Asia/The Role of Independent Media

TelevisionPoint.com: Real need for quality independent media by Asians

"For Asians, there is a complete paucity of reliable sources of information and analysis on current events. If one speaks English, one has the option of consuming the Asian editions of American/Western media. However, content is dominated by news from elsewhere that is of little interest to an Asian audience.What local news there is, is covered from a Western perspective."

India/Advertising Markets

The Financial Express: Behind the hype India’s ad industry needs to focus on creativity

"The Media Partner Asia report on the global advertising scenario in 2006 paints a bright picture for India. At around 13%, the country is expected to post the third-largest growth in ad spends in the Asia Pacific region, after Indonesia’s 18% and China’s 17%. A clear indication that the Rs 12,500 crore advertising business is ready to follow in the footsteps of consumer product markets. Not surprising. India’s booming economy is a major driving force for companies. And where companies come, advertisers follow."

"The rush of international networks over the past few years and the quest for multiple alignments—UK’s WPP group owns five of the top 10 agencies in India, while No. 3, Interpublic, has a majority holding in three—is a signal that the world is fast discovering the Indian market. With a population of over one billion and a middle class (estimated at 300 million) larger than the US’ total population, the rewards are high."

India/Net TV

The Times of India: Net on TV comes closer to Indian homes

"Siemens Communications (a division of Siemens AG) has identified home entertainment segment as its next big thrust area, and Asian markets - including India - will play a big role in making this strategy a success."

"While the telecom networking/solutions company will mainly focus on providing internet in television (known as IPTV or internet protocol over television), it is already talking to three leading Indian operators - Bharti Televentures, Reliance Infocomm and state-owned BSNL - to bring this technology in the Indian market, said Andreas Mueller-Schubert, president of fixed networks solutions, Siemens Comm."

Asia/Reporting on Crisis/Awards

IndiaTelevision.com: CNN gets Dupont Award for Tsunami coverage

"CNN has received the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award in the US for its distinguishing coverage of the South Asia tsunami disaster. The judges cited CNN for its ability to provide in-depth reports about a major natural disaster while under considerable deadline and logistical pressures."

China/Foreign Media Giants

CNN Money: Mickey Mouse finds magic in China

"Walt Disney Co. is making its first movie in China, an adaptation of a local children's book, joining a growing field of Hollywood studios seeking access to the nation's tightly controlled media and entertainment markets."

Malaysia/The New Straits Times/Figures

Publicitas: The New Straits Times fastest-growing English daily

"The New Straits Times (NST)is the fastest-growing English daily in the country, figures released (December 7, 2005) by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) show. And the Malay-language newspapers in the New Straits Times Press stable took the No 1 and No 2 spots. Over a 12-month period beginning July last year, the NST registered growth of 8.3 per cent to sell 139,517 copies per day, contrasted with 128,868 copies daily in the previous corresponding period, beginning in 2003."

Malaysia/New Magazine

Publicitas: Launch of Elle Magazine

"Elle Malaysia is launching in the third week of February 2006. The magazine will be published under license by Mediacorporation Publishing Sdn Berhar, the publishing arm of Mediacorp. Mediacorp, Singapore’s largest broadcaster with the largest spectrum of media offerings, is the publisher of FHM, Mother & Baby and Lime in Malaysia. Elle Malaysia will operate with a local editorial team based in Kuala Lumpur."

Singapore/New Entertainment Magazine

Publicitas: UW - Singapore’s First Hybrid Entertainment, Lifestyle & Social News Magazine

"You-Weekly, the Chinese entertainment and lifestyle weekly published by media group Singapore Press Holdings Ltd, will be revamped and renamed 优1周 or UW in English. UW, which is twice bigger than its predecessor You-Weekly, will be Singapore's biggest entertainment magazine when it hits the market."

Asia/Business Magazines

Media: Business Week shuts Asia edition

"Business Week vice-president and managing director Tom Masterson has admitted that competition from online news sources and changes in readership habits are responsible for the closure of the publication in Asia."

India/Internet

ABC News: Study Predicts 100 Million India Web Users

"The number of Internet users in India will shoot to 100 million in two years from the current 38.5 million, an industry study said. The number of Internet users has soared 54 percent from 25 million users in 2004-2005. The catalyst for this growth was the rise in online shopping for airline and rail tickets, books and home appliances, Preeti Desai, president of the Internet and Mobile Association of India, said."

China/Internet/Podcasting

UPI:Chinese take to podcasting

"China is joining the high-tech podcasting craze that allows people to use their own Web sites to air everything from songs and jokes to speeches. Podcasters in cities all over China are hitting the Internet to share their "life-casting" experiences through audio files, the official Xinhua news agency said. Podcasting lets individuals to produce their own audio files and upload them onto a Web site."

China/Foreign Media/Magazines

CNN: Rolling Stone ready to publish in China

"One of the leading chroniclers of U.S. popular culture -- Rolling Stone magazine -- is taking on the next frontier - China. The monthly has licensed Hong Kong-based One Media Group to publish a Chinese-language edition in the mainland, One Media Group Chief Strategy Officer Robby Yung told The Associated Press on Wednesday.The target launch date is the first quarter of next year, Yung said."

India/Advertising Trends

AgencyFaqs!: India, Asia face similar advertising issues

"Ad professionals in Asia were particularly concerned about the increasing trend of introducing legislation to restrict advertising, which in turn leads to stifled innovation and competition and reduced consumer choice. This impacts economic growth, jobs, the press and media and becomes a burden that is ultimately shouldered by the consumer."

South Asia/Harassment of the Journalists

NepalNews.com: Journalists in Nepal, Pak most harassed in South Asia: Report

"A media monitoring report prepared by the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) has said journalists in Nepal faced more harassment than any other South Asian country in the first three quarters of 2005. Pakistan ranked second in terms of harassment faced by the journalists, SAFMA report said."

China/Local Printing by Foreign Newspapers

AsiaMedia: China suspends plan to allow local printing of foreign newspapers

"Beijing has stopped plans to allow foreign newspapers to print in China because of concerns raised by recent 'colour revolutions' against authoritarian governments in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Ukraine, according to a senior media regulator."

Asia/Tv-markets/Star/Regional Strategy

IndianTelevision.com: Star needs to look at regional strategy: Guthrie

"Some regulatory stumbling blocks in India and China notwithstanding, Rupert Murdoch’s pan-Asian venture, Star, will “push deeper” into local territories. The Hong Kong-based Star Group, which is expected to close the FY 2006 in June with a higher revenue pegged at $ 548 million, also thinks that it’s time a regional strategy is devised for the lucrative Indian market."

Phillipines/Newspaper/Compact

Publicitas: Daily Inquirer joins 'compact revolution'

"The Philippine Daily Inquirer joins the world newspapers' "compact revolution." Respected newspapers of record, such as the Times of London, have converted to the so-called compact format to meet changing concepts of content and convenience."

The country's leading newspaper joins the new wave with Inquirer Compact, designed with the needs of certain groups of readers in mind.The Compact is a daily newspaper with a strong regional orientation. Published in Metro Manila, it will be distributed only in key cities in Luzon."