Turner banks on mobile TV to build its brand in China

Foreign television content providers, such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, Viacom's MTV Asia and Time Warner's Turner International have plenty of muscle in the west. The media behemoths, hungry to reach the masses in China, have to offer slimmed-down versions of themselves if they want to squeeze through regulations barring them from reaching the millions of mainland television viewers. Turner, which operates CNN and Cartoon Network, is looking to use mobile television services as a stepping stone into China. 'We would like to use the mobile platform to extend our branding from traditional media to new media,' said Ringo Chan, vice-president of Turner's Asia-Pacific wireless development. 'China should be a great market, as we expect that there will be more than 100 million 3G users.' The mainland is expected to grant licences for third-generation mobile operations next year. The technology allows faster video and other data downloads and with upgrades can deliver mobile television. Turner, which is negotiating a co-operation deal with mobile television service licensee Shanghai Media Group, is scheduled to launch a mobile gaming service with video programmes in China early next year through Cartoon Network. Developing localised content and directly partnering mobile operators rather than using agents are central to success in the China market, Mr Chan said. 'We can develop tailor-made services for mobile users with more interactive functions,' he said. A Cartoon Network game featuring the cat and mouse characters Tom and Jerry has been one of the most popular mobile-phone games in the mainland in the past two years. The animation unit, which has several programmes carried by mainland cable channels, does not itself have landing rights in China. 'We hope to open the door for mainland viewers to know more of our products,' Mr Chan said. 'As they watch our content on traditional television, it will help [us] build brand awareness.' next's taiwan freesheet Local input is a feature of Next Media's first free newspaper in Taiwan, which will be launched this month, earlier than the previously planned start date of next month. Sharp, as the freesheet is called, aims to offer easy-to-digest information hung around an exciting design. About 300,000 copies are expected to be distributed every morning at Taipei Metro stations. 'Our internal Taiwan creative team brought us the exciting name of the paper,' a source said. The name is homegrown, the business model imported. Next Media is copying the strategy it used on its free Hong Kong daily, this time with the aim of boosting revenue for Taiwan Apple Daily and expanding the company's market share on the island. 'It will be better for us to capture the free-daily market first, so as to prevent competitors eating up our advertising revenue,' the source said. Next Media had HK$1.2 billion in revenue from Taiwan in the first six months, accounting for 37 per cent of group turnover. 'Sharp may lose money when it starts but it should help Taiwan revenue within a year,' a broker said. seeking winning ideas The management team at Richard Li Tzar-kai's recent investment, the Chinese-language financial daily Hong Kong Economic Journal, is still working out ways to boost revenue and increase its product portfolio by leveraging on its brand name and reputation. Even before the results are known, there are signs of concern in the ranks of its largest rival, the Hong Kong Economic Times led by chairman Fung Siu-bor. Journal executive director Morris Ho Kwok-fai and his team are looking at ideas such as a financial daily for working women and a lifestyle spending magazine and sharing them with advertising agents. 'We are always brainstorming new ideas to explore more business opportunities for the Journal. But, it doesn't mean that we will go for them,' a source said. Any move by the Journal should catch the attention of other local newspapers, particularly the Times, even though its 80,000 daily circulation far outstrips the Journal's 20,000 to 30,000 copies. That may change if Mr Li lifts his stake in the Journal in the next two months to 75 per cent from 50 per cent, implying that the Journal will get enough financial support. As if fearing the worst, three Times executive directors - editor Chan Cho-biu, managing director Mak Bing-leung and new business head See Sau Mei Salome - last month sold 26 million Times shares at HK$2.40 each, earning HK$55 million. 'What is the intention of them selling the stake at that moment?' a source asked. 'Are they feeling uneasy about facing the Journal's challenge?' The three executives hold an almost 2.13 per cent stake in the Times after the share sale.