Business

Friday November 6, 2009

Ex-Suria FM COO to head Bernama TV

By M. HAFIDZ MAHPAR


PETALING JAYA: Bernama TV Synergy Sdn Bhd is bringing in a new investor and a new chief executive officer (CEO) in an effort to turn around the ailing 24-hour news channel.

Engku Emran Engku Zainal Abidin, formerly Suria FM chief operating officer, has been appointed its CEO effective Nov 9.

“The investor is a very dynamic media group which is serious and is in this for the long run. They want Bernama TV to be recognised not only in Malaysia but also regionally. Their commitment convinced me to take up the new challenge,” he told StarBiz in a phone interview.

He declined to say what the equity structure would be following the entry of the new investor, which he did not name. It was reported that Bernama currently owned a 32% stake in Bernama TV while Silver Ridge Multimedia Sdn Bhd owned 30%, Standard Code Sdn Bhd 30% and Hallmark Entertainment Sdn Bhd 7%.

Engku Emran said among his first tasks as CEO was to identify the current and potential target markets. “Identifying the target market is key. Before we can even determine the content, we’d have to determine the target market. We need to identify the market segment that is still under-served,” he said.

“A lot of research will be involved. I’m a great believer in research.”

Engku Emran said Bernama TV had begun talking to a few research firms and would appoint one “very soon.”

He said the market was very competitive and Bernama TV had to find its own identity to get attention. “We believe that we will have to come up with something new, not just another news channel; it has to create some sort of a tsunami.”

He expected that the company would have developed concrete plans on the new direction by the first quarter of next year.

On Bernama TV’s RM16.8mil debt, he said it would soon talk to the creditors on the matter.

Regarding reports of a manpower shortage at Bernama TV, Engku Emran said this issue would be handled carefully to ensure the best solution for all parties.

“I like to emphasise that Bernama TV has to be commercially viable so the business part has to be viable as well,” he said.

He said it was a good thing that Bernama TV did not have a long history because “if you want to fix something that’s already big, you would have to overcome more hurdles.”

“We see that as an opportunity rather than a weakness. It’s still new, and the only way to go is up.”

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