TV and web production company Ten Alps has boosted its presence in Asia with the acquisition of 10 titles from Reed Business Information and the launch of a new Singapore-based joint venture company.
Ten Alps, the production company founded by Bob Geldof, has purchased 10 titles from RBI Asia including Television Asia, Asia Food Journal, Electronics Manufacturing China and Travel Weekly China. The acquisition, made for an undisclosed sum, includes the events and websites attatched to the portfolio of titles.
The titles will be run by a new Singapore-based joint venture, called Ten Alps Communications Asia, with a company called Karay. Karay, which will have a 40% stake in the venture, is owned by the former RBI managing director Raymond Wong.
Ten Alps' new joint venture, which will be run by Wong, will swell the company's Asian operation by 30 staff. The company launched a production business in Asia in August last year, and has an option to acquire Karay's 40% stake in 2013.
"These Asian titles offer an opportunity in their own right, particularly online, plus the opportunity for Ten Alps to expand the commercial reach of its complementary UK specialist portfolio into Asia on the back of the acquired sales and distribution organisation," the company said in a statement.
In addition Ten Alps has also acquired Interface, a business specialising in media sales, digital and online search engine optimisation services in the Asian business-to-business sector.
"The business has made two strong initial moves in the market, with potential to develop the acquired assets using publishing techniques deployed successfully in our UK operations," said Adrian Dunleavy, chief executive of Ten Alps' communications division.
In the UK Ten Alps has teamed up with the Press Association and Daily Mirror publisher Trinity Mirror to bid to run the pilot for the ITV regional news service in the north-east of England.
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