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| OUTLOOK to Float TV Software Unit | |
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The Rajan Raheja-owned Hathway Investments Pvt. Ltd, which owns the Outlook group of publications, plans to float a television software production unit soon which will supply news content to TV channels as part of its overall gameplan to enter different media spaces.According to company sources, this plan was being pursued quite actively as the group intends to leverage the strong presence it has in the cable business through Hathway and Asianet. However, the group will not consider starting its own TV channel. The entire investment in the group’s media business was being funnelled through Hathway Investments. Since Hathway has investments in several other businesses, apart from media, the group is considering spinning off the investments in the media business into a separate holding company, which could be called Outlook Ltd, to leverage on the magazine’s equity. The group will shortly launch Outlook in Hindi with an initial print run of 1.5 lakh copies. Outlook in Hindi could perhaps be the last mass magazine from the group as it is looking at launching several niche magazines where it sees opportunities. Apart from Outlook itself, it has in its stable niche magazines such as Intelligent Investor and Outlook Traveller. It recently forayed into niche book publications with the Outlook Traveller Getaways—Weekend Breaks from Delhi with details on 52 holiday spots within motoring distance of the capital. This book, on the lines of Lonely Planet, is the first of the series. According to sources, there would be a Traveller series on breaks from Bangalore and Chennai soon. The first book, priced at Rs. 175, was a success, selling around 55,000 copies. |
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FIGHT OVER IN-FLIGHT MAGAZINE |
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Media TransAsia has sought a permanent injunction from the court restraining IA and its subsidiary, Alliance Air, from introducing any other in-flight magazine till the expiry of the contract with the company, which is in 2004. According to company sources, no other airlines in the world has two competing in-flight magazines. Media TransAsia alleged that Alliance Air had put up an advertisement in a leading English daily for supply and placing on board in-flight magazine only for its flights in October 2001. Following that, in May 2002, Alliance Air entered into a contract with CMYK Multimedia for the supply of the in-flight magazine Darpan. The main contention was that by the contract entered into with IA in 1998, Media TransAsia had exclusive circulation rights on board IA flights from 1999 to 2004. As such, a second in-flight magazine could not be introduced. Media TransAsia pointed out that even after the introduction of Alliance Air flights in 1996 on most of the routes, on which IA stopped flights, IA continued to take the same number of Swagat magazine, 60,000 per month. In fact, IA even asked Media TransAsia to incorporate Alliance Air advertisements and its logo on Swagat’s cover along with IA’s. Swagat magazine is supplied and placed on IA flights free of cost. In fact, Media TransAsia pays an amount of Rs. 8,75,000 per month for the privilege given to them. The only source of revenue that they earn is through advertisements. |
