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Tag: Reuters

  • Reuters pulling out of Times Now JV

    Reuters pulling out of Times Now JV

    MUMBAI: A near three-year old relationship between Reuters Group Plc and Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd in Times Global Broadcasting, the joint venture which owns and operates English news channel Times Now, has come to an end.

    Reliable industry sources inform Indiantelevision.com that Thursday marked the last day that Reuters, which holds a 26 per cent stake in Times Global Broadcasting, would be contributing monetarily to Times Now’s operating costs. Additionally, Reuters has already started the process of looking for a new broadcast partner in India, the sources say.

    When asked for a response on the developments, Times Global Broadcasting CEO Sunil Lulla stated, “We have no comment to offer.”

    Speculation is rife that differences over editorial direction were what ultimately led to the parting of ways between the Times Group’s broadcast arm and Reuters but this is something that could not be independently confirmed at the time of filing this report.
     

  • Reuters launches pan-African news and financial data website

    MUMBAI: Busines and financial news service Reuters has launched Reuters Africa — a new commercial website dedicated to pan-African news and financial data.

    Reuters Africa, www.reuters.com/africa, showcases Reuters extensive coverage of the continent and offers breaking news, in-depth features and financial information from across Africa. HSBC has joined Reuters as the exclusive launch advertiser.

    The launch of Reuters Africa supports Reuters commitment to cover Africa in detail and from all angles, to give a wider sense of the issues and their contexts, and to explore the individual countries and cultures. Reuters Africa will target both those living on the continent, and anyone globally who follows African development, investment and news.

    John Chiahemen has been named the editor of Reuters Africa. Chiahemen, who has over 25 years of experience with Reuters covering the continent, was previously Reuters chief correspondent in southern Africa. Chiahemen will use his extensive knowledge of the continent to build out the site and develop its content over the coming months.

    Reuters Africa features an interactive map to access local Reuters news across the continent, organized by country. Reuters Africa also provides extensive economic, business and financial news and data, including stock and currency market data and company information, from around the continent. Reflecting the importance of commodities to many African economies, the site features exclusive online content on metals and mining, energy and oil, and agricultural commodities.

    As part of Reuters continuing efforts to incorporate a wider set of voices and commentary into its news content, the site will incorporate country-specific blogs via GlobalVoices, the international network of bloggers coordinated through the Berkman Center at Harvard University. In addition, links to Reuters AlertNet, a project of the Reuters Foundation, are integrated across the site, providing the latest news, images and insight from the world’s disasters and conflicts.

    Chiahemen said, “Reuters Africa will be an essential source for news as Africa becomes more integrated into the global economy. As multi-national corporations continue to expand their presence on the continent, they increasingly need up-to-date and reliable commodities, economic, political and general news. Our goal is to be the leading online source for African news for both Africans and for the world.”

    Reuters Foundation chairman Geert Linnebank who coordinated work on the site said, “Africa is changing fast. And people- in politics, business, or simply as travellers or interested citizens- can no longer afford to ignore what’s going on across the continent. Reuters journalists have chronicled Africa since the late 19th century, reporting news first hand. Now, Reuters comprehensive coverage of the continent can be found on a dedicated site along with a forum for readers and local bloggers to contribute to the discussion as well.”

  • A busy year for newspapers around the world

    A busy year for newspapers around the world

    NEW DELHI: Though the entire world is being overtaken by a convergence wave riding on the wings of digital technology, those in the newspaper industry are trying their best to keep the print medium alive through various methods including tackling newer subjects or blending newer technologies.

    The World Association of Newspapers has slated a large number of events this year to keep alive the spirit of reading, which continues to grow despite the growth of television and the Internet.
    A World Newspaper Advertising Conference and Expo is being held on February 22 and 23 in Zurich (Switzerland) to examine what newspapers are doing to increase advertising revenues and market share. The meet is being hosted by Swiss Press.

    Early next month, there is a meet on ‘Digital Winners – Mobile Strategies for Newspapers’ in Oslo (Norway). Hosted by Telenor Broadcast and to be held on March 8 and 9, the meet will focus on how newspapers can follow the strategic lessons from mobile, Television and internet to make money from digital media. The conference will highlight what mobile solutions are available and why these have to be included in multi-media strategies. Subjects to be covered include ‘Mobile marketing; experiences and success stories’, ‘The digital user revolution’, and ‘Disruptive changes in the media industry’, ‘Adopting to the new business environment’.

