MEDIABLAB DAILY DIGEST DEC 14: DOW JONES NETWORK18 GRAZIA FINANCIAL TIMES NEWS CORP CMH FORBES
December 14th 2007 21:24
A daily compendium of media news items compiled over the last 24 hoours for MediaBlab via Dow Jones' Factica, Lexis-Nexis, and News Bites Melbourne.
AUSTRALIA’S NEW MEDIA GROUP CONSOLIDATED MEDIA GOES GANGBUSTERS ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE
New Australian media group, Consolidated Media Holdings, yesterday burst through the $3 billion barrier, and its shares have climbed 19 percent, or more than $500 million overall, since the start of last week, when it was first listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
The Australian reports that the share price of CMH – which owns substantial stakes in pay-TV group Foxtel, Fox Sports, online recruitment leader Seek and Nine Network owner PBL Media – yesterday saw its largest hike since the split, rising 36c, or more than 8 percent, to $4.71.
The Australian reported, “The recent increases have catapulted CMH into the position of Australia's third-largest media company by market capitalisation, with the company's share market worth hitting more than $3.2 billion.”
SCANDAL OVER AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN’S FRONT-PAGE ‘SHARON STONE MOMENT’Canberra Times editor Mark Baker decision to publish a revealing front-page photograph of Labor MP Maxine McKew in a short dress has been widely reported throughout the Australian media.
The media reports state that the Canberra Times received complaints from readers after it ran the image of McKew talking to former prime minister John Howard at a function to officially declare her the winner in the Sydney seat of Bennelong.
Of course the media in Australia has almost universally run the story and some have also run a picture of the front page, with The Age in Melbourne showing the story(and photo) heading its list of Top Ten viewed articles.
The photograph shows McKew sitting beside Howard and, while it does not display anything inappropriate, suggests she may not be wearing underwear – but you have to look closely and use your imagination.
AAP reported that The Age newspaper in Melbourne “used the same photograph but cropped it differently, avoiding the problem.”
Which is a nonsense statement because the online image if anything accentuates “the problem” or zooms in closer to the, er, problem area.
The Australian Financial Review ran the photo in its first edition, but then pulled it.
Online news site Crikey branded the photo as McKew's "Sharon Stone moment", a reference to the infamous scene from Basic Instinct.
Baker expressed regret to any readers who had been offended by the image, while defending it as a "tremendous picture", and told AAP that, "It didn't occur to me that people would have a problem with the issue of the dress."
"It's been an extraordinary response from people…you can see a little bit more of Maxine's legs but there's nothing more than that.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE: IT’S THE WORLD’S FIRST NEWSPAPER PHONE
Sweden's Dagens Nyheter has launched the world's first ‘newspaper’ telephone: a mobile phone offering the daily's subscribers direct and free access to its website, according to AFP.
"We want our readers to be able to follow the news even when they're in places where they cannot lay their hands on a paper or (access the Internet on) a computer," Thorbjoern Larsson, Dagens Nyheter editor-in-chief and publisher, told AFP.
"This is yet another way of distributing the news," he added.
Dagens Nyheter subscribers can purchase the Nokia 6120 3G phone on the paper's website, and by signing up for a $A35 monthly call plan can freely surf the daily's website by simply hitting a special "DN" button.
WALL OF ‘BOOBY’ PHOTOS PART OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IN CANADA
Media in Canada reports that what began as a creative concept to help educate women may become the largest piece of interactive art on the web, and certainly the largest piece of art featuring only breasts.
Beginning on January 10, women across Canada will be invited to TLC (Touch. Look. Check.) And then to take a picture of their (clad or unclad) breasts to upload to a ‘Booby Wall.’
The idea comes from Toronto's Boom Marketing and Real Interactive for Schick Quattro for Women as part of the company's support for Rethink Breast Cancer's TLC program.
The awareness campaign kicked in Canada’s autumn with the installation of a ‘booby booth’ at L'Oreal Fashion Week and the National Women's Show. The booth was an enclosure equipped with a computer and camera, and the idea was that women would help promote the importance of breast health by allowing their pictures to be taken and mounted on the booth's walls.
Meanwhile at the BBC in the UK bosses have cracked down on about staff not wearing identification around their necks at all times, to the extent that failure to comply will now become a disciplinary issue. But this has not been well received by Women's Hour staff. They say that security staff are now spending much longer looking at their breasts, where the cards are located, and so will refuse.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IMPORTANT IN ALLEVIATING POVERTY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Ministers and top officials from least developed countries highlighted the importance of intellectual property as a strategic tool for alleviating poverty and promoting wealth creation in least developed countries at a high-level forum organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation on December 12, 2007 at its Geneva headquarters.
The forum was attended by several ministers from least developed countries, ambassadors and permanent representatives, and senior government officials and provided an opportunity to exchange views and gain insights into intellectual property capacity-building measures to promote effective use and management of the intellectual property system.
It further enabled participants to explore practical solutions to questions about how the intellectual property system can be developed to ensure that it serves the interests of least developed countries in meeting their developmental objectives.
FINANCIAL TIMES EXTENDS DEAL WITH REUTERS TO INCREASE VIDEO ONLINE CONTENT
The Financial Times is continuing to focus on its online content, extending its relationship with Reuters to include video hosting across its photo, world news, business news sections, according to Marketing.
The addition of Reuters video will take the Financial Times video content to more than 100 per month, which is expected to grow in 2008.
The Financial Times has also recently partnered with Google and 30 other websites to launch a ‘First Click Free' program that will allow users to click through to FT.com content free of charge, without registration or subscription.
The news group also strengthened its blogging community to draw and retain more visitors to its site.
Ien Cheng, publisher and managing editor of FT.com told Marketing that video content was playing an important role in the company's overall online growth. "We now create and publish over 100 popular videos of our own every month and this number will increase in 2008."
AUSTRALIA’S NUDIE FRUIT JUICE LAUNCHES GUERRILLA MARKETING AND WEBSITE CAMPAIGN IN HONG KONG
Australian fruit juice brand Nudie will partner with California Fitness and launch an extensive guerrilla marketing, sponsorship and targeted sampling campaign as part of its Hong Kong launch, Marketing reports.
Hong Kong is the first country outside Australia where Nudie has launched. The company relies on word-of-mouth, PR and targeted sampling to promote its products, rather than advertising.
