• Latest number of complaints received by the BBC about the closure of the BBC Asian Network, click here.
Archived in March 2010 - updated regularly

• Asian Network presenters slam BBC plans
Archived on 12th March 2010

• Viewpoint: "Asian Net. should be about the music"
Archived on 12th March 2010

• Stars line up to support BBC Asian Network
Archived on 8th March 2010

• Nearly £60m spent on Asian Network since 2002
Archived on 5th March 2010

• BBC chief to meet with unions over cuts
Archived on 3rd March 2010

• Official: BBC Asian Network to close down
Archived on 2nd March 2010

• Rights & Wrongs of the BBC Asian Network
Archived on 2nd March 2010

• BBC to officially announce radio & web cuts
Archived on 2nd March 2010

• BBC A.N Future: What the industry says...
Archived on 28th February 2010

• Reports: BBC Asian Network axed
Archived on 26th February 2010

• Your Opinion! Should BBC Asian Net. be axed?
Archived on 6th February 2010

• RAJAR Results: BBC Asian Network results
Archived on 4th February 2010

• BBC Asian Network future under review
Archived on 3rd February 2010

• BBC Asian Network comes under fire again
Archived on 6th November 2009

• RAJAR Results: Huge fall for BBC Asian Network
Archived on 29th October 2009

• BBC denies Asian Network radio closure
Archived on 15th July 2009

BizAsia.co.uk's Hamant Verma is a former editor of Eastern Eye. He spoke with Ravi Jain, the editor of Maya and mayanewspaper.com, to discover why he launched a mid-market title when so many established publications, such as The Independent and the Guardian are struggling.

Tell BizAsia about yourself...
I have been a community activist for most of my working life, to fight racism and develop long-term policies to deal with it at national level.

It was during this period that my passion for media and journalism, and its role in influencing policy making, emerged. From early 1970s, I used the power of organisation to build a network that assisted young journalists to become full-time members of National Union of Journalists.

I subsequently produced two weekly papers: Sher-e-Punjab and Shakti.

In the early 1980s, I got involved in the set up of the first Asian radio station, Sunrise Radio. It was an innovative venture that brought many firsts in media circles. It was refreshing and its innovation was laudable in ways that are unthinkable today with such limited support and resources.

What is with the name Maya News?
Maya is a name that reflects the aspiration and scope of the paper. It is an independent-thinking newspaper without depending on one or the groups either for financial or news coverage.

It is aimed at the British Asian community; particularly the second generations and is about issues to do with living here and now. After all, we have links with our roots but we are British Asians, without any dogma rooted with orthodoxy of religion, culture or tradition.

Why keep names that restrict its readership? After all we are aiming for a much larger readership that what we have got today.

Even Alastair Campbell [former Labour party spin doctor] has used the same name for a book.

It strikes me as a brave move to launch a newspaper in this market. What gives you the confidence that your newspaper will buck the trend in Britain for falling advertising revenues and falling sales?
All ventures are risky in the current climate but we at Maya believe that we shall be able to buck the trend through our hard work and dedication. Moreover, in a world shaken by recession, we shall bring to our readership ways to discover opportunities and improve business and thus help economic recovery.

It has made an impact in the area that we are covering and feedback has been tremendous. Although it is a free paper, we receive daily requests for its postal delivery.

We have managed to maintain a good balance between 50 per cent news and 50 per cent advertising - and that is not bad going. It is going to be an uphill struggle for some time to come but we shall overcome.

Of course we have competition, but we feel that ethnic media is changing and in the long-term, a paper like Maya shall hold the future pattern.

We want to break the mould.

BBC's chief operating officer Caroline Thomson said the Asian Network was finding it difficult to try and cater for many disparate groups simultaneously. Thomson was referring to age groups as well as religious/faith communities. How do you tackle the problem of satisfying an 'Asian' audience with Maya News?
We can never be all things for all people. The BBC’s problem is, as a public service broadcaster; it has to meet its remit. We as a commercial set up do not have to comply or operate in such a straight jacket.

We have defined our readership and are ensuring that we cover that area adequately. A balance is achieved by covering other news in the paper because it is directed at the whole family.

The advent of massive changes in broadcasting media has opened up enormous challenges for both the BBC Asian Network and other commercial media. There shall be costs and who survives shall reap the rewards.

It is not going to be a market for short-term gains or the timid.

Should we care if British Asian media has had its day? Is that such a bad thing for Britain's aspirations for a harmonious multicultural community?
No, the best is yet to come. The world is changing and so is media. Cross media platforms and traditional media shall come together.

And the role of Indian sub-continent is changing; UK/EU is a big market for investment.

The question of multiculturalism is mired in internal Labour party discussions. A debate never really took place before the demise of the Commission for Racial Equality was imposed on us without discussion or consultation.

It is unfortunate there is no independent forum to take up the issue and challenge the notion of whether multiculturalism is dead or not.

It is interesting to discuss whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission is relevant to the struggles of the community today.

Rajesh is responsible for seeking growth avenues for Viacom18. While, overseeing the network functions of Viacom18, he continues to consolidate Colors’ leadership position in the Hindi general entertainment space as the channel's CEO.

Under his leadership and within a short span of time, Rajesh drove Colors to the leadership position in just 9 months – thus breaking the 9-year monotony of STAR Plus in a dynamic space that is cluttered with 11 players.

With an experience that spans over a decade from FMCG to media, Rajesh's previous assignments have been with Coca Cola, STAR India and Endemol before he joined Viacom18 and Colors.

We catch up with Rajesh to find out more...

What kind of response have you had so far from the launch of Colors in the UK and US?
The anticipation regarding the entry of our channel into the US and UK markets has been huge. Indians abroad who have visited and have had the opportunity of viewing shows in India were eager to have Colors on their network, same goes for those who have heard about the channel from friends and family back in India. Now that we have launched there, the initial reactions look rather promising as people are excited about our shows.

