Metan Makes Headway In China
Los Angeles - Former News Corporation executive Martin Pompadur, E! Entertainment Television co-founder Larry Namer and Amerilink founder Jean Zhang have launched Metan Development Group LLC (Metan), a new venture created to develop and distribute entertainment content and media specifically for the Chinese market. The announcement was made today by Metan’s founders.
"Our goal is to create and acquire high quality content for the Chinese audience developed from a Chinese perspective," said Mr. Namer. "We possess the proven expertise and important contacts, including invaluable working relationships with China Central Television and the China Association of Film, Radio and Television, enabling us to assist all content creators and owners to sell their programming to the over 3,500 provincial, regional, city and local stations within the region - a task that typically would be a daunting and logistical nightmare for them."
Mr. Zhenping Zhao, director of China Central Television (CCTV) said, "I believe that Metan Development Group will leverage its advantage of understanding the international media market and offer Chinese viewers a new prospect of entertainment programming. Metan’s future is very promising due to the huge potential in Chinese market today."
First on the agenda will be the creation and distribution of original programming tailored to the Chinese TV market, as well as Internet and mobile content to complement each television property. Hollywood Today, Music News, World Film News and World Sports Report will be available by early 2010.
Metan’s first offering set to debut in late 2009 will be Hollywood Today, a daily 15-minute program offering the latest entertainment and celebrity news direct from Tinseltown. The program will featuring two anchors reporting from Metan’s Beijing studios and Chinese speaking field reporters in the US.
"Metan is strategically poised to make significant headway in the Chinese media industry by becoming one of the first to develop and distribute Western content specifically for Chinese audiences," said Mr. Pompadur. "Our approach is nimble, responsive and client-focused, exceeding what any of today's major media monoliths could offer. We're excited to provide Western companies a bridge of entry to this dynamic and emerging market."
Metan will facilitate an efficient way for Western brand managers to target Chinese consumers, both geographically or demographically, connecting them to the entertainment experiences to which they are accustomed in other foreign markets.
Mr. Zhifang Xia of the China Association of Radio & Television explains, "In China, there are over 500 city and 3,000 county TV stations, in addition to the national and provincial TV stations. While the larger stations do have access to global brands and receive some advertising revenue, the smaller stations have only limited access to international programming, even though they possess a larger local viewer base. Our relationship with Metan will provide even the smallest of China’s TV stations with the opportunity to provide high quality content, as well as the chance to partake in the advertising revenues that top brands are now allocating to the region."
"We have full confidence in the capability of Metan Development Group, and we will work closely with them to acquire high quality in dependent US and European films for the Chinese film, DVD and TV markets," added Ms. Xiaofen An, President of Daseng International Media.
In 2010, Metan will launch its live event division and present the top Western music, dance and stage acts to the Chinese audience. Metan currently has offices in Encino, California and Beijing, with plans to open in Shanghai in late 2009.
"Our goal is to create and acquire high quality content for the Chinese audience developed from a Chinese perspective," said Mr. Namer. "We possess the proven expertise and important contacts, including invaluable working relationships with China Central Television and the China Association of Film, Radio and Television, enabling us to assist all content creators and owners to sell their programming to the over 3,500 provincial, regional, city and local stations within the region - a task that typically would be a daunting and logistical nightmare for them."
Mr. Zhenping Zhao, director of China Central Television (CCTV) said, "I believe that Metan Development Group will leverage its advantage of understanding the international media market and offer Chinese viewers a new prospect of entertainment programming. Metan’s future is very promising due to the huge potential in Chinese market today."
First on the agenda will be the creation and distribution of original programming tailored to the Chinese TV market, as well as Internet and mobile content to complement each television property. Hollywood Today, Music News, World Film News and World Sports Report will be available by early 2010.
Metan’s first offering set to debut in late 2009 will be Hollywood Today, a daily 15-minute program offering the latest entertainment and celebrity news direct from Tinseltown. The program will featuring two anchors reporting from Metan’s Beijing studios and Chinese speaking field reporters in the US.
"Metan is strategically poised to make significant headway in the Chinese media industry by becoming one of the first to develop and distribute Western content specifically for Chinese audiences," said Mr. Pompadur. "Our approach is nimble, responsive and client-focused, exceeding what any of today's major media monoliths could offer. We're excited to provide Western companies a bridge of entry to this dynamic and emerging market."
Metan will facilitate an efficient way for Western brand managers to target Chinese consumers, both geographically or demographically, connecting them to the entertainment experiences to which they are accustomed in other foreign markets.
Mr. Zhifang Xia of the China Association of Radio & Television explains, "In China, there are over 500 city and 3,000 county TV stations, in addition to the national and provincial TV stations. While the larger stations do have access to global brands and receive some advertising revenue, the smaller stations have only limited access to international programming, even though they possess a larger local viewer base. Our relationship with Metan will provide even the smallest of China’s TV stations with the opportunity to provide high quality content, as well as the chance to partake in the advertising revenues that top brands are now allocating to the region."
"We have full confidence in the capability of Metan Development Group, and we will work closely with them to acquire high quality in dependent US and European films for the Chinese film, DVD and TV markets," added Ms. Xiaofen An, President of Daseng International Media.
In 2010, Metan will launch its live event division and present the top Western music, dance and stage acts to the Chinese audience. Metan currently has offices in Encino, California and Beijing, with plans to open in Shanghai in late 2009.
Source: Asia Media Journal