Since its October launch, the company has kicked off several initiatives that include delivering Nudies every week to more than 50 targeted offices, in-store sampling and sponsoring at sports and fashion events with the most recent at the Sevens Tournament.
Consumers can expect more quirky marketing activities from the company early next year as it intends to bring in the Nudie hot air balloon as well as the Nudie mascot.
A Hong Kong specific website is also in the works because apparently the current Australian site has some 5,000 Hong Kong Nudie “addicts.”
BUSINESSWEEK US NEWSSTAND SALES UP 25 PERCENT BUT STAFF GET DUMPED IN REORGANISATION
Folio reports that BusinessWeek in the US is combining its print and digital staff to create a single editorial operation to better integrate its print and web components.
But as part of the reorganisation, as many as a dozen business and editorial staff members will be laid off.
Folio says, “Oddly, the reorganization comes at an otherwise fruitful time for BusinessWeek. According to Adler, magazine readership is up three percent; newsstand sales are up 25 percent “while most of our competitors were down or flat”; and BusinessWeek.com set a record with 64.7 million page views in November.
“The magazine also recently completed a successful redesign.”
Here is the memo with the buried news about the layoffs from editor in chief Stephen Adler:
“Colleagues:
For the past three years, we’ve been moving progressively toward integrating our print and digital operations – by increasing reporters’ contributions to Businessweek.com, combining our overseas bureaus and copy-desk teams, and seating together everyone within a given coverage area. Today we complete this vital transformation by creating a single editorial organization for BusinessWeek. The new structure will enable us to collaborate more effectively, take greater advantage of everyone’s abilities, learn new skills, and serve our readers and Web users better.
Under this new structure, one chief editor will supervise all work in print and online in a particular coverage area. Each chief will report jointly to Executive Editors John Byrne and Ellen Pollock, both of whom will continue to report to me. Here’s the lineup:
News Chief: Brian Bremner
Finance/Personal Finance Chief: Frank Comes
Small Business Chief: Jim Ellis
Tech Chief: Peter Elstrom
Science Chief: Neil Gross
Corporations/Workplace Chief: Mary Kuntz
Innovation Chief: Bruce Nussbaum
Global and Policy Chief: Chris Power
The chief editors will get in touch with everyone who will work within their groups later today or tomorrow. We’ll phase in the new structure between now and Jan. 1. Let’s plan on a staff meeting for early January to discuss all this further.
In other new assignments springing from this reorganization, Dan Beucke will become BusinessWeek.com News Director, reporting to Brian Bremner; and Suzanne Woolley will become Senior Editor for Personal Finance, reporting to Frank Comes.
While we’ll all be working together editorially regardless of delivery platform, we’ll continue to sweat the production details that enable us to create both a topflight magazine and a first-rate Web site. Recognizing the special skills required to excel in these two very different media, I am appointing Ciro Scotti as managing editor of the magazine and Martin Keohan as managing editor of the Web site to ensure that we preserve the highest possible quality as we produce each product – and that we meet our various deadlines.
Ciro joined BusinessWeek in 1978, after reporting stints at daily newspapers. Since 2005, he has been an assistant managing editor, deftly overseeing production of the magazine, writing the very best cover headlines, and casting a sharp editorial eye over all our copy. Previously, he was a senior editor, responsible for the copy desk and for government and sports-business coverage. Ciro will continue to report to Ellen Pollock.
Since 2003, Martin has served as director of editorial operations for BusinessWeek.com, skillfully ensuring collaboration and efficiency among the news and channel editors, copy desk, art department, production, and technology. Prior to his role with BusinessWeek.com, Martin served as editorial director for BusinessWeek Events, where he created the BW50 Forum and the CEO Summit Series. Martin will continue to report to John Byrne.
Unfortunately, in connection with the reorganization, a small number of our editorial colleagues will be leaving BusinessWeek. It’s exceedingly difficult to part with valued co-workers, and decisions to eliminate positions aren’t made lightly. I want to thank those who are leaving for all their good work and wish them well in new endeavors.
Despite the challenges of the past few years, our journalism has been extraordinarily strong, and both readers and online users clearly have taken notice.
– Our total magazine readership was up 3% in the last MRI tally, to over 4.9 million, more than at any time since 1998;
– Newsstand sales were up 25% in the latest report, while most of our competitors were down or flat;
– We achieved a new online usage record in November with 64.7 million page views.
As our new organization takes shape over the next couple of weeks, I’m confident that it will build on these achievements and create exciting opportunities for the BusinessWeek team. Congratulations to all on their new assignments.”
FOCUS BUYS CHINESE DIGITAL IN-STORE AD NETWORK FOR $US350 MILLION
Focus Media will pay US$350 million in cash and shares for China’s in-store digital advertising network, CGEN Digital Media.
Marketing reports that under the agreement, Focus Media, China's largest digital outdoor media group, will acquire 100 percent of the equity of CGEN for US$168.4 million in cash, and an additional payment of up to US$181.6 million, part in cash and part in Focus Media ordinary shares.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008.
INDIA’S NETWORK18: BUYS 53 PERCENT OF PUBLISHING COMPANY INFOMEDIA
Television Eighteen India Ltd, recently renamed Network18, has acquired a 53 percent stake in Infomedia India Ltd, a publication company, from an ICICI Venture managed fund. The stake will be purchased in a phased manner - 40 percent immediately, followed by an open offer for 20 percent of Infomedia’s equity.
Exchange4media reported that in the event that the open offer does not garner enough response, then the company has the right to purchase such number of shares from the ICICI Venture managed fund so as to augment Network 18’s stake to at least 53 percent.
Infomedia is one of the first leveraged buyouts in India led by ICICI Venture. The sale process of ICICI Venture’s stake had witnessed strong interest from several strategic and financial investors, including international majors.
Renuka Ramnath, managing director and ceo of ICICI Venture said that Infomedia’s publication business has been expanding at over 30 percent, and they’ve added 10 titles in the last 2-3 years.
INDIA’S NETWORK18: TO LAUNCH A BUSINESS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FORBES
Network18, through its TV18 group, will launch a business magazine in India in partnership with Forbes Media. The partnership will include a content licensing arrangement and an introduction of other Forbes products, subject to regulatory approval.