Is this the type of response you expected from the channel when you planned to bring Colors here?
We had certain expectations after we saw the eagerness that people showed for the channel to be shown in these markets. However, we are truly overwhelmed by the reaction that we have received for our shows after having launched. It is a very humbling experience for us.

Colors' is known for its top shows such as 'Balika Vadhu', 'Uttaran' and 'Na Aana Is Des Mein Laddo' - how do you think these hard hitting social storylines will work in the UK?
Although our shows have a distinct traditional flavour, their appeal is universal. What the Hindi-speaking Asian audiences based in UK wants is entertainment that takes them closer to their native culture, values and society. And I think that the shows like Balika, Uttaran & Naa Aana Is Des Laado will do precisely that.

Roping in Amitabh Bachchan to endorse the channels in the UK and US have paid dividends as viewers have sampled the channel on the legend's "say so" - how did you achieve this?
When we tried to look for a brand personality fit while launching our channel in the US and the UK, the only person who we could find suitable was Mr. Bachchan - the original global Indian and an international icon. Mr Bachchan's charm lies in his inherent ability to connect with audiences across diverse and ethnic groups.

He can appeal to a 4 year old and to a 60 year old. His association reflects the true nature of Colors that resides in making a connect through various offerings which would appeal to different audiences reflecting a myriad of emotions while retaining a distinctive Indian flavour.

Which shows currently on the channel do you think will work best with UK viewers?
The spectrum of shows on COLORS ensures that there’s something for everyone and everything for some. For those with a cultural and traditional bend of mind we have fiction shows.

For those young both by age and at heart we have exhilarating reality shows and game shows.

And for those who love the opulent entertainment industry of India - we have Bollywood Blockbusters. From fiction shows to format shows to Bollywood movies – people across all demographics will find shows that are going to appeal to them. Also this year, adding to our line up of spectacular shows, we have tied up with the Indian Premier League to bring exclusive 'cricketainment' taking both cricket and entertainment to their extremes. So now, sports fanatics don't need to feel left out as Colors has something for them too!

The channel is very soap-heavy, with only the odd non-fiction show on the channel, will you breaking away from this format anytime soon?
We have a multitude of shows catering to varying audience tastes. We have soaps for those who prefer traditional stories and those who like watching stories from the Indian heartland having a distinct ethnic flavour – Balika Vadhu, Na Aana Is Des Laado, & Bhagyavidhataa. While at the same time, we have a lot of fun filled and energy exuding reality and game shows for those with a taste for adventure and a zest for life- Fear Factor, India’s Got Talent, National Bingo Night. Now with the launch of IPL –Entertainment, we'll be adding something for sports enthusiasts as well! So, we are not soap heavy at all - rather we are a channel with something for everyone and everything for some.

The channel's schedule consists of dramas during the primetime but also during the morning and afternoons - are there plans to screen movies during the vacant (repeat times) slots?
No. We believe in multiple windows for consumer viewing.

You have recently launched your afternoon band, 'Sanjhi Dophar' - do you plan to increase the daily hour slot to more soon?
We launched ‘Sanjhi Dophar' with two shows, namely ‘Agnipareeksha, Jeevan Ki Ganga’ & ‘Aise Na Karo Vida’. We have lined up another show as well. If the response to the current line-up is good, we will definitely add more shows to our afternoon programming mix.

You have acquired some huge movie titles to lure viewers in, please tell us about your new movie acquisitions?
With an exciting line-up of blockbuster movies coming up, we endeavor to make Colors the end destination for movies this year onwards. The year 2010 Colors viewers will be treated to blockbuster movies like ‘Kaminey’, ‘Kurbaan’, ‘Wake Up Sid’ and ‘Chance Pe Dance’.

Marketing and airtime sales of Colors UK will be handled by Di5 and Targeted Marketing Solution, how did this relationship come about?
Ad-sales is being done by TMS; before we firmed that we evaluated various structures as well as options. We finally decided based on the merit of the individuals involved – that bring strong experience, relationships and knowledge combined with a strong alignment to our outlook and commitment to Colors i.e. having a dedicated team to manage Colors sales – this was a key factor for us. They will have no other objectives or considerations.

Marketing being driven by the India team – Di5 supported us in this launch phase. Going forward too this will continue to be driven by India with local support on a case-by-case basis.

So far you have spent a lot on marketing the channel in the UK, what plans have you got forthcoming to promote it further?
Our marketing objectives are clear, while plans will continue to be developed and will keep evolving as we go along. Our first objective was to create awareness about Colors. After which we drove sampling and viewer interest through marketing of particular shows and then we plan to drive subscriptions. The third objective kicks in once we go pay and ViewAsia will also play a key role in meeting our objectives.

In terms of Sales for the channel, have you got high targets to meet? What kind of monies do you plan to generate within the first three years here?
It is too early to comment on this at the moment. After consolidating the leadership position in India, we’re focused on establishing Colors strongly in UK & US and therefore all our efforts are directed towards that. For any broadcaster, internationally, a significant revenue contribution is subscription, which is clearly our focus as well. This will also be supplemented with local advertising revenue.

Colors UK was in distribution talks for months with numerous parties including ZEE Network and Multi Screen Media's VIEWASIA, the deal eventually went to the latter - what made you come to this decision?
Colors in India has tied up with MSM Discovery Private Limited, popularly known as the ‘TheOneAlliance' for their distribution and we deiced to extend our relationship with them in the UK as well.

Colors UK is currently free-to-air on Sky Digital, when do you plan to encrypt the service and add it officially in the VIEWASIA bundle?
UK operations began on 25th Jan 2010. The 24 hour channel will be available free-to-air at launch and then subsequently will be added to the ViewAsia package after a couple of months.

Will there be a price increase of the VIEWASIA bundle once Colors is added in?
We/ViewAsia will announce that at the time we go pay.

