, 1997. Comments from Virgin officials; Details about the appeal process.

Looks at MTV Network Asia's distribution as of September 13, 1997. What MTV Asia produces; The result of the rapid distribution growth; History of MTV Asia; Comments from Frank Brown, president of MTV Asia.

Announces that Chinese authorities have carried out Hong Kong's first-ever raid on CD manufacturers suspected of producing pirated product, as of September 13, 1997. The number of CDs confiscated and arrests made; The suggestion that the Portuguese colony of Macau is becoming a piracy stronghold; What the success of the raid is attributed to.

Reports that multinational music publishers operating in Asia are formulating plans to audit their sister record companies in a number of key markets. Goal of quantifying mechanical royalty payments more precisely; Sensitivity of dealing with any sort of audit; Probable starting time of program; Concern with loss of royalties in several countries including Malaysia and Indonesia.

Discusses 1997 legislation on parallel import music recordings in Hong Kong. The effect of the legislation, such as rising compact disc costs; Why the law is a necessity, according to BMG senior vice president Asia-Pacific Michael Smellie; Details of the law.

Reports that David Bowie's Mandarin-language song, `A Fleeting Moment,' has risen to number one on Hong Kong's local repertoire playlist charts, the first single by a non-Asian artist ever to do so. Available on BMG `World Music Horizons' compilation; Television interview and music video set for release; Comments from disc jockey Elvin Wong.

Reports on the success of the Hong Kong government in approving a new copyright law days before the territory reverted to Chinese rule in July 1997. Details of the new law; Reactions of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI); Unauthorized parallel imports subject to criminal charges; Changes in criminal penalties for piracy.

Reports that as of July 1, 1997 Richard Denekamp will be the president of Asia for Sony Music International (SMI). SMI's problems with music markets in Asia outside of Japan; Career and biographical data for Denekamp.

Reports that Fox Agency International (FAI) is to sign a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Asian mechanical royalty payments. The companies involved; The history of the MoU, started in 1994; Details.

Reports on Vietnam's first compact disc production line, inaugurated by Saigon Audio. Expectations for the production facility from planning director Pham Ngoc Tri; Hopes that Saigon Audio will produce for PolyGram Far East; The problem of piracy; Opening ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City.

Examines developments in efforts to curb the sale and production for export of pirate music products in China. Renewed efforts following President Clinton's renewal of China's most favored nation status; Statistics for annual pirate product sales in China; The da ko dai phonomenon as the repackaging and resale of discontinued CDs from the United States; Comments from Duan Jike, executive secretary general of the Audio-Visual Industry Association of China (AVIAC) and others.