Commenting on this partnership, Raghav Bahl, managing director of Network18 told Exchange4media that, “Our partnership with Forbes for a business magazine in India is another compelling testimony to the growing acceptance of the Indian growth story worldwide. Rapid economic expansion, change in consumer mindsets and deepening of the market economy in the country have led to an enabling environment for business brands. We will be strongly positioned to deliver a benchmark offering in the market by fusing the strong editorial and brand lineage of Forbes and our proven expertise in the Indian business media market.”
Steve Forbes, chairman, ceo, and editor-in-chief of Forbes, said, “India is one of the prime markets Forbes has wanted to enter for sometime. We were waiting for the right partner and are so pleased that we have reached a partnership agreement with Network18, one of the most respected and fastest-growing media companies in India. We look forward to making Forbes available to this forceful market soon.”
William Adamopoulos, president and publisher of Forbes Asia, commented, “As the world’s foremost champion of entrepreneurial capitalism, we at Forbes are excited to partner with the accomplished media entrepreneurs at Network18 to bring the Forbes brand and style of journalism to India -- home of many of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs. This partnership in India complements and builds upon our existing Pan-Asia network of Forbes Asia, Forbes China, Forbes Korea and Forbes Nihonban.”
Exchange4media said TV18 operates business channels CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, besides Newswire18 and a host of web properties like moneycontrol.com. It will also complement TV18’s acquisition of Infomedia (see item in today’s MediaBlab.)
ACP WILL SPEND $10 MILLION TO LAUNCH GRAZIA INTO AUSTRALIA IN SPRING 2008
ACP Magazines has released more information about its licensing agreement with Mondadori to publish the international weekly fashion magazine Grazia in the Australian market, as reported yesterday in MediaBlab.
The Australian edition of Grazia will launch in the spring of 2008 and will also be available in New Zealand.
Scott Lorson, ceo, ACP said, “Grazia is a truly unique and exceptional magazine that is held in the highest regard by publishers, advertisers, designers, and fashion forward audiences around the world. As a fashion weekly, we also feel it is the perfect complement to our existing stable of premium fashion and celebrity titles.
“The team at ACP Magazines have often looked to Grazia for ideas and inspiration.”
The Australian Financial Review reported the story, saying that ACP’s stable had acquired a “new show pony” for Australia’s already cluttered weekly woman’s magazine market.
It said ACP will spend more than $10 million launching the title, in its biggest new magazine launch since NW ten years ago.
UK FREESHEET METRO WEB SITES WILL GIVE USERS A SHARE OF AD PROFITS
UK’s free national daily newspaper Metro will launch two user-generated content websites next year that will give users a share of advertising profits they generate, according to UK Press Gazette.
The Associated Newspapers-owned paper said it will launch MEview, a Youtube-style video hosting service and MEmusic, a music sharing service, both hosted on metro.co.uk, which are now in their testing phase with a full launch planned for early next year.
Metro’s readers are the youngest of any national newspaper in the UK.
MEview users who upload video content will be asked whether they want to choose from a selection of 10 to 15 second advertising clips. Those who accept the advert will be paid a set rate per thousand views.
Music tracks on MEview will cost 79p to download, of which the owner receives 70 percent, but users can listen to tracks for free.
Metro Mobile, which launches later this month, will provide news and other Metro online content as well as giving access to the two new file-sharing services.
The Metro distributed a daily average of 1.2 million copies in November, according to the latest ABC figures, and claims to have 750,000 monthly unique users.
VIETNAM’S NATIONAL TV BROADCASTER TO AUCTION AD AIRTIME SIMILAR TO CHINA’S CCTV GAMBIT
Vietnamese advertising agencies have threatened to boycott a planned auction of advertising airtime announced by national broadcaster VTV, following a history of the bbroadcaster consistently raising airtime prices despite falling viewer numbers.
Nicole Vooijs, managing director of MindShare Vietnam, told Brand Republic’s Media Asia, “We can only assume VTV is using China’s CCTV auctions as inspiration. The current high demand has given the broadcaster the freedom to try different systems.
“It would not benefit anyone in the industry except the media suppliers; an auction would make advertisers more dependent on TV stations and it might benefit bigger advertisers over smaller ones.
"We would prefer to move towards a more professional model of costing control.”
VTV, or Vietnam Television, is the only nation-wide TV broadcaster in Vietnam, and the government-run station is the leading news and media source in the country with five channels.
TIME WARNER DIGITAL SUBSIDIARY AOL TO ENTER AUSTRALIAN MARKET FOR THE THIRD TIME
Internet company AOL, the digital subsidiary of global media group Time Warner, is about to enter the Australian market for the third time, this time as a free internet portal supported by advertising.
The Australian newspaper reported that David Holloway, an Australian working in AOL's international business development unit in the US, has been here for six weeks, recruiting staff and negotiating partnership deals.
Sources said Fairfax and Network Ten were among the companies AOL had approached, although they had not signed content deals.
The local portal may be co-branded with Hewlett-Packard after AOL signed a global deal in September to put localised versions of its internet portal, toolbar and search components on HP PCs, with the portal set as the default home page.
It's understood AOL has appointed Tempest Media as its advertising sales representative in Australia.
Holloway told local media executives the Australian portal would be "a smaller version of our flagship US site www.aol.com.”
AOL formerly operated a joint venture ISP and content operation in Australia called AOL7 with the Seven Network and AAPT but exited in early 2004.
It first launched in Australia as a walled garden internet business under the America Online brand in 1998 with German media group Bertelsmann, according to The Australian.
DOW JONES SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE SALE TO RUPERT MURDOCH’S NEWS CORP
The Wall Street Journal’s website yesterday reported that Dow Jones’ shareholders have approved sale to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
A count of the proxy votes ahead of a shareholder meeting later today showed shareholders owning more than half of the company's voting power supports the sale.
Dow Jones's board approval was acquired in July after members of the controlling Bancroft family said they would support the sale.
Before today’s closing of the deal, Rupert Murdoch appointed News Corp veteran Les Hinton as Dow Jones chief executive and named Times of London editor Robert Thomson as the publisher of The Wall Street Journal (See MediaBlab archive.)
Yesterday’s count of proxy votes effectively sews the game up with ownership of Dow Jones passing to Murdoch.
After the formality of shareholders giving their final approval, all that will be left after completing some paperwork is to hand over the money.
