Thúy Nga Inc. is an American entertainment company founded in 1984 in Paris, and currently based in Westminster, California. The private company is known for its Vietnamese-oriented entertainment, such as the variety show and direct-to-video series Paris by Night, and music released as part of the record label Thúy Nga Music.
History
1963–2000: Background and founding
Founder Tô Văn Lai first formed a music company in 1963, in Saigon, South Vietnam, as a precursor for the current company and record label. Tô began operations for Thúy Nga in 1984, in Paris, France, starting with production for the showParis by Night. Afterwards, the company transferred to Orange County, California, which has one of the largest Vietnamese populations outside of Vietnam. The company has since produced more shows in the series, along with other videos, and a catalog of albums by various artists from the Thúy Nga Music record label.
In the 21st century, however, the company began to lose revenue due to the piracy of the video and album releases, with chief-executive Marie To commenting, "Profit? We are barely making it." Works released by the company are also banned in Vietnam, which has the largest source of pirates. Due to the rampant online piracy, Vietnamese entertainment companies have ceased productions, with exceptions being Thúy Nga, Garden Grove-based Asia Entertainment, and Van Son. In 2008, Marie To commented, "Ten years ago, there were about two dozen music studios, now only three labels are active." In 2010, Thúy Nga nearly shut down, narrowly avoiding it due to community support and new business strategies, which included lowering the cost to perform at venues, and increasing advertising. The company has since moved to social media by 2010, posting videos of Paris by Night performances and full albums on YouTube along with advertising, in order to lure audiences into purchasing the label's works.
Organization
Although production for the company's products include various freelance workers, producers, directors, and such, the full-time staff is limited to about a dozen people. Many singers for the company have originated in Orange County. In addition to its headquarters at Westminster, California, and its original headquarters in Paris, Thúy Nga also has regional sales and distribution centers in Toronto, Canada and in Bankstown, New South Wales in Australia. The company also transferred part of its Australian distribution rights to a local music center at Footscray, Victoria.