    The Seventh World Young Reader Conference and Expo from March 25 to 28 in Washington will explore the full range of new strategies and tactics newspapers for reaching young readers who are accustomed to getting their news and information through non-traditional means. Hosted by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, the meet will feature speakers from around the world. Studies will include those of cases of how newspapers learned to think young throughout the organisation without alienating the core readership both in print and via other multi-media channels, ‘Connecting a social network generation to our paper: how we did it’, ‘Myspace.com in print: how we did it’, and ‘Newspapers in Education (NIE) that works: How to get started or get even better in this core strategy for anyone who still wants to be doing print in 15 years’.

    The Sixtieth World Newspaper Congress, the 14th World Editors Forum, and Info Services Expo 2007, are being held in Cape Town from June 3 to 6. Hosted by the Newspaper Association of South Africa, the meet will discuss “Quality Journalism in the Digital Age” in nine sessions and eleven social events. Subjects include ‘The multi-newspaper newsroom is born!’ talking of the first newspapers that manage merged newsrooms, ‘Integrated newsrooms: what print does best and what online does best’ with examples of working mergers between print and online newsrooms, ‘Sharing best practices: five examples of newspaper cooperation’ where five prominent editors from around the world will present new ways of cooperative work among newsrooms and ‘Reuters Master Class on Web 2.0: is user generated content bringing anything new to news?’ by Reuters which is a partner of the 2007 Forum.

    Other events include the Third Middle East Publishing Conference is to be held on April 17 and 18 in Dubai on “The Middle East – The New Newspaper Revolution” to explore the rapid change occurring to newspapers in the region and around the world, and the World Digital Publishing Conference and Expo and World Editor and Marketeer Conference & Expo will be held from October 17 to 19 in Amsterdam (The Netherlands).

  • Music industry ponders digital future

    Music industry ponders digital future

    MUMBAI: Who wants free music? Well as a matter of fact everybody. The spiraling downward trend of global music sales for a seventh straight year was the topic of discussion at MIDEM, the IFPI annual industry meeting in Cannes, France.
    Although the popularity of music is as strong as ever, global sales are expected to be down again for 2006 despite digital sales almost doubling to $2 billion.

    The IFPI has met with criticism from some of the major players who insisted that they had been distracted by the fight against piracy which may have also hindered the growth of the legal business.

    In a counter to this allegation IFPI head John Kennedy reportedly told Reuters in an interview that, “Many people around the world tell me that we’ve handled our problems in an incorrect manner but no one tells me what we should have done.

    The industry debated the concept of digital rights management or DRM which can restrict the use of music bought online and was introduced in a bid to contain piracy.
    Its supporters say DRM also offers alternative methods such as subscription or advertising-supported services as the music cannot then be offered onto peer-to-peer networks.
    One drawback of DRM is that tracks bought legally from Web sites such as Rhapsody cannot be used on the market-leading iPod as they are not compatible, potentially restricting the growth of legal sales.

    “DRM is like polonium to some people,” Kennedy said. “Digital rights management is exactly that, it’s the management of digital rights and if we weren’t managing it the headlines would be ‘irresponsible music industry … creates anarchy.’”

    eMusic chief executive David Pakman is a major critic of DRM. His service is the delivers tracks in the MP3 format, meaning they can be played on any portable music player, including the iPod.However, none of the four major labels are ready to supply to this service.

    “It’s the same model that was used for the CD and DVD, universal compatibility, and we think it’s the principal thing holding back the growth of digital today,” he told Reuters.
    EMI Music head of digital Barney Wragg talking to Reuters said that digital was revolutionizing the way they work.
    “I was just talking to (British singer) Joss Stone who is very excited about the opportunities this offers,” Wragg said. “We’re not constrained to the plastic CD box any more. It offers the possibility to do things that could never be done before.”
     

  • Reuters in tie up with Airtel to offer commodity price service

    Reuters in tie up with Airtel to offer commodity price service

    MUMBAI: Reuters and mobile operator Airtel are working jointly on a pilot project to provide commodity prices through text messaging service.

    Aimed at the farmer community, subscribers can receive quick updates on the commodity market.

    The pilot project is slated to kick off in August for the Maharashtra region, Reuters South Asia managing director Samir Shah said on the sidelines of a press conference.

    The messaging service will be provided in the Marathi language. The farmers will have access to real-time information on commodity prices. This will enable them to make informed choices about when and where to sell their produce.

    “The aim is to link farmers and traders and also provide them reports on commodity prices from all major markets. By using the mobile messaging service, the farmers can obtain the market updates. They can also be informed about the international prices in their own language,” Shah said.

    Reuters is targeting early next year to launch this service on a national scale by tieing up with various mobile operators.

    Earlier addressing the press conference, Shah said Yes Bank has chosen to make prices on Reuters Trading for Foreign Exchange (RTFX).