UK COMPETITION COMMISSION EXTENDS INQUIRY PERIOD INTO MACQUARIE PURCHASE OF NATIONAL GRID WIRELESS
Australia’s Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group told the ASX it had noted the release by the UK Competition Commission of a notice extending its period of inquiry into the acquisition of 100 percent of National Grid Wireless by Macquarie UK Broadcast Ventures Ltd, the parent company of Arqiva Ltd.
Macquarie Communications had previously been advised by the commission that it expected to complete its inquiry by the end of January 2008. However, the notice announces an extended period of inquiry and sets an expiry date of March 18. 2008.
The full text of the notice can be found on the Commission’s website at Really Long Link
As announced by Macquarie Communications on December 3, 2007, the Commission has already released preliminary findings on the National Grid Wireless acquisition (see MediaBlab archive).
These provisional findings, which are also available in full on the commission’s website, are under consideration by Arqiva, which will respond in due course.
In reaching its provisional findings, the commission advised that it had not yet taken into account synergies and other benefits in relation to digital switchover which will result from the acquisition. The commission has reconfirmed this in the notice extending its period of inquiry.
Arqiva and National Grid Wireless remain subject to a ‘hold separate’ arrangement during the review process and will continue to operate as discrete entities.
NEWSREADER STAN GRANT QUITS AUSTRALIA’S SBS TV – TIPPED TO WORK IN PR FOR WORLD BANK
SBS Television has announced that World News Australia newsreader Stan Grant will leave SBS tomorrow “to take up a new challenge.”
Grant, who has been with World News Australia since its shift to the one-hour format at the beginning of the year, will be replaced by Anton Enus.
Stan Grant said, ""It is no secret this has been a difficult year, but I thank everyone at SBS news for continuing to deliver a first class product and it is with some sadness that I leave such a committed, dedicated and talented news team."
The difficulties that Grant refers to include acrimony between himself and news co-host Mary Kostakidis who quit the station after a 20-year career, and subsequently sued it.
Grant told News Ltd’s Herald-Sun newspaper in Melbourne that he was possibly leaving TV altogether, and that his new job, which was still being negotiated, would likely involve overseas travel.
Melbourne’s Fairfax broadsheet, The Age said there are suggestions Grant’s new job “may be a public relations role with the World Bank.”
Stan Grant, who has worked for CNN, is Australia’s first and only indigenous male news presenter on a national television channel, although this is very rarely referred to in the Australian media.
SBS director Peter Carroll will also leave on Friday after his 11-year term was not extended by the former federal government, but the new government has not decided on a replacement.
FAIRFAX PUSHES AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ON HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND TO FACILITATE INCREASED WEB VIDEO CONTENT
TO Fairfax Media chief executive David Kirk said the most pressing issue for the company with Australia’s new Rudd labor governmet was its commitment to a high-speed broadband network, which would give Fairfax readers faster internet access and video downloading capability, according to The Age newspaper.
Fairfax, which owns The Age, is expanding video content on websites like theage.com.au to attract more readers and advertising dollars, and offset declining demand for print classifieds.
The company had increased the number of monthly video downloads on its news sites from 1.2 million to 4.2 million over the past eight months, Kirk said.
Following an "interesting and busy" year, in which Fairfax increased its market value by more than half through its $3 billion merger with Rural Press and its $520 million takeover of Southern Cross Broadcasting's talkback radio stations and TV production assets, the focus next year would be on bedding down the deals, Kirk told The Age.
But he was tight-lipped about whether advertising demand had recovered from a dip during the federal election campaign’ although he commented that there is “a bit of uncertainty afterwards" as people assess the new government.
CANWEST GLOBAL CANS NOTION OF SELLING AUSTRALIA’S NETWORK TEN TELEVISION
Canada’s CanWest Global Communications has canned further speculation that it is still searching for a buyer for its stake in Australia’s Ten Network television.
CanWest global president and chief executive Leonard Asper confirmed the company has abandoned its search for a buyer for Ten and told the Australian Financial Review that it was “no longer in a mindset to sell.”
Asper told the Australian Financial Review, “That boat has sailed. Although you can never say never, we’ve turned off that process. We’re now sitting on board meetings talking about growing the business.”
SEVEN NETWORK TV SIGNS NEW DEAL FOR AUSTRALIAN CONTENT WITH NBC UNIVERSAL AND GRANADA
Australia’s Seven Network television has signed new five-year deal with program providers NBC Universal and Granada.
The Australian Financial Review reported that this is part of its push to lock in content for its main channel, its new HD channel, and an additional standard-definition channel it will launch in 2009.
The deal with NBC Universal will cost Seven an estimated $55 million annually, while the Granada deal is thought o be worth about 10 million big ones per year.
Previously NBC Universal sold its TV programs and movies to both the Seven and Ten Networks in Australia for about $25 million a year.
The split deal was a legacy of the merger of NBC with Universal in 2004, when NBC had a deal with NBC, and Ten a deal with Universal.
Seven outbid Ten for the new contract.
GAZPROM-MEDIA TO SELLS ITS STAKE IN IZVESTIA TO BANK ROSSIYA
Moscow Times reports that Gazprom-Media has agreed to sell its stake in newspaper Izvestia to Bank Rossiya, according to a source within Gazprom.
Gazprom's media unit will sell 51 percent of the holding that controls Izvestia and its office building in central Moscow to Bank Rossiya's insurance unit, Sogaz, Kommersant cited an unidentified Gazprom official as saying.
Bank Rossiya's majority shareholder, Yury Kovalchuk, is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.
Kovalchuk already controls Ren-TV, once considered to be one of the country's more independent television channels, and media assets in St. Petersburg.
The deal will be implemented via the Sogaz insurance company under an option agreement with Gazprom-Media that ends in the middle of 2008, Kommersant said. Sogaz could acquire the daily for US$25 million, the price Gazprom-Media paid for it in 2005, Kommersant said. The deal could be completed by February, a source inside Gazprom-Media said, the newspaper reported.
Izvestia general director Pyotr Godlevsky declined to comment, referring questions to shareholders, Kommersant reported.
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY FREESHEET YOUTH-ORIENTED TABLOID TO BE LAUNCHED IN THAILAND IN MARCH
AP reports that The Nation Multimedia Group, the publisher of The Nation, one of Thailand's two English-language daily newspapers, said on Wednesday it will begin publishing a free English-language daily tabloid next year.
The paper, to be called Xpress, will target younger readers and launch in March, according to the group's chairman, Thanachai Threerapattanavong.
