August 19, 2008
Pakistan's expanding media market marks thumbs up for Associated Press' ENPS
AAJ TV, a news station which is part of Pakistan's oldest and most prestigious newspaper publisher, Business Recorder Group, is the latest in a line of broadcasters in the country to adopt the Associated Press' Essential News Production System in this fast-expanding media market, bringing the number of broadcasters using ENPS in the country to five.
Based in the capital, Karachi, with sites in Lahore and Islamabad, AAJ TV switched to ENPS from a competing newsroom system. Aside from adopting ENPS, AAJ TV has also acquired a range of other AP services including, APTN video, APTN Direct, AP Wires and AP Graphics Bank. Operating in Urdu and English, technical staff training has now been completed and installation is due in August/September 2008.
"Pakistan is our single biggest growth area world-wide," said Keisuke Kayaba, Sales Manager, ENPS, Middle East and Asia. "Since the deregulation of the media in 2005, there has been a mushrooming of broadcasters in the country and we're delighted that we have been able to work with many of the key players – all of whom – apart from AAJ TV – are greenfield sites. It's also very exciting that AAJ TV represents AP's first bundle deal in the world."
Other new signings include Dunya – literally World - TV based in Lahore with remote sites in Karachi and Islamabad. Again operating in English and Urdu, the System integrator is Tek Signals of Abu Dhabi. It is hoped there will be an end of August go-live for the new broadcaster.
AAJ TV and Dunya TV join three other Pakistani broadcasters – all of whom also operate in English and Urdu:
Sama'a TV based in Karachi and Lahore with bureaux in Peshawar, Quetta, and Islamabad. The installation took place in December 2007.
News One, based in Karachi with remote sites in Multan, Islamabad, and Lahore. The broadcaster went live in December 2007.
CNBC Pakistan – ENPS' biggest client in the country - installed the newsroom production software in November 2005. It has a main site in Karachi and a bureau in Islamabad.
Over 5000 journalists are already using ENPS across Asia and the Asia Pacific. This impressive stable of clients includes India's leading national broadcaster and the largest terrestrial network in the world, Doordarshan; Mediacorp Singapore and TVB Hong Kong.
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