The channel initially launched on 20 June 1997 out of Hong Kong. In 1998, the channel merged with Dow Jones' Asia Business News and re-located to its facilities in Singapore. The network maintains bureaus across the Asia–Pacific region.
History
CNBC Asia was initially announced for a 1995 launch, as a localised version of CNBC for the Asia-Pacific region. The network was expected to feature 10 hours of programming per day from its studio in Hong Kong, along with bureaus in Bombay, Singapore, and Tokyo. The rest of its programming would be sourced from CNBC Europe and its U.S. counterpart. NBC Asia chairman Patrick Cox expected that the network would reach five million homes by the end of its first year on-air.[2] In January 1995, a "preview" known as ANBC launched, which carried a mix of programming from CNBC U.S. and CNBC Europe on Galaxy in Australia and Wharf Cable in Hong Kong.[2] CNBC Asia officially launched on 20 June 1995.[3][4]
The network would be a competitor to the Singapore-based Asia Business News (ABN), a joint venture between Dow Jones & Company, Tele-Communications Inc., TVNZ, and other local investors which launched in 1993. It was doubted whether two competing business news channels in the market would be viable; ABN CEO Paul France derided CNBC Asia as being "an Asian branch of an American company".[2][5] However, as early as November 1995, it was reported that NBC and Dow Jones were considering a merger of their business news channels in Asia and Europe, including ABN and its European counterpart European Business News (EBN).[6]
In March 1997, CNBC Asia expanded its carriage on cable in India via an agreement with the Hinduja Group.[7]
Merger with ABN
Renewed negotiations between NBC and Dow Jones surfaced in November 1997 amid financial difficulties at the companies' Asian and European operations. Dow Jones had been operating at a loss of US$48 million, and CNBC at $40 million.[8][3]
On 10 December 1997, Dow Jones and NBC announced a 15-year strategic partnership, under which ABN and EBN would merge with CNBC Asia and CNBC Europe respectively, and CNBC U.S, would be able to enter into editorial partnerships with Dow Jones publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Barron's.[9][10] The merged operation would retain the CNBC branding, but be overseen by Paul France,[11] and re-locate to ABN's Singapore studios—resulting in layoffs of 150 employees from its Hong Kong bureau.[8][5]
The merger took effect on-air on 2 February 1998, with the channel being rebranded as CNBC–Asia Business News for a transitional period.[12][13] Citing cost issues and a plan to focus exclusively on Asian business news, simulcasts of CNBC U.S. programmes were dropped from its overnight schedule in favour of reruns of domestic programmes. After the decision was poorly received by viewers, CNBC's U.S. business day programmes were reinstated in March.[12]
The merger impacted ABN's Indian network, ABNi, which was a joint venture with Hinduja Group and TV18; prior to the announcement of the Dow Jones agreement, Hinduja had sold its stake in the channel, and TV18's agreement on the venture did not contain any provisions on what would occur in the event of a change in ownership. After discussions with a CNBC lawyer and France, TV18 would reach an agreement with CNBC to serve as its Indian partner, and would also launch CNBC India (now CNBC TV18) the following year.[11][14]
In October 1999, CNBC Asia had a partnership with the Australian Financial Review to present The Australian Financial Review Market Wrap, a daily round-up of market news from the Australian region hosted by James Walker and Grace Phan. Major programming changes occurred on 30 October 2000 with CNBC Asia expanding Asia Squawk Box to two hours, Asia Market Watch to two hours in the morning and 1½ hours in the afternoon and Power Lunch Asia to one full hour. CNBC Asia's ticker was also reformatted on that day to include colours reflecting change in the stock prices (green for an increase and red for a decrease) and a stock's ticker symbol.
In 2001, CNBC Asia introduced localised tickers to audiences in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore and has since kept the ticker on the screen during commercial breaks.
In July 2001, Asia Squawk Box was further extended to three hours and more programming hours from CNBC US and CNBC Europe were added to the line-up. This was further extended in 2002 when US programming started at 20.00 UTC+8 time uninterrupted on weeknights.
2005–present: Post-merger
In July 2005, Dow Jones exited its joint ventures with CNBC, putting them entirely under the ownership of NBC Universal.[15] In March 2007, CNBC Asia announced that it would expand its presence in Australia, including establishing a new Sydney bureau (initially based out of a local GE office, with a studio under construction at the Burns Philp Building across from Sydney Exchange Square), and premiering a new hour-long program preceding Asia Squawk Box—Squawk Australia—to cover the opening of the Australian markets.[16][17] The following month, CNBC launched Worldwide Exchange, a new international business program that would be simulcast across CNBC in Asia, Europe, and the United States.[18]
CNBC Asia also launched two brand new shows that replaced Market Watch and the CNBC Europe programme Today's Business;CNBC's Cash Flow, anchored by Maura Fogarty (first hour) and Amanda Drury (second hour), was originally intensely trader and investor based. Following on from the success of Worldwide Exchange, another joint production, Capital Connection was launched. It was originally anchored by Maura Fogarty in Singapore, and Steve Sedgwick in London. Unlike Worldwide Exchange, which was originally produced by CNBC Europe (until production of that show was relocated to CNBC US on 4 January 2016), Capital Connection was produced by CNBC Asia.