It will be Thailand's first free English-language daily, and will be distributed at stations of Bangkok's elevated mass transit rail system, as well as in restaurants and other major public venues.
Circulation figures for Thailand's two English-language newspapers, The Nation and the Bangkok Post, at 30,000-60,000 daily, are small compared to their Thai-language counterparts, but the two broadsheets are influential because of their generally more comprehensive news coverage, says AP.
AUSTRALIA’S NEW MEDIA GROUP CONSOLIDATED MEDIA GOES GANGBUSTERS ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE
New Australian media group, Consolidated Media Holdings, yesterday burst through the $3 billion barrier, and its shares have climbed 19 percent, or more than $500 million overall, since the start of last week, when it was first listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
The Australian reports that the share price of CMH – which owns substantial stakes in pay-TV group Foxtel, Fox Sports, online recruitment leader Seek and Nine Network owner PBL Media – yesterday saw its largest hike since the split, rising 36c, or more than 8 percent, to $4.71.
SCANDAL OVER AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN’S FRONT-PAGE ‘SHARON STONE MOMENT’Canberra Times editor Mark Baker decision to publish a revealing front-page photograph of Labor MP Maxine McKew in a short dress has been widely reported throughout the Australian media.
The media reports state that the Canberra Times received complaints from readers after it ran the image of McKew talking to former prime minister John Howard at a function to officially declare her the winner in the Sydney seat of Bennelong.
Of course the media in Australia has almost universally run the story and some have also run a picture of the front page, with The Age in Melbourne showing the story(and photo) heading its list of Top Ten viewed articles.
AAP reported that The Age newspaper in Melbourne “used the same photograph but cropped it differently, avoiding the problem.”
Which is a nonsense statement because the online image if anything accentuates “the problem” or zooms in closer to the, er, problem area.
The Australian Financial Review ran the photo in its first edition, but then pulled it.
Online news site Crikey branded the photo as McKew's "Sharon Stone moment", a reference to the infamous scene from Basic Instinct.
Baker expressed regret to any readers who had been offended by the image, while defending it as a "tremendous picture", and told AAP that, "It didn't occur to me that people would have a problem with the issue of the dress."
"It's been an extraordinary response from people…you can see a little bit more of Maxine's legs but there's nothing more than that.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE: IT’S THE WORLD’S FIRST NEWSPAPER PHONE
Sweden's Dagens Nyheter has launched the world's first ‘newspaper’ telephone: a mobile phone offering the daily's subscribers direct and free access to its website, according to AFP.
"We want our readers to be able to follow the news even when they're in places where they cannot lay their hands on a paper or (access the Internet on) a computer," Thorbjoern Larsson, Dagens Nyheter editor-in-chief and publisher, told AFP.
"This is yet another way of distributing the news," he added.
Dagens Nyheter subscribers can purchase the Nokia 6120 3G phone on the paper's website, and by signing up for a $A35 monthly call plan can freely surf the daily's website by simply hitting a special "DN" button.
WALL OF ‘BOOBY’ PHOTOS PART OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IN CANADA
Media in Canada reports that what began as a creative concept to help educate women may become the largest piece of interactive art on the web, and certainly the largest piece of art featuring only breasts.
Beginning on January 10, women across Canada will be invited to TLC (Touch. Look. Check.) And then to take a picture of their (clad or unclad) breasts to upload to a ‘Booby Wall.’
The idea comes from Toronto's Boom Marketing and Real Interactive for Schick Quattro for Women as part of the company's support for Rethink Breast Cancer's TLC program.
The awareness campaign kicked in Canada’s autumn with the installation of a ‘booby booth’ at L'Oreal Fashion Week and the National Women's Show. The booth was an enclosure equipped with a computer and camera, and the idea was that women would help promote the importance of breast health by allowing their pictures to be taken and mounted on the booth's walls.
Meanwhile at the BBC in the UK bosses have cracked down on about staff not wearing identification around their necks at all times, to the extent that failure to comply will now become a disciplinary issue. But this has not been well received by Women's Hour staff. They say that security staff are now spending much longer looking at their breasts, where the cards are located, and so will refuse.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IMPORTANT IN ALLEVIATING POVERTY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Ministers and top officials from least developed countries highlighted the importance of intellectual property as a strategic tool for alleviating poverty and promoting wealth creation in least developed countries at a high-level forum organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation on December 12, 2007 at its Geneva headquarters.
The forum was attended by several ministers from least developed countries, ambassadors and permanent representatives, and senior government officials and provided an opportunity to exchange views and gain insights into intellectual property capacity-building measures to promote effective use and management of the intellectual property system.
It further enabled participants to explore practical solutions to questions about how the intellectual property system can be developed to ensure that it serves the interests of least developed countries in meeting their developmental objectives.
FINANCIAL TIMES EXTENDS DEAL WITH REUTERS TO INCREASE VIDEO ONLINE CONTENT
The Financial Times is continuing to focus on its online content, extending its relationship with Reuters to include video hosting across its photo, world news, business news sections, according to Marketing.
The addition of Reuters video will take the Financial Times video content to more than 100 per month, which is expected to grow in 2008.
The Financial Times has also recently partnered with Google and 30 other websites to launch a ‘First Click Free' program that will allow users to click through to FT.com content free of charge, without registration or subscription.
The news group also strengthened its blogging community to draw and retain more visitors to its site.
Ien Cheng, publisher and managing editor of FT.com told Marketing that video content was playing an important role in the company's overall online growth. "We now create and publish over 100 popular videos of our own every month and this number will increase in 2008."
AUSTRALIA’S NUDIE FRUIT JUICE LAUNCHES GUERRILLA MARKETING AND WEBSITE CAMPAIGN IN HONG KONG
Australian fruit juice brand Nudie will partner with California Fitness and launch an extensive guerrilla marketing, sponsorship and targeted sampling campaign as part of its Hong Kong launch, Marketing reports.
Hong Kong is the first country outside Australia where Nudie has launched. The company relies on word-of-mouth, PR and targeted sampling to promote its products, rather than advertising.
Since its October launch, the company has kicked off several initiatives that include delivering Nudies every week to more than 50 targeted offices, in-store sampling and sponsoring at sports and fashion events with the most recent at the Sevens Tournament.
Consumers can expect more quirky marketing activities from the company early next year as it intends to bring in the Nudie hot air balloon as well as the Nudie mascot.