Do you not think that Colors is a big enough brand to become a standalone channel or even remain a free-to-air service?
While Colors is undoubtedly the best-in-class channel that viewers in UK will come to love, the FTA model is not sustainable for high quality-content channels and particularly due to the very high operating and technical costs of serving the channel in the UK. Also, we foresee a consolidation in the pay segment – that will ultimately benefit the broadcasters as well as consumers who will get to watch more channels.

Are there any plans to launch Colors UK on other platforms such as Cable or Freesat?
No, not for the time being.

When can we see new series' of 'Bigg Boss', 'India's Got Talent' and 'Khataron Ke Khiladi' in the UK? UK viewers will get to see these and wont be restricted due to copyright issues?
We’ve already been telecasting Khataron Ke Khiladi and will be starting India's Got Talent from Monday 22nd February for our UK viewers who didn’t have a chance to watch it earlier. As the original rights for these format shows rests with the respective format owners or other local broadcasters, we will need to address the issue with them when the next season comes up.

Have you got plans to shoot local shows to connect further with UK viewers?
In our first phase of broadcasting abroad we will continue with our programming that we showcase in India. However, we could explore local programming in the next phase.

How do you envisage Colors one year from now? Future plans....
Our focus is going to be on doing everything possible to entertain our global audiences. We hope to be one of the top two players amongst Hindi Entertainment channels in these markets by the end of our first year of operations.

Why has Colors USA got its own website and why is it known as Aap Ka Colors and not just Colors? When will UK viewers have its own website?
We are having some legal issues around the channel name in US territory and therefore decided to launch the channel under the name 'Aap Ka Colors' for the time being. Colors UK viewers have their own website, the url is www.colorstv.in/uk.

This year's Ideal Home Show is changing with the introduction of two new pavilions dedicated to British Asian food, culture, fashion and lifestyle.

It’s the first time in the exhibition's 102 year history that the show will directly tap into the Asian market. The Ideal Home Show organisers, Media 10 have appointed Puja Saggar of Shreem Events to co-ordinate the two Asian pavilions.

Puja's past experience in the exhibition industry includes role as Director of the successful Asian Lifestyle Show held at Olympia, London from 2004 to 2007.

According to information provided to BizAsia.co.uk, the two new separate pavilions will provide a focused and dedicated platform for businesses looking to showcase products and services relevant to all aspects of British Asian lifestyle to a captive audience of 300,000+ visitors over 17 days.

These two pavilions will be fully integrated within the show but separately identifiable in the show’s mainstream and Asian marketing campaign and at the show via the showguide, floorplans, and the uniquely coloured shell scheme stands.

The Ideal Home Show, the UK’s biggest and longest running consumer event, was acquired by award-winning events and publishing company Media 10, late last year from DMG World Media, the first time the show has changed hands in just over 100 years.

With the ZEE Carnival delayed until later this year and a number of Asian wedding exhibitions specialising in just wedding gear, the Ideal Home Show will be the first Asian lifestyle exhibition to get underway in the UK.

The Ideal Home Show is being held at Earls Court, London between Saturday 20th March and Monday 5th April.

Stands are still available. For All Sales, Sponsorship & General Enquiries Contact Puja Saggar at Shreem Events – Tel: 01737 370 512 Email: info@shreemevents.com Web: www.shreemevents.com

• OFT delays Buzz Asia acquisition decision
Archived on 27th November 2009

• Litt Corporation's Buzz Asia goes on-air
Archived on 23rd October 2009

• OFT seeks comment on Buzz Asia acquisition
Archived on 22nd October 2009

• •Sunrise Radio set to launch Buzz Asia next week
Archived on 15th October 2009

• Missy D set to return on Buzz Asia?
Archived on 7th October 2009

• Sunrise Punjabi Radio makes Buzz Asia blooper
Archived on 6th October 2009

• Sunrise Radio being investigated over Club Asia?
Archived on 29th September 2009

• EXCLUSIVE: Sunrise Radio acquires Club Asia
Archived on 16th September 2009

• Has Sunrise Radio clinched Club Asia licence
Archived on 10th September 2009

• "Preferred buyer" selected for Club Asia
Archived on 2nd September 2009

• Interview: Club Asia's Sumerah Srivastava
Archived on 2nd September 2009

• Mazars: Bids shortlisted for Club Asia sale
Archived on 28th August 2009

• Mazars: "Substantial interest" in Club Asia
Archived on 19th August 2009

• EXCLUSIVE: Club Asia administrators appointed
Archived on 18th August 2009

• Timeline: The rise and fall of Club Asia
Archived on 13th August 2009

• Club Asia Administration: The industry speaks
Archived on 13th August 2009

• Ofcom: Club Asia goes into administration
Archived on 11th August 2009

• EXCLUSIVE: Bleak future for Club Asia?
Archived on 10th August 2009

• Club Asia to launch on DAB; to go off on Sky
Archived on 6th May 2009

Leicester host its first Asian carnival this Easter weekend with a three day sevent showcasing South Asian Culture.

The Leicester Asian Carnival takes place from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th April 2010 at Parklands, Oadby, Leicester. The event provides a unique shopping experience in the heart of the community by promoting and showcasing South Asian cultural traditions, modern cuisine, fashion and performing arts.

Children can enjoy a range of activities including face painting and bouncy castle at the 'Kids Korner'. Get your taste buds going at the enormous 'food court' sampling the best in exquisite Asian cuisine, shop 'til you drop at our vibrant 'Bargain Bazaar' with exclusive bridal fashion, jewellery and accessories.

The Travel Market where a variety of experts from the travel industry will help you tailor make your perfect get away!

BBC Asian Network will be hosting the 'entertainment stage' where local talent will be showcasing their talent against the UK’s finest British Asian artists including Bollywood sensation Navin Kundra performing his hit Tere Liyeh, Punjabi prodigy Jaz Dhami and many more.

ZEE Network has been roped in as TV partner for the event. BizAisa.co.uk is proud to be the official online media partners of the Leicester Asian Carnival.

