Media Prima Berhad

Type	Integrated Media Company
Founded	23 September 2003
Headquarters	Selangor, Malaysia
Industry	Television & Radio Broadcasting, Newspaper Publishing, Moviemaking
Services	Free-to-air Television Broadcasting, Production, Publication
Owner(s)	Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad
Divisions	TV3, NTV7, 8TV, TV9, TV3 Ghana, Hot FM, Fly FM, New Straits Times Press (NSTP), Berita Harian, Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd, Grand Brilliance Sdn. Bhd (GBSB)
Website	www.mediaprima.com.my

Media Prima Berhad (MYX: 4502) is a media corporation in Malaysia. Through its subsidiaries, it controls several television networks, newspapers and a radio station. The company was established and launched on 23 September 2003 and is linked to Malaysia's ruling party UMNO.

Contents 1 History 2 Market share 3 Major investors and ownership 4 Owned and operated networks 4.1 Television 4.2 Radio 4.3 Press 4.4 Productions And Distribution 4.5 Advertising 4.6 Event management 4.7 New Media 5 Trivia 6 References 7 External links

[edit] History

The group was created out of the de-merger of Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad's media assets, namely Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (which runs the TV3 television network) and the New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad. The corporate restructuring exercise was completed in August 2003, paving the way for Media Prima's launch the following month. It assumed the listing status of Sistem Televisyen Malaysia on the Main Board of the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad.

Media Prima shortly acquired an 100% stake in Metropolitan TV Sendirian Berhad, which owned a Content Application Service Provider (CASP) licence that permitted it to open a television station. On January 8, 2004, Metropolitan TV launched the 8TV television station.

Later on April 29, Media Prima acquired Perintis Layar Sendirian Berhad (PL). PL owns 75% of the shares of Max-Airplay Sendirian Berhad. Max-Airplay had earlier been given the right to open a radio station by Malaysia Airports Sepang, which holds a CASP licence for radio broadcasting. On June 30, the company began test transmissions in the Klang Valley before going nationwide with its full programming line-up on October 3 as the FLYfm radio station. Its Chief Operating Officer, Azman Shah Mohd Yusof, called its main attraction "the return of Fly Guy," who had previously been a deejay on the breakfast show on another radio station.

On June 10, Media Prima announced it had secured a 100% equity share for RM49 million in Ch-9 Media Sendirian Berhad, which runs the Channel 9 television network. The channel had closed operations earlier in 2005 for corporate restructuring. Finally it was reopened as TV9 on April 22, 2006.

In July 2005, the company announced it was assisting Natseven TV Sendirian Berhad, Synchrosound Studio Sendirian Berhad and Questseven Dot Com Sendirian Berhad in undertaking "a corporate and debt restructuring scheme". In a press statement, the company also said it would "identify areas where both groups can form strategic alliance to work together." Eventually, they completely acquired Natseven TV for RM90 million. This acquisition brought Media Prima's share of television viewership to 48%, and made Media Prima the owner of all private free-to-air television networks in Malaysia.

In 2008, Media Prima established a Filipino branch, MPB Primedia, Inc., which began leasing airtime on the stations of the Associated Broadcasting Company on August 9, 2008, re-launching it as TV5.^[1] Former EMI Philippines Managing Director, Christopher Sy supervises MPB Primedia's Operations. Media Prima's entrance into the country was not without controversy, as GMA Network filed a lawsuit arguing that the agreement violated the Philippine constitution, which restricts mass media ownership to Filipino companies, and that MPB Primedia was established to skirt these laws.^[2] In response, the ABC's media relations head Pat Marcelo-Magbanua reiterated that the network was a Filipino company which was self-registered and Filipino-run.^[3][2]

[edit] Market share

As of 2007^[update], Media Prima is the biggest media group in Malaysia, owning all main private television stations and controlling approximately 54% of Malaysia television viewership, with its closest rival the pay-television satellite operator, Astro, controlling a market share of roughly 29%. State-owned Radio Televisyen Malaysia controls 17% of the market.^[4] Media Prima also owns the Fly FM and Hot FM radio stations.

As owner of the New Straits Times Press (NSTP), Media Prima also controls English newspapers like the New Straits Times and the Malay Mail, as well as Malay newspapers like the Berita Harian. Media Prima claims the newspapers of the NSTP hold 50% of the newspaper market share in Malaysia, with daily readership of more than two million. However, independent surveys often show the stable of papers lagging behind the English-language daily The Star and the competing Malay newspaper Utusan Malaysia in readership and revenues.^{[citation needed]} Media Prima's share of total print advertising in the country is about 59% as of 2007.^[4]

[edit] Major investors and ownership

As of 2005^[update], the Malaysia Employees Provident Fund (EPF) holds 14.9% of the Media Prima shares. The UMNO-linked Malaysia Resources Corporation Berhad owns a substantial portion of Media Prima as well.^[5]

[edit] Owned and operated networks

[edit] Television

• TV3 (Malaysia)
• NTV7 (Malaysia)
• 8TV (Malaysia)
• TV9 (Malaysia)
• TV3 Ghana (Ghana)
• TV5(Philippines, joint-venture with the Associated Broadcasting Company)

[edit] Radio

• Hot FM (Malay)
• Fly FM (English)
• One FM (Chinese)

[edit] Press

• New Straits Times Press (NSTP)
  • Berita Harian Sdn Bhd
  • Malay Mail Sdn Bhd
  • Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd

[edit] Productions And Distribution

• Primeworks Studios Sdn Bhd
• mm Studios

[edit] Advertising

• Big Tree Sdn Bhd
• Gotcha Sdn Bhd
• URL Sdn Bhd
• The Right Channel Sdn Bhd

[edit] Event management

• Big Event Sdn Bhd

[edit] New Media

• Alt Media Sdn Bhd

[edit] Trivia

In 1991, the "TV3 7:00 News" and the "TV3 Buletin Utama" were chosen to be Malaysia's news entries for the American cable TV network Scola, which carries news programs from around the world. The two TV3 news programs aired on alternating days in Scola's schedule.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Media Prima official website

v • d • e Media Prima Berhad Corporate directors Datuk Johan Jaaffar (Chairman)  · Dato' Amrin Awaluddin (GMD) · Dato' Sri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan (Group CEO, TV Network) · Shahril Ridza Ridzuan · Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye · Dato' Abdul Kadir Deen · Datuk Ahmad A. Talib · Tan Sri Mohamed Jawhar Dato' Gumuri Hussain Radio stations Fly FM (English)  · Hot FM (Malay)  · one FM (Chinese) Broadcast TV networks Malaysia: TV3 · ntv7 · 8TV · TV9 Foreign networks: TV5 (Philippines) (Joint venture with Associated Broadcasting Company) · TV3 Ghana New Straits Times Press New Straits Times · Berita Harian · Harian Metro Production And Distribution Primeworks Studios · mm Studios Advertising Big Tree · Gotcha · URL · TRC Event Management Big Event New Media Alt Media Annual revenue: ▲ RM · Stock symbol: MYX: 4502 · Website: www.mediaprima.com.my