On 27 September 2007, CNBC Asia announced two additional shows from Sydney, Trading Matters—a wrap-up of the day's market action, and Australia This Week. Both shows were anchored by then-newly appointed CNBC anchor Oriel Morrison, formerly of the Nine Network and Bloomberg Television. The shows debuted on 2 and 6 October 2007 respectively, as the channel officially opened its new Burns Philip Building studios.[17] The move also saw CNBC Australia re-introduce opt-outs from the pan-Asian feed for additional airings of Trading Matters and Australia This Week.
In August 2008, The Daily Telegraph reported that Channel Nine's finance reporter Karen Tso, would be joining the network in October 2008. She became the Sydney-based correspondent of CNBC and anchored Squawk Australia, thus replacing Jeffrey James.[19] In mid-2009, CNBC Asia launched a new personal finance show as an opt-out in Australia, The Barefoot Investor, with Australian personal finance expert Scott Pape.[20]
In June 2010, CNBC Asia relocated to a new studio at the Singapore Exchange. This coincided with changes to the network's lineup, including the cancellation of Squawk Australia and re-expansion of Asia Squawk Box to a three-hour format, and the new program The Call.[21] On 31 March 2014, CNBC replaced The Call and Cash Flow with the early morning show The Rundown and a local version of Street Signs. AsiaSquawk Box also re-located to a new studio in Hong Kong.[22] In 2019, Asia Squawk Box returned to Singapore with a new anchor lineup.[23]
CNBC Singapore Studio in 2022
In June 2023, CNBC Asia set up a new office in Mapletree Business City. Facilities include a master control room, a production control room for social media platforms and a small studio.[24]
On 22 July 2024, CNBC Asia updated its on-air presentation and branding to match the new CNBC US branding that was first introduced on 11 December 2023.
Programming
Weekday line-up
CNBC Asia produces live business day programming from 06:00 to 13:00 SIN (UTC+08:00) time during DST or 06:00 to 14"00 SIN without DST. The channel's weekday business day programmes (pan-Asian feed) are[25]
In addition, CNBC Asia produces a weekly show - Managing Asia, presented by Christine Tan.
Weekends
CNBC Asia broadcasts lifestyle and sporting programmes, branded under CNBC Life, showings of CNBC US documentaries and weekly business shows such as Managing Asia, The Brave Ones, Marketing.Media.Money, The CNBC Conversation, American Greed, Tech Transformers, Channel Japan, Meet China, CNBC Tech: The Edge, and Meet the Press. Back-to-back editions of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are shown during the evening.
End-of-year programming
CNBC Asia outside broadcasting 2006
On trading days over the Christmas and new year period, CNBC Asia massively cuts back its regional programming with live output restricted to a two-hour edition of Asia Squawk Box Pre-taped specials air at all other times. Simulcasts of programmes originating from CNBC US and CNBC Europe remains unaffected. Regular programming resumes immediately after the New Year's Day holiday.
Former programmes
Among the shows that have been cancelled are:
Weekdays
Lunch Money (2 February 1998 – 29 October 1999, replaced by Power Lunch Asia on 1 November 1999)
Breakfast Briefing (2 February 1998 – 31 March 2000, replaced by CNBC Today on 3 April 2000)
Trading Day (2 February 1998 – 31 March 2000, replaced by Asia Market Watch and European Market Watch on 3 April 2000)
Asia Nightly News (2 February 1998 – 30 June 2000, replaced by e on 3 July 2000)
Global Market Watch (3 April 2000 – 27 October 2000, replaced by Business Center on 30 October 2000)
In the US, all of CNBC Asia's daytime programmes are seen on CNBC World.
In Europe, during the mid to late 2000s CNBC Europe had chosen to scale back simulcasts of CNBC Asia programming overnight in favour of teleshopping and later poker games and CNBC Asia's entire morning line-up had only been seen on Monday mornings. During the rest of the week, only the second hour of Street Signs and Capital Connection were seen on CNBC Europe. However, in 2009, CNBC Europe began showing almost the entire CNBC Asia schedule throughout the week.
Since 23 April 2007, a free live and commercial-free stream of CNBC Asia has been available on CNBC.com every Monday, from 6AM to 4PM SIN time (Sundays 6PM to 4AM ET with DST).[26] At other times, the stream can be accessed by subscribing to CNBC Plus, which costs $9.95/month or $99.95/year.
Furthermore, Worldwide Exchange is not shown on Fridays due to clashing with weekend shows (Inside China, The Edge) and Managing Asia.
On-air staff
Staff are based in Singapore unless stated otherwise.[27]
In the Philippines, the second hour of CNBC's Street Signs is simulcasted on ANC. Managing Asia is also shown on ANC at 8.30 local time on Saturdays. However, ANC and CNBC ended their partnership in 2016. In 2001-2002 CNBC on ZOE TV (now Light TV and A2Z) in 24/7 Business News Channel on Free TV.