Leicester MP, Keith Vaz who will be opening the event, said, "I am proud to be able to lend my support to such a wonderful event. This carnival will provide the perfect setting for Leicester’s many South Asian residents to celebrate their culture, traditions and food and to share this with the whole Leicester community. I hope all local residents make their way down to the venue over Easter weekend for what will be a fun-filled family day out."

Dadyburjor was a part of the core start-up team that published the first-ever DNA newspaper in Mumbai.

Why is there a market for FHM India now? Who is your typical reader?

The publishing firm, Next Gen Publishing, carried out a market survey five years ago and found that it was still a bit too early to launch. The market was not ready. Then they did another survey two years ago, and got a very favourable response. The time was ripe. Though, to be honest, the men's magazine market in India is actually developing all the time.

My typical reader likes a mix of eye-candy and brain-candy. He is interested in the latest celebrities, cars, hottest girls, designer brands, sex tips, fashion trends, career advice, fitness workouts and everything else that goes into a man's world.

He appreciates the kind of humour you get in FHM UK; we have never had that kind of humour here in magazines before.

There is, however, less of a lads culture here [compared to Britain]. My readers are upwardly mobile professional young Indians who are very focused on gaining a good job, a good pay packet and want to live like Bollywood stars.

The 'me culture' is very much in here.

How different is FHM India from FHM UK?

To be honest, FHM UK stopped being a tits-and-ass magazine a long time ago. It has become more stylish and cool – and is currently the smartest men's magazine in the world. That is the lead that we follow.

At FHM India, we tend to focus on A-listers [such as Bipasha Basu, Kareena Kapoor or Padma Lakshmi]. The idea is to make the girls look as glamorous as possible - like you have never seen before.

We tend to turn up the heat [sex] in some issues and then cool it down in others. The issue that included FHM's calendar was a huge sell-out.

We have kept the humour intact and have kept the women looking really hot and have tried to create a complete men's magazine.

My readers are just glad that there is finally a stylish, fun men's magazine with some eye-candy in it, which they can afford easily.

What is Rebecca Loos doing in your latest edition?

David Beckham is big in India [his publisher has a poster of Beckham in his office]. When I saw how hot the photos of Rebecca Loos were, I thought we should use them in my magazine. Besides, nobody knew what really happened to her post-scandal – so it would make interesting reading.

FHM India has access to content from all 33 editions around the world. It is a very organised, efficient form of content sharing thanks to our UK mates. Similarly, some of our content - like the Tommy Hilfiger interview - gets picked up by other editions for use.

Can your reader take FHM India home?

That is something we have always been aware of and something we have to be constantly be careful about.

The front cover should never offend because I want people to be able to read the magazine on the train and on the bus. To have to put a magazine face down on the table is pointless. So we always make sure we're on the right side of sexy.

What has been a highlight of your time at the helm of FHM India?

The launch was the biggest party that Mumbai has seen in a long time. We had Lakshmi Mittal and Shah Rukh Khan turn up, not to mention the entire fashion fraternity, socialites and models galore.

The photo shoot with Ujjwala Raut for the first edition looked fantastic. We shot it in London and it was two days in and out of madness, fun and naturally, plenty of oomph.

I think the important thing has always been to get the right cover girl at the right moment – when she's really the IT girl of the moment. Which is what we've managed to do – whether with Deepika Padukone or Padma Lakshmi.

Any lowlight?

As a rule, we can't put men on the cover of FHM. And in India, the biggest superstars are men – like Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan. So we're trying to work around that... though, not that the guys over here are complaining!

What is the future of FHM in India and the future of the city of Mumbai?

People in Mumbai know what they want and are determined to get it. Everyone's very focussed and aspirational in their attitude, which is exactly what we're tapping into with FHM.

The biggest brands are coming here and the luxury market is peaking like never before. Fashion is at an all-time high and men's fashion is finally getting the due spotlight it deserves. Today's guy wants it all – and more. And we plan to give him that with FHM!

Interview by Hamant Verma, editor of Eastern Eye for BizAsia.co.uk

When did you start up 9X's operations in India and UK?
We launched 9X on 12th November 2007 in India and in the UK on the 28th April, 2008.

How did the concept of 9X come about?
I've been an entrepreneur all my life and I was always involved and interested in the entertainment and broadcast media. Also, my husband Peter Mukerjea had 14 years of experience in the broadcast industry.

We realized that there really was the space and crying need for better channels in the entertainment, news and music genres. I thought of the need as a consumer, and saw the space as an entrepreneur.

We identified the core team of accomplished professionals who shared the vision, and once we had the investment on board, we set about executing our vision of a quality Hindi GEC channel that would be relevant and exciting to contemporary audiences. We wanted to give the audiences bigger, better and fresher content.

For 9XM and NewsX respectively, the three-word briefs were - Radio on Television, and Newspaper on Television respectively. So our promise for 9X - that of offering 9 times more, is a mission statement - in terms of the experience for the viewer, the internal the effort we put in, and the standards we set to motivate ourselves.

What positioning have you undertaken to ensure 9X remains different to other GECs?

We envisaged a channel that will not be different just for the sake of being different, but which presents proven universal themes in a truly contemporary and world class way to entertain India. 9X's mission is to unite family viewers under one umbrella, and to provide something for everyone across age, SEC classification and gender.

Our content strategy has been to remain true to - and indeed define - the channel's promise of Bigger, Better, Fresher, with engrossing storylines, the best loved actors, lavish sets and production values and locations in India and internationally. Whether it is Fiction or Non-Fiction shows and events, or the best of Bollywood-based content and movies, we believe in creating world class content that reflects today's India and the aspirations and needs of today's audiences.

Prior to your India launch in November, did you feel nervous or confident about the channel's debut because of the saturated market you were about to enter?