A Hong Kong specific website is also in the works because apparently the current Australian site has some 5,000 Hong Kong Nudie “addicts.”
BUSINESSWEEK US NEWSSTAND SALES UP 25 PERCENT BUT STAFF GET DUMPED IN REORGANISATION
Folio reports that BusinessWeek in the US is combining its print and digital staff to create a single editorial operation to better integrate its print and web components.
But as part of the reorganisation, as many as a dozen business and editorial staff members will be laid off.
Folio says, “Oddly, the reorganization comes at an otherwise fruitful time for BusinessWeek. According to Adler, magazine readership is up three percent; newsstand sales are up 25 percent “while most of our competitors were down or flat”; and BusinessWeek.com set a record with 64.7 million page views in November.
“The magazine also recently completed a successful redesign.”
Here is the memo with the buried news about the layoffs from editor in chief Stephen Adler:
“Colleagues:
For the past three years, we’ve been moving progressively toward integrating our print and digital operations – by increasing reporters’ contributions to Businessweek.com, combining our overseas bureaus and copy-desk teams, and seating together everyone within a given coverage area. Today we complete this vital transformation by creating a single editorial organization for BusinessWeek. The new structure will enable us to collaborate more effectively, take greater advantage of everyone’s abilities, learn new skills, and serve our readers and Web users better.
Under this new structure, one chief editor will supervise all work in print and online in a particular coverage area. Each chief will report jointly to Executive Editors John Byrne and Ellen Pollock, both of whom will continue to report to me. Here’s the lineup:
News Chief: Brian Bremner
Finance/Personal Finance Chief: Frank Comes
Small Business Chief: Jim Ellis
Tech Chief: Peter Elstrom
Science Chief: Neil Gross
Corporations/Workplace Chief: Mary Kuntz
Innovation Chief: Bruce Nussbaum
Global and Policy Chief: Chris Power
The chief editors will get in touch with everyone who will work within their groups later today or tomorrow. We’ll phase in the new structure between now and Jan. 1. Let’s plan on a staff meeting for early January to discuss all this further.
In other new assignments springing from this reorganization, Dan Beucke will become BusinessWeek.com News Director, reporting to Brian Bremner; and Suzanne Woolley will become Senior Editor for Personal Finance, reporting to Frank Comes.
While we’ll all be working together editorially regardless of delivery platform, we’ll continue to sweat the production details that enable us to create both a topflight magazine and a first-rate Web site. Recognizing the special skills required to excel in these two very different media, I am appointing Ciro Scotti as managing editor of the magazine and Martin Keohan as managing editor of the Web site to ensure that we preserve the highest possible quality as we produce each product – and that we meet our various deadlines.
Ciro joined BusinessWeek in 1978, after reporting stints at daily newspapers. Since 2005, he has been an assistant managing editor, deftly overseeing production of the magazine, writing the very best cover headlines, and casting a sharp editorial eye over all our copy. Previously, he was a senior editor, responsible for the copy desk and for government and sports-business coverage. Ciro will continue to report to Ellen Pollock.
Since 2003, Martin has served as director of editorial operations for BusinessWeek.com, skillfully ensuring collaboration and efficiency among the news and channel editors, copy desk, art department, production, and technology. Prior to his role with BusinessWeek.com, Martin served as editorial director for BusinessWeek Events, where he created the BW50 Forum and the CEO Summit Series. Martin will continue to report to John Byrne.
Unfortunately, in connection with the reorganization, a small number of our editorial colleagues will be leaving BusinessWeek. It’s exceedingly difficult to part with valued co-workers, and decisions to eliminate positions aren’t made lightly. I want to thank those who are leaving for all their good work and wish them well in new endeavors.
Despite the challenges of the past few years, our journalism has been extraordinarily strong, and both readers and online users clearly have taken notice.
– Our total magazine readership was up 3% in the last MRI tally, to over 4.9 million, more than at any time since 1998;
– Newsstand sales were up 25% in the latest report, while most of our competitors were down or flat;
– We achieved a new online usage record in November with 64.7 million page views.
As our new organization takes shape over the next couple of weeks, I’m confident that it will build on these achievements and create exciting opportunities for the BusinessWeek team. Congratulations to all on their new assignments.”
FOCUS BUYS CHINESE DIGITAL IN-STORE AD NETWORK FOR $US350 MILLION
Focus Media will pay US$350 million in cash and shares for China’s in-store digital advertising network, CGEN Digital Media.
Marketing reports that under the agreement, Focus Media, China's largest digital outdoor media group, will acquire 100 percent of the equity of CGEN for US$168.4 million in cash, and an additional payment of up to US$181.6 million, part in cash and part in Focus Media ordinary shares.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008.
INDIA’S NETWORK18: BUYS 53 PERCENT OF PUBLISHING COMPANY INFOMEDIA
Television Eighteen India Ltd, recently renamed Network18, has acquired a 53 percent stake in Infomedia India Ltd, a publication company, from an ICICI Venture managed fund. The stake will be purchased in a phased manner - 40 percent immediately, followed by an open offer for 20 percent of Infomedia’s equity.
Exchange4media reported that in the event that the open offer does not garner enough response, then the company has the right to purchase such number of shares from the ICICI Venture managed fund so as to augment Network 18’s stake to at least 53 percent.
Infomedia is one of the first leveraged buyouts in India led by ICICI Venture. The sale process of ICICI Venture’s stake had witnessed strong interest from several strategic and financial investors, including international majors.
Renuka Ramnath, managing director and ceo of ICICI Venture said that Infomedia’s publication business has been expanding at over 30 percent, and they’ve added 10 titles in the last 2-3 years.
INDIA’S NETWORK18: TO LAUNCH A BUSINESS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FORBES
Network18, through its TV18 group, will launch a business magazine in India in partnership with Forbes Media. The partnership will include a content licensing arrangement and an introduction of other Forbes products, subject to regulatory approval.
Commenting on this partnership, Raghav Bahl, managing director of Network18 told Exchange4media that, “Our partnership with Forbes for a business magazine in India is another compelling testimony to the growing acceptance of the Indian growth story worldwide. Rapid economic expansion, change in consumer mindsets and deepening of the market economy in the country have led to an enabling environment for business brands. We will be strongly positioned to deliver a benchmark offering in the market by fusing the strong editorial and brand lineage of Forbes and our proven expertise in the Indian business media market.”
