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SCMP Reporter

Megastar Jay Chou has become the highest profile pop singer to take advantage of 3G technology to promote his latest album.

The Taiwanese singer/songwriter has hooked up with Hong Kong CSL to help launch November's Chopin, his sixth album since 2000.

CSL's One2Free users can download the main track from the album, Night Song, for a cut-price $10. MP3 ring tones are also available at $15 and a music video will be available soon.

'We think Jay's new song will boost awareness of mobile music,' insisted  Michelle Au, CSL's general manager of marketing communications.

Following the success of using mobile phone services to promote the new albums released by Eason Chan and Leo Ku earlier this year, CSL will make all songs in Chou's  new release available for downloading when the album hits the streets on  Tuesday.

CSL certainly seems to be on to a good promotional thing musically with orders for the album already topping the 30,000 mark, according to market sources, breaking the records set by  Chan and  Ku earlier this year. Last year, Chou's  album Qilixiang sold more than  75,000 copies in Hong Kong while the CD and VCD compilation of his 2004 Taipei concert sold about  100,000 copies.

If you're wondering about the album title, Chou  lists Polish composer Frederic Chopin as being an idol since childhood. 'My music is similar to Chopin's - romantic and spontaneous,' he says.

perked up

We thought office perks were a thing of the past until we heard from a reporter friend at Taiwan-based magazine Business Weekly. It appears the staff there are in the process of booking their end-of-year, four-day breaks with the help of travel subsidies from the company.

The magazine offers to pay between NT$7,000 ($1,608) and NT$17,000 depending on length of service, while the holidays must be taken in company designated destinations - either Hong Kong, Kyoto in Japan or Chiang Mai in Thailand.

It was rumoured that the trips would be cancelled when Tom Group took control of the magazine in 2002 but every year since the offer has been made.

Such travel subsidies are common in Taiwan, although some media firms such as  the China Times stopped them about  four years ago. However, Business Weekly is said to be one of the most profitable magazines on the island which no doubt is a consideration.

sun setting on papers

Still in Taiwan, it looks like the evening newspaper market is dying with the two main publications - China Times Group's China Times Express and United Daily News Group's United Evening News - facing uncertain futures.

According to media watchers, the two publications have been losing money and readership in recent years as people who used to buy the papers for their daily stock market information have been increasingly switching to the internet.

The owners of the two dailies have been in discussions over the past three months about merging the two operations.

However, even though talks have gone smoothly,  China Times  has expressed reservations about a merger being able to revive  earnings and says it is considering closing the Express.

A decision will be made next month.

United Evening News says it plans to continue publishing.



Promise of a hit new album for Jay Chou is music to the ears of mobile operator and fans