It was not saturated by the volume of channels, but there was a duplication of approach and content within those channels. If for instance you compared the US where there are almost 40+ GECs, and Europe which has more than 50 GECs, India then had only around 8 GECs. And we saw an absence of cutting edge content and quality. So we were more eager than nervous, and happily, our vision and our business plans have proved to be in complete sync with the needs of the viewers and the market. Our confidence in our programming has helped us rise above many GECs to the Number 3 position in India in under 6 months.

What is it about 9X that viewers have responded so strongly to?

I believe it is the fact that we present programming that fulfils a current need for complete family entertainment. Our programs focus on universal themes, modern story-telling techniques and a real connection with life today. A deep understanding of generational and social changes that resonate with today's viewers. Creative, unique and sensitive shows that do not look down upon the audience, but take it along as the storylines and drama and entertainment unfold. I believe that investment in content, along with the way we have communicated and promoted our shows and offerings to viewers and all other trade associates, have worked well for us.

What shows have proved the most popular with viewers?

All the main genres in our programming have been quite well received.

Our fictions shows, Mere Apne, Jiya Jale, Kya Dill Mein Hai, Dahhej, Remote Control, Veeranwali, Neelanjana... all have been received well.

Their storylines, believable characters, star casts, production values and skillfully written multiple plot lines have all contributed. In reality, our two most popular shows have been Gini & Jony Chak De Bachche and Vodafone Yeh Hai Jalwa. Even our recently launched devotional show, Jai Maa Vaishno Devi, has been very well received. Our blockbuster movies like Bhool Bhulaiya and Jab We Met, and also the daily movies at 2 pm are popular with viewers. And we are looking forward to more with one more mega reality show from in the pipeline, and of course, our mega show, Mahabharat, which will have the biggest stars in the greatest drama ever.

How did you feel when NDTV Imagine launched in January and proved a stupendous hit with viewers in so little time?

We concentrated upon our own vision and strategy, and happily, today, 9X has captured a huge loyal audience base and has continued to grow steadily unlike other new launches which have plateaued or fallen. I believe that Hindi GEC is a long term game. If you notice, we started with only two hours of prime-time programming. We were clear from day one that we had to build and consolidate our audience base to a critical level before launching four hours of prime-time programming. By September, we will be completing our four hours of prime-time programming. To my mind, it was absolutely critical to build the brand first, and then bring on the properties.

Since then, 9X has constantly given NDTV Imagine and Sony Entertainment Television Asia the run around with it securing the number 3 slot – how do you feel?

Our strategy has never really been designed around securing a number 3 or a number 1 slot. It has always been and will continue to be to capture a good market share.

9X's UK launch was somewhat "rushed" – would you put this down to pressures from the Sky platform over the hand out of EPG numbers?

It was not rushed. We wanted to ensure that we have a strong programming line-up before entering the UK, and with the success of our programs in India, we knew it was time to move and allow the UK viewers to enjoy what we have to offer.

You bought an EPG slot from another broadcaster to launch 9X – you must have paid a hefty amount for this, would you be able to elaborate?

I'm not at liberty to reveal any commercials, so I won't even confirm or deny the conjecture you're making about the 'hefty' payment for this. I can just say We are very happy with the deal we've made, and delighted to be in the UK.

Your four-hours of looped shows on 9X UK is generating a good response from viewers, when are you looking at switching to a full fledged 24-hour broadcast?

Thanks. We believe in moving in and growing slowly but steadily. A full-fledged 24-hour broadcast will take some time, but we are keen to get it going soon.

The picture quality is left much to desire (pixilated)...

Really? That's very surprising, but thanks for your feedback; I'll pass it on to our technical team. However, let me also share with you the feedback we've received from the Sky team -- they've told us our broadcast quality is far superior to that of the other channels from India; in fact, we are India's only HDTV-ready channel broadcasting on MPEG4 compression here. In fact, we pride ourselves on our entire technical platform, from shoot to broadcast, and we've never had any complaints on the technical quality of our broadcast - actually, it's been well appreciated in India.

Up until you don't obtain an EPG slot for your music channel 9XM, will you be incorporating its shows on 9X UK?

We'll air 9X and NewsX on the EPG slot, and will soon give 9XM its own slot; it's all a function of the license terms on current content, and we hope to be able to come out soon with 9XM in the UK. It is India's Number One Music Entertainment Channel by far, and we're keen to see how the UK receives it. As for now, we are airing 9XM promos on 9X in the UK.

What about News X? Will there be news bulletins from this channel added in the 9X UK schedule?

We will share our plans shortly.

Have you got a timeframe of when you'll be launching 9XM and NewsX in the UK?

As I said above, sooner rather than later. We'll share the dates when they're confirmed.

Will 9X remain a free-to-air channel for the foreseeable future?

It will depend on market conditions.

How do you see the future of INX Media in the UK, especially with huge players like ZEE, STAR, Sony and NDTV eating into much of the market share?

Very positively indeed – after all, the entire UK Market as it exists today, is an opportunity for us. Stripped to the barest basics, it's all about the acceptance of the content, isn't it? Happily, our content has been very well received for its creative and technical quality in India. From a standing start, without a network to support it, we planned for and created 9X and 9XM in just under seven months starting March 2007.

So we see the UK as a big opportunity to try and make the same kind of inroads and impact here, as we did and are doing in India.

Will you be starting up operations in the UK or operating from India?

Richard Platt, who is our Programming Director is based in the UK and spends time in between India and the UK. We have recently appointed Nick Thind as our Sales representative in the UK.

What plans have you got to strengthen the 9X brand in the UK? –Events, strategies, etc?

Yes, all that and more.

Sunday MiD DAY sales stand at 1,20,000 copies. It’s a 56-page tabloid size Sunday paper. Split into 32 pages of a features section called Play and 24 pages for news (city, nation and international) and sports. BizAsia.co.uk caught up with Alpana to get the scoop on what's hot at the paper.