    The bank has also signed up for Reuters leading edge pricing engine technology, Reuters Electronic Trading for Automated Dealing (RETAD), to automate its FX transactions in a real time environment over the bank’s intranet.

    Recently, Reuters had signed in Union Bank of India, the first public sector bank in India to become a market maker on Reuters Trading for Foreign Exchange (RTFX) and Reuters Trading for Bullion.

  • Devin Wenig is Reuters COO

    Devin Wenig is Reuters COO

    MUMBAI: News agency Reuters has appointed Devin Wenig as COO. Wenig is currently president of the business divisions, with operational responsibility for Reuters four divisions: sales and trading, research and asset management, enterprise and media.

    Reuters CEO Tom Glocer said, “I am delighted to announce Devin’s appointment as COO. This is a natural evolution of his current role at Reuters and helps deliver my long-term objective to have the Divisions as the primary operating dimension of Reuters. In his time at the company, Devin has shown great leadership skills, innovative thinking and operational excellence. I am really look forward to working with him closely over the course of the next few years, as we exploit new market opportunities, and capitalise on the strong momentum already evident in the business.”

    Wenig has worked for Reuters for 13 years and was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2003.

  • Microsoft beats Google to win Amazon.com account

    Microsoft beats Google to win Amazon.com account

    MUMBAI: Microsoft Corp. has snatched the Amazon.com account from Google. The internet retailer will now be using the Microsoft technology Windows Live to power its toolbar and the A9 online search engine.

    Confirming the development to Reuters, A9 CEO David Tennenhouse said Google search was removed from the site on 30 April, following the expiration of that contract. He added that Windows Live presented a very powerful web search option that had previously been featured on the A9 site.

    Microsoft launched Windows Live to win online advertising pie away from Google and Yahoo.

    Amazon’s search engine A9 breaks down searches into various categories such as web searches, book searches and blog searches.

  • Times Now business channel sibling to launch in 2008 2nd half

    Times Now business channel sibling to launch in 2008 2nd half

    MUMBAI: After rolling out English news channels, it has been a trend for broadcasters to follow it up with a business channel. Joining the bandwagon is Times Global Broadcasting.

    After tasting success with its English news channel Times Now, Times Global Broadcasting has firmed up plans for a business news channel. The English language business news channel is expected to beam some time in the second half of the year.

    Confirming the plans for a business news channel, Times Global Broadcasting CEO Sunil Lulla says, “Times Global Broadcasting will be rolling out its business channel in the second half of the year. We are working out the logistics.”

    However, when asked if Reuters Service will have a stake in the upcoming business channel, Lulla refused to divulge anything more.

  • BBC, Reuters to host global media conference

    BBC, Reuters to host global media conference

    MUMBAI: The power of trust in the media and citizen journalism are among the topics to be discussed by top media names at a two-day forum in London next month, to be hosted by the BBC and Reuters.

    The 2006 We Media Global Forum will bring together personalities from media, business and technology to discuss and collaborate on how the media can foster trust and influence global issues in a world made smaller by the Internet. The Forum takes place on May 3 and 4, presented by The Media Center, a US-based non-profit think tank committed to building a better-informed society in a connected world.

    The speakers include actor Richard Dreyfuss, Google partnerships dierctor Joanna Fields, Reuters CEO Tom Glocer, Meetup.com founder and CEO Scott Heiferman, Al Jazeera DG Wadah Khanfar, Global Voices co-founder Rebecca MacKinnon, Guardian Newspapers CEO Carolyn McCall, BBC global news director Richard Sambrook, Reuters Global Managing Editor David Schlesinger.

    The event will have a live broadcast of the BBC’s World Service programmes, World Have Your Say, and an interactive experience with the Digital Assassins, a group of disruptors and innovators in digital media. Day 2, at Reuters global headquarters in CanaryWharf, includes a series of satellite-linked “town hall” meetings around the world, and an in-depth look by venture capitalists and business leaders at the changing economics of media and value of social capital.

    The Global Forum will offer glimpses of the future in short “Future Forward” segments – first looks at emerging technologies and media from leading developers, entrepreneurs and companies. BBC DG Mark Thompson said, “Trust has always been central to BBC values. We all know the pressures that news organizations face in this fast changing multi-media world. I am delighted to welcome participants to the We Media Global Forum and I hope that it will provide a valuable opportunity for all of us to share our insights.”

    Glocer said, “The balance of power between content creators, suppliers and consumers is changing, with an end to the notion of a passive audience. The ramifications of this new phenomenon are most acutely felt in the area of trust. As consumers, this democratization of media will have profound effects on where we source news and entertainment, and whom we trust. For a company like Reuters, this is a great time to be taking a 150 year-old news brand in exciting new directions.”