MPRN stays focused on online media

Zurinna Raja Adam
New Straits Times
02-14-2011
MPRN stays focused on online media
Byline: Zurinna Raja Adam
Edition: Main/Lifestyle
Section: Business Times
Type: Company

RADIO, one of the longest surviving medium for information and entertainment, has been faced with little option but to converge with other media to stay relevant and remain attractive to the generation Y, advertisers' favourite target.

This is not the first time radio has to face the onslaught of new media as throughout its history, it has been threatened with extinction, by the popularity of other media such as television and a multitude of other entertainment devices.
With this in view, Media Prima Radio Networks (MPRN), one of the largest players in the radio segment in Malaysia, will remain focused on expansion in the online domain this year.

"Radio is no longer just about airtime spot. Online media is growing (thus) leveraging on online portal is crucial to stay attractive in this business. Radio is a great medium to work together with online media," MPRN chief operating officer Seelan Paul said in an interview last week.

In Malaysia, radio commands the third biggest advertising expenditure at 13 per cent, or RM408.9 million, in 2010 up from RM361.8 million in 2009. Two of MPRN radio stations - Hot.FM, which targets the Malay market segment, and English-medium Fly.FM remain the market leaders in the industry.

In 2009, the group also launched a Chinese medium station, One.FM, that aims at listeners between 15 and 24 years old, of which 90 per cent are urban audience.

"The age group of 35 years old and below shares the biggest pie of the market. Not only they are a growing segment and a great market for advertisers, they are also tech- savvy, opinionated and it is challenging for us to keep up with the trend," said Seelan.

He pointed out that ongoing research is key to make sure that radio stations' contents remain relevant.

"Research is fundamental in media business ... to be kept updated with the current trend and interest of listeners. We cannot be selfish and self-centred and must be on the ground to meet listeners while continuously engage in conversation with them. Radio today is no longer about listening to songs and news," he adds.

Last year, Media Prima Bhd launched TonTon, an interactive online portal which offers customised content and interactivity of social networking. The site allows content to be presented on personal computers and soon on connected devices such as smart phones, gaming and media set top boxes and Internet TVs.

"TonTon portal is a new opportunity for radio network to make revenue and continuously engage with the audience. So instead of just listening to the radio, our listeners can now interact with us via social networking sites, view our radio personalities on TonTon.com and a lot of other activities and content that can be developed together with our clients," he added.

Besides social networking, visualised audio is another form that creates conversation with audience and the radio network is keen to tap into this by bringing TV content on radio to launch a TV station on TonTon sometime this year.

In the its nine-month financial period last year, the Media Prima group broke the RM1 billion sales barrier for the first time with RM1.13 billion sales. Radio networks contribute between 8 and 10 per cent to the group's sales.

(Copyright 2011)