Why are newspapers so popular in Mumbai when the circulations of newspapers in London continue to fall?
A lot of money has been pumped into the newspaper market in Mumbai – and now also in other Indian cities. With the markets opening up, everyone wants to sell to the Indian consumer, and my guess is that a need is felt for more media to sell these things through. This is why the boom is not just in print [newspapers and niche magazines] but also television. It would literally be impossible to count how many new channels, newspapers and magazines have been launched in this last year.

I don't know who is reading or watching everything but it sure is a lot of advertising revenue.

I'm not sure that younger people are reading all these papers, so it is still the older generation that forms the bulk of readership. As for circulation, it is actually quite difficult to get an accurate idea of what that is for any newspaper.

How is MiD DAY trying to capture its market? What makes a good front page for your newspaper?

MiD DAY is targeting young, upwardly mobile professionals and are the first to woo them exclusively and extensively, with a daily features section that keeps just their needs in mind; this means issues of life-work balance, how to spend your money in the best way possible, what does the city offer in terms of brands, unwinding, cultural recreation, eating out experiences. How to enhance and better your performance at work and how to make the most of your time outside of it.

MiD DAY has always set the trend. In the late 90s, for instance, it was the first to go with Bollywood and TV news in a big way, while other people were still covering film and TV on and off, MiD DAY introduced a daily film and TV supplement. MiD DAY has taken areas that were the mainstay of magazines and worked them into a daily format: film, TV, fitness, lifestyle, fashion, work, balance...

The tabloid style as you [British] would understand it still does not go down well here. MiD DAY ran a front-page story when Shamita Shetty turned up at a Bollywood event with no pants on. We obviously covered certain parts up ­– but some of our readers were disapproving of the fact that we ran that kind of story on the front page. While MiD DAY is mainly a commuter-paper, a lot of copies go into people's homes as well and there is a tradition of family members reading MiD DAY one after the other.

There is a clear line that determines what is acceptable on a front page and what is not. So it's not like we are The Sun and that is not our goal. Nor do we go into people's private lives the same as the British press does ­­- the paparazzi set is not quite as evolved towards that.

But Bollywood does get written about the most because they have the biggest celebrity status, next only to cricketers. But because sports journalists devote themselves to hardcore sports coverage, who is sleeping with whom gets written about in gossip pages devoted to Bollywood. You won't find journalists sifting through celebrities' trash cans though.

But consumerism is big. And since it's no longer embarrassing to like Hindi films as it once was, when it was felt that films did not reflect the realities we lived in, Bollywood and its fashions have become the trendsetters here. Films like Bunty Aur Babli and Dhoom have inspired fashion lines (from the original designers as well as rip-offs) based on their looks.

Any regrets?

The decision to put the Shamita Shetty story on the front page was not mine, so it's not for me to say. But since tabloid is an evolving phenomenon, in order to define what the limits of tabloid can be, you have to push the boundaries just a little bit.

What challenges do you face in your position as an editor of a tabloid newspaper in India?

Everyone's pulling stunts to get into the papers. How to spite them is a big challenge. For example, political parties pull stunts to get publicity. It is something that we have to constantly look out for. Like every Valentine's Day, members of the Shiv Sena go into shops that sell cards and gifts. And, they create a big song and dance outside them about the effects of it on young people's morals. I have made a decision never to cover that kind of stunt because having their photo in the paper is like a badge of merit [to them].

What has been a highlight of your tenure as editor?

It was when the Page 3 phenomena was on the rise and spiralling out of control. We wanted to see how much media coverage an ordinary person could get just for no reason whatsoever. The story said a lot about this city and the people that we the media make into celebrities.

So we dressed an ordinary person up [she was a law student] and sent her to the best parties to fake it to Page 3, to see how much coverage she could get. She was snapped standing next to actress Preity Zinta and also next to director Subhash Ghai. We turned all kinds of tricks to get her featured – it eventually worked when we dressed her up in an outrageous gown with Aishwarya Rai painted over its front and Shah Rukh Khan across the back. Her photo appeared in a few newspapers and there were some clips on TV – so our job was done.
There was outrage when the real story about her came out, that she wasn't really a celebrity, but all the TV channels went crazy over how she'd faked it and extensively covered our expose and the issue of 'how little it takes to become a celebrity.

What is the status of women in Indian media?

There are a lot of women working in the media. Why? Because Mumbai has traditionally been a safe place for women to work in. I am told that Mumbai's old mill industry culture, where a worker’s shift got over at 12 midnight, meant that people were out on the streets of Mumbai for much longer and later into the night than in other cities. The roads were not deserted and it was business as usual, so for the longest time, shops stayed open till way beyond midnight to cater to these people. Because of that heritage, this is a safer city than others, and now there is so much entertainment that is open until late, too, such as shopping malls, cinemas and bars.
Although, there are politicians who will occasionally try and put curbs on this.

As a woman, I have never perceived any discrimination against me while working in the media.

Are you worried about competition from TV news?

So far we have been lucky that people still like to read newspapers, it is still a habit. Newspapers are facing more competition from each other than from TV. I think TV with its ‘24x7’ hour feed is in another league. But with the newer papers offering ads and subscriptions at throwaway prices, that is the big challenge to meet. MiD DAY's unique selling point has always been in being onto the pulse of the city and, right now, it's in knowing that this city has gone consumerist in big way.

What do you think of the British press?

When I interned at Sunday Times, I was shocked at how cutthroat things were. There's politicking in the Indian newsroom too, but it's nothing like what I saw there.

Interview by Hamant Verma, editor of Eastern Eye for BizAsia.co.uk

How did Vogue India come about and how did you become
its editor?

I've been in media for close to 15 years now, have launched several new publications including Femin Girl, Rouge and After Hrs.

However, through all my reading and writing years I have had a very special relationship with Vogue. I've been an avid reader for over 20 years now, using up even my first pocket money to pick up a US edition of the magazine, aged 12. So I guess it was part destiny
and part the head hunters that brought me and Vogue together.