Steve Forbes, chairman, ceo, and editor-in-chief of Forbes, said, “India is one of the prime markets Forbes has wanted to enter for sometime. We were waiting for the right partner and are so pleased that we have reached a partnership agreement with Network18, one of the most respected and fastest-growing media companies in India. We look forward to making Forbes available to this forceful market soon.”
William Adamopoulos, president and publisher of Forbes Asia, commented, “As the world’s foremost champion of entrepreneurial capitalism, we at Forbes are excited to partner with the accomplished media entrepreneurs at Network18 to bring the Forbes brand and style of journalism to India -- home of many of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs. This partnership in India complements and builds upon our existing Pan-Asia network of Forbes Asia, Forbes China, Forbes Korea and Forbes Nihonban.”
Exchange4media said TV18 operates business channels CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, besides Newswire18 and a host of web properties like moneycontrol.com. It will also complement TV18’s acquisition of Infomedia (see item in today’s MediaBlab.)
ACP WILL SPEND $10 MILLION TO LAUNCH GRAZIA INTO AUSTRALIA IN SPRING 2008
ACP Magazines has released more information about its licensing agreement with Mondadori to publish the international weekly fashion magazine Grazia in the Australian market, as reported yesterday in MediaBlab.
The Australian edition of Grazia will launch in the spring of 2008 and will also be available in New Zealand.
Scott Lorson, ceo, ACP said, “Grazia is a truly unique and exceptional magazine that is held in the highest regard by publishers, advertisers, designers, and fashion forward audiences around the world. As a fashion weekly, we also feel it is the perfect complement to our existing stable of premium fashion and celebrity titles.
“The team at ACP Magazines have often looked to Grazia for ideas and inspiration.”
The Australian Financial Review reported the story, saying that ACP’s stable had acquired a “new show pony” for Australia’s already cluttered weekly woman’s magazine market.
It said ACP will spend more than $10 million launching the title, in its biggest new magazine launch since NW ten years ago.
UK FREESHEET METRO WEB SITES WILL GIVE USERS A SHARE OF AD PROFITS
UK’s free national daily newspaper Metro will launch two user-generated content websites next year that will give users a share of advertising profits they generate, according to UK Press Gazette.
The Associated Newspapers-owned paper said it will launch MEview, a Youtube-style video hosting service and MEmusic, a music sharing service, both hosted on metro.co.uk, which are now in their testing phase with a full launch planned for early next year.
Metro’s readers are the youngest of any national newspaper in the UK.
MEview users who upload video content will be asked whether they want to choose from a selection of 10 to 15 second advertising clips. Those who accept the advert will be paid a set rate per thousand views.
Music tracks on MEview will cost 79p to download, of which the owner receives 70 percent, but users can listen to tracks for free.
Metro Mobile, which launches later this month, will provide news and other Metro online content as well as giving access to the two new file-sharing services.
The Metro distributed a daily average of 1.2 million copies in November, according to the latest ABC figures, and claims to have 750,000 monthly unique users.
VIETNAM’S NATIONAL TV BROADCASTER TO AUCTION AD AIRTIME SIMILAR TO CHINA’S CCTV GAMBIT
Vietnamese advertising agencies have threatened to boycott a planned auction of advertising airtime announced by national broadcaster VTV, following a history of the bbroadcaster consistently raising airtime prices despite falling viewer numbers.
Nicole Vooijs, managing director of MindShare Vietnam, told Brand Republic’s Media Asia, “We can only assume VTV is using China’s CCTV auctions as inspiration. The current high demand has given the broadcaster the freedom to try different systems.
“It would not benefit anyone in the industry except the media suppliers; an auction would make advertisers more dependent on TV stations and it might benefit bigger advertisers over smaller ones.
"We would prefer to move towards a more professional model of costing control.”
VTV, or Vietnam Television, is the only nation-wide TV broadcaster in Vietnam, and the government-run station is the leading news and media source in the country with five channels.
TIME WARNER DIGITAL SUBSIDIARY AOL TO ENTER AUSTRALIAN MARKET FOR THE THIRD TIME
Internet company AOL, the digital subsidiary of global media group Time Warner, is about to enter the Australian market for the third time, this time as a free internet portal supported by advertising.
The Australian newspaper reported that David Holloway, an Australian working in AOL's international business development unit in the US, has been here for six weeks, recruiting staff and negotiating partnership deals.
Sources said Fairfax and Network Ten were among the companies AOL had approached, although they had not signed content deals.
The local portal may be co-branded with Hewlett-Packard after AOL signed a global deal in September to put localised versions of its internet portal, toolbar and search components on HP PCs, with the portal set as the default home page.
It's understood AOL has appointed Tempest Media as its advertising sales representative in Australia.
Holloway told local media executives the Australian portal would be "a smaller version of our flagship US site www.aol.com.”
AOL formerly operated a joint venture ISP and content operation in Australia called AOL7 with the Seven Network and AAPT but exited in early 2004.
It first launched in Australia as a walled garden internet business under the America Online brand in 1998 with German media group Bertelsmann, according to The Australian.
DOW JONES SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE SALE TO RUPERT MURDOCH’S NEWS CORP
The Wall Street Journal’s website yesterday reported that Dow Jones’ shareholders have approved sale to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
A count of the proxy votes ahead of a shareholder meeting later today showed shareholders owning more than half of the company's voting power supports the sale.
Dow Jones's board approval was acquired in July after members of the controlling Bancroft family said they would support the sale.
Before today’s closing of the deal, Rupert Murdoch appointed News Corp veteran Les Hinton as Dow Jones chief executive and named Times of London editor Robert Thomson as the publisher of The Wall Street Journal (See MediaBlab archive.)
Yesterday’s count of proxy votes effectively sews the game up with ownership of Dow Jones passing to Murdoch.
After the formality of shareholders giving their final approval, all that will be left after completing some paperwork is to hand over the money.
UK COMPETITION COMMISSION EXTENDS INQUIRY PERIOD INTO MACQUARIE PURCHASE OF NATIONAL GRID WIRELESS
Australia’s Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group told the ASX it had noted the release by the UK Competition Commission of a notice extending its period of inquiry into the acquisition of 100 percent of National Grid Wireless by Macquarie UK Broadcast Ventures Ltd, the parent company of Arqiva Ltd.
Macquarie Communications had previously been advised by the commission that it expected to complete its inquiry by the end of January 2008. However, the notice announces an extended period of inquiry and sets an expiry date of March 18. 2008.