I joined Conde Nast India in November 2006 and launched the magazine in October 2007.

Condè Nast has been watching the Indian market with great interest for several years now but there are three reasons we decided to launch Vogue, our flagship brand. Firstly, the last three to four years have seen unprecedented economic growth in India and this in turn has created an explosion in the numbers of the affluent.

Secondly, the regulatory change made recently allowing 100 per cent [foreign] ownership in the non-news and current affairs category was a huge incentive to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary of Condè Nast in India. This completely changes the dynamics of the business for us compared to our competitors who are all licensed brands. It has increased our appetite to invest and given us a more long-term view of the market.

Finally, the lifting of FDI in single-brand retail has resulted in the entry of many major luxury and fashion brands. This is a key factor in the success of our business model as they are key Vogue advertisers.

Is there a market for Vogue India today?

We believe the Indian consumer is ready and in fact has been waiting for the right product in this category. Her interest or awareness of fashion, beauty and some of the luxury brands is constantly increasing and evolving. She is looking for information and some amount of education and we believe Vogue India will give her that. We want Vogue to help her evolve and celebrate her personal style.

In fact, the good thing is that our research revealed that there are high levels of brand awareness for Vogue among the target audience and it already has a strong association with fashion.

How different is the India version from Vogue UK or Vogue USA?

Each Vogue maintains a common thread of being the ultimate style bible and yet takes on the flavor and personality of its respective country. India is no different. An international quality magazine for the Indian reader. Whether our content has been accessed from a wide data base of other Vogues or whether it has been produced in house by our team of highly skilled writers and stylists, the `Indianness` will be palpable right through the magazine.

What particular challenges will you face to make Vogue a success in India?

Vogue India has rapidly dominated the women's magazine market, far surpassing expectations in both circulation and advertising. The response from consumers, advertisers and distributors is overwhelming.

What has been your personal highlight of the past year at Vogue India?

Just being a part of the process of creating what is not just a magazine, but the most defining institution/word and arbiter of fashion has been a high on its own. Every day has brought with it a new learning curve, a new high and added a new dimension to my role as the editor.

Any regrets in the past year?

Missing Marc Jacob's A/W collection as I had to rush back to India! It is a beautiful collection.

What is the future of Vogue in India, eg how will cope with the increasing competition?

Condè Nast India is a 100 per cent wholly-owned subsidiary of CN International. This completely changes the dynamics of the business for us compared to our competitors who are all licensed brands. It has increased our appetite to invest and given us a more long-term and serious view of the market.

Vogue India is the ultimate platform for the luxury and fashion advertiser in India. We have already captured more than 50 per cent of the advertisers in the luxury space. Given that the highest circulated international fashion magazine, by our estimates, is no more than 20,000 there is a huge gap that we see as potential
for Vogue. The other magazines are even smaller ranging from five to 7,000. India is ready for Vogue and Vogue is ready for India.

What is the future of Mumbai?

As far as fashion goes, with the brand boom, coupled by the growth and maturity of our home grown labels and the arrival of Vogue to take the most fabulous fashions from the runway and take them to the lives and wardrobes of our readers, Mumbai's infatuation with fashion has blossomed into an affair to remember.

Interview by Hamant Verma, editor of Eastern Eye for BizAsia.co.uk

Why are newspapers so popular in Mumbai when the circulations of newspapers in London continue to fall?
An English language newspaper is treated as an aspirational product here. There are huge numbers of young people in India who are upgrading to English language newspapers. We have editions in Puna and Bangalore now.

Mumbai is a happening place. It was always a city that offered a lot to young people. There are a lot of infrastructure projects at work in the city, so we will have to put up with a bit of pain for the next three or four years before we see the benefits.

How is Mumbai Mirror trying to capture its market? What makes a good front page for your newspaper?
We have a goal to be the number two newspaper in Mumbai [after Times of India].

I try to keep it very newsy. We simplify news for people ­­but we are not simplistic. It is about making the newspaper accessible to everyone.

We use our front pages to define clearly that we are a city-orientated newspaper. We cover news to do with this city, we have a lot of Bollywood coverage, there is a What’s On section, a section for national news, a section for world news and a supplement covering sport.

A lot of readers call up with stories, which shows that my newspaper addresses their concerns. Ideally a good front page should become a talking point for people in the city. It should set the news agenda for that day. There is so much competition in the media, that it is important to surprise the readers.

What challenges do you face in your position as an editor of a tabloid newspaper in India?
The whole spin-doctor culture is growing in India, in politics and show business.

What has been a highlight of your tenure as editor?
The amount of feedback we get here because my newspaper goes to such a wide range of people.

We highlighted the story of three poor farmers in rural Maharashtra whose crops had failed and had threatened to commit suicide within days unless the state government helped them. A journalist went to the village and did a big story about their lives. Within 24 hours, we were flooded with people who wanted to offer help to the farmers. The state government reacted to the story. A lot of middle-class people want to help those less fortunate than themselves here.
Another story we covered was to do with a legislator in the state. We learnt that one of the legislators in Maharashtra had been in a coma for two years. We then discovered that a unqualified legislator was attending the state assembly in his place.

Any regrets?
The Mumbai Mirror ran an interview with Malaika Arora in which she claimed that her husband Arbaaz was to remarry. The following day, the newspaper discovered that the remarriage was false. The paper suspected it was a media stunt by the married couple.

As the newspaper wrote: "Both husband and wife had been contracted by a cosmetics company to launch a skin-care product, and the campaign, unveiled on Thursday night, revolved around Arbaaz playing Adonis to his wife's Aphrodite. They used the myth to renew their vows on stage, thus the sham of remarriage."

A culture of spin is growing in India and that is why I decided to run a story that exposed how we had been lied to.

People wrote letters claiming that the original story should not have been on the front page because it was celebrity gossip. My view was that she was a big pin-up star who has a high-profile marriage. We are a tabloid newspaper and it was tabloid story.