The full text of the notice can be found on the Commission’s website at Really Long Link
As announced by Macquarie Communications on December 3, 2007, the Commission has already released preliminary findings on the National Grid Wireless acquisition (see MediaBlab archive).
These provisional findings, which are also available in full on the commission’s website, are under consideration by Arqiva, which will respond in due course.
In reaching its provisional findings, the commission advised that it had not yet taken into account synergies and other benefits in relation to digital switchover which will result from the acquisition. The commission has reconfirmed this in the notice extending its period of inquiry.
Arqiva and National Grid Wireless remain subject to a ‘hold separate’ arrangement during the review process and will continue to operate as discrete entities.
NEWSREADER STAN GRANT QUITS AUSTRALIA’S SBS TV – TIPPED TO WORK IN PR FOR WORLD BANK
SBS Television has announced that World News Australia newsreader Stan Grant will leave SBS tomorrow “to take up a new challenge.”
Grant, who has been with World News Australia since its shift to the one-hour format at the beginning of the year, will be replaced by Anton Enus.
Stan Grant said, ""It is no secret this has been a difficult year, but I thank everyone at SBS news for continuing to deliver a first class product and it is with some sadness that I leave such a committed, dedicated and talented news team."
The difficulties that Grant refers to include acrimony between himself and news co-host Mary Kostakidis who quit the station after a 20-year career, and subsequently sued it.
Grant told News Ltd’s Herald-Sun newspaper in Melbourne that he was possibly leaving TV altogether, and that his new job, which was still being negotiated, would likely involve overseas travel.
Melbourne’s Fairfax broadsheet, The Age said there are suggestions Grant’s new job “may be a public relations role with the World Bank.”
Stan Grant, who has worked for CNN, is Australia’s first and only indigenous male news presenter on a national television channel, although this is very rarely referred to in the Australian media.
SBS director Peter Carroll will also leave on Friday after his 11-year term was not extended by the former federal government, but the new government has not decided on a replacement.
FAIRFAX PUSHES AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ON HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND TO FACILITATE INCREASED WEB VIDEO CONTENT
TO Fairfax Media chief executive David Kirk said the most pressing issue for the company with Australia’s new Rudd labor governmet was its commitment to a high-speed broadband network, which would give Fairfax readers faster internet access and video downloading capability, according to The Age newspaper.
Fairfax, which owns The Age, is expanding video content on websites like theage.com.au to attract more readers and advertising dollars, and offset declining demand for print classifieds.
The company had increased the number of monthly video downloads on its news sites from 1.2 million to 4.2 million over the past eight months, Kirk said.
Following an "interesting and busy" year, in which Fairfax increased its market value by more than half through its $3 billion merger with Rural Press and its $520 million takeover of Southern Cross Broadcasting's talkback radio stations and TV production assets, the focus next year would be on bedding down the deals, Kirk told The Age.
But he was tight-lipped about whether advertising demand had recovered from a dip during the federal election campaign’ although he commented that there is “a bit of uncertainty afterwards" as people assess the new government.
CANWEST GLOBAL CANS NOTION OF SELLING AUSTRALIA’S NETWORK TEN TELEVISION
Canada’s CanWest Global Communications has canned further speculation that it is still searching for a buyer for its stake in Australia’s Ten Network television.
CanWest global president and chief executive Leonard Asper confirmed the company has abandoned its search for a buyer for Ten and told the Australian Financial Review that it was “no longer in a mindset to sell.”
Asper told the Australian Financial Review, “That boat has sailed. Although you can never say never, we’ve turned off that process. We’re now sitting on board meetings talking about growing the business.”
SEVEN NETWORK TV SIGNS NEW DEAL FOR AUSTRALIAN CONTENT WITH NBC UNIVERSAL AND GRANADA
Australia’s Seven Network television has signed new five-year deal with program providers NBC Universal and Granada.
The Australian Financial Review reported that this is part of its push to lock in content for its main channel, its new HD channel, and an additional standard-definition channel it will launch in 2009.
The deal with NBC Universal will cost Seven an estimated $55 million annually, while the Granada deal is thought o be worth about 10 million big ones per year.
Previously NBC Universal sold its TV programs and movies to both the Seven and Ten Networks in Australia for about $25 million a year.
The split deal was a legacy of the merger of NBC with Universal in 2004, when NBC had a deal with NBC, and Ten a deal with Universal.
Seven outbid Ten for the new contract.
GAZPROM-MEDIA TO SELLS ITS STAKE IN IZVESTIA TO BANK ROSSIYA
Moscow Times reports that Gazprom-Media has agreed to sell its stake in newspaper Izvestia to Bank Rossiya, according to a source within Gazprom.
Gazprom's media unit will sell 51 percent of the holding that controls Izvestia and its office building in central Moscow to Bank Rossiya's insurance unit, Sogaz, Kommersant cited an unidentified Gazprom official as saying.
Bank Rossiya's majority shareholder, Yury Kovalchuk, is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.
Kovalchuk already controls Ren-TV, once considered to be one of the country's more independent television channels, and media assets in St. Petersburg.
The deal will be implemented via the Sogaz insurance company under an option agreement with Gazprom-Media that ends in the middle of 2008, Kommersant said. Sogaz could acquire the daily for US$25 million, the price Gazprom-Media paid for it in 2005, Kommersant said. The deal could be completed by February, a source inside Gazprom-Media said, the newspaper reported.
Izvestia general director Pyotr Godlevsky declined to comment, referring questions to shareholders, Kommersant reported.
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY FREESHEET YOUTH-ORIENTED TABLOID TO BE LAUNCHED IN THAILAND IN MARCH
AP reports that The Nation Multimedia Group, the publisher of The Nation, one of Thailand's two English-language daily newspapers, said on Wednesday it will begin publishing a free English-language daily tabloid next year.
The paper, to be called Xpress, will target younger readers and launch in March, according to the group's chairman, Thanachai Threerapattanavong.
It will be Thailand's first free English-language daily, and will be distributed at stations of Bangkok's elevated mass transit rail system, as well as in restaurants and other major public venues.
Circulation figures for Thailand's two English-language newspapers, The Nation and the Bangkok Post, at 30,000-60,000 daily, are small compared to their Thai-language counterparts, but the two broadsheets are influential because of their generally more comprehensive news coverage, says AP.
| 47 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