I ran as many critical letters as possible in the newspaper to show that we are not scared of criticism.

What is the status of women in Indian media?
I have never faced any gender bias. There are a lot of women working in the media industry in key positions. It is a great time to be a woman in India.

Are you worried about competition from TV news?
At the moment we are concentrating on the day-to-day challenges. To be honest, the standard of Hindi news channels is not that high here.

Interview by Hamant Verma, editor of Eastern Eye for BizAsia.co.uk

Tickets start at £50. Full details of agents and booking hotline number is available on the website above.

We have moved MATV's play out to London as a part of technical upgradation. That is why there has been some disruption in programming. Things are now back to normal.

Question from Dal Singh. Replied on 15/01/08.

When did you join Eastern Eye?
I was the Arts Editor at my university magazine in Leicester and later trained as a journalist at Editorial Centre in Hastings. My first proper job was at North West London Newspaper, where I gained a promotion to chief reporter for its southern newspapers, which covered Westminster, Kensington and Hammersmith. I thought that a short stint at Eastern Eye would give me some experience of working at a national newspaper. Little did I expect that within six months, the old gaffer would jump to London Evening Standard. After a two month trial, I was officially named editor in Nov 2005.

You have achieved quite a lot at the age of 27 as Editor of Britain's most popular Asian newspaper, how does that feel?
It is bitter-sweet feeling, to be frank. Yes, I am confident in my ability as a journalist and an editor; yes, I have learnt to manage people in a high-pressure working environment; Yes, I have made many good contacts while bringing out a popular newspaper. But the whole newspaper industry, from The Telegraph to The Voice, is in decline because of 24 hour news on TV and radio, and a greater competition for advertising revenue from rival media. It makes for an uncertain future for people associated with newspapers. While I think that newspaper reporters are more savvy and robust than broadcast journalists, if a school kid told me that he wanted to be a journalist when he grows up, I would tell him to undertake a broadcasting training course rather than a print media one.

Where would you position the Eastern Eye in terms of market share?
We are Number 1 in the print media market by a mile: Eastern Eye is one of the most famous and one of the most popular ethnic newspapers in the country. I have people from the mainstream media call me most weeks to follow up on our stories, I have PR firms that call me for advice about Asian media in general and my profile as editor has enabled me to carve out a side career as a commentator on British Asian issues. I don't think that my rivals experience much of the above.

Generally speaking, the lack of a British Asian broadsheet newspaper is a pity because it means that a lot of interesting facets of our culture go unreported. Because Eastern Eye is the only British Asian newspaper, people expect us to cover everything - which is ridiculous because we are a tabloid.

You would not criticise The Sun or The Mirror for failing to cover the latest show at English National Opera, for example. At the end of the day, we are not stopping anybody from publishing a broadsheet if they think there is a market for one.

If you were to describe the Eastern Eye in one word, how would you define it? Also what genre would you place it under?
A newspaper -and a punchy one at that.

With the competition within print media so competitive these days, how do you make sure your stories remain different to what else is out there?
You need to take the best of the past and improve on it. To me that has meant building on the good show-business stuff that has always sold the paper while trying to make the paper more punchy by publishing original news and sports stories that put race on the agenda. That is why my paper backed the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's proposal for the British Empire to be taught as a compulsory subject in schools, why it campaigned on behalf of doctors and highly-skilled workers who have suffered because of sudden changes to immigration rules and why it was the first Asian media to write about tension between Blacks and Asians in Reading, unrestrained racism in idyllic Worcester and the impact of changes to legal aid.

In fact, a greater emphasis on news has enabled us to build up the contacts to break some good stories in the past six months. I have also given my columnists greater freedom to slag-off whoever they like to make sure that the paper is still talked about. It is a little frustrating that this attempt to toughen the paper editorially has come at the same time as the company has slimmed its pagination (number of pages) and cut back on marketing. But there is no point having a hissy fit about it, because, to be fair, that process is going on at most newspapers around the country.

Who would you regard as your closest competitor and why?
What has hurt Eastern Eye over the years has been the vastness and penetration of TV channels from the Subcontinent, many of which can give viewers South Asian news, sport and all that la-di-da showbiz stuff 24 hours a day. I am sure we have lost some younger readers to the web, but far too much is made of the web's impact; After all, how many people working in take-ways or aunties do you know that rush home to log on to The Mail's website or to read some boy's or girl's blog? Not many. TV is the real pain in the arse, as far as I am concerned. When it comes to ethnic media in general – including us- I don't think its publications, radio stations or TV channels have anywhere near the resources that their mainstream media rivals have. This does not mean that ethnic media companies are badly run or unimportant, it just means that it is unfair to compare them to the mainstream media because there ain’t no Asian Murdoch.

If its bosses could find more investment, Eastern Voice could effectively become an Eastern Eye for the Midlands - and enjoy a reasonable readership and regional advertising revenue for a while. The British Asian Hafta's showed the potential for an Asian paper specifically for Midlands. As it is today, I think Eastern Eye is miles ahead of it.

Eastern Eye is a national paper with a Scotland version doing really well too, have you got plans to localize the paper so it covers Asian news stories for other regions?
Considering how tiny the budget is for Eastern Eye Scotland, the fact that 10,000 people pick it up for free every week north of the border, should make it one of the great newspaper success stories of all time! I am not aware of any plans to regionalize the newspaper further.

Major news channels tend to heavily publicise "sensational" and "showbiz" stories to appeal to a wider audience, would you at Eastern Eye choose showbiz over a serious story as a front cover headline to boost readership?
I think you can do both. A couple of weeks ago, we were the first to write about a campaign to tackle rogue British travel agents who dupe Hajj pilgrims. We carried a sizable flag-up about rumors of a number of Back To The Future Bollywood remakes and another flag-up of an interview with the latest actor from the Kapoor family. For me, that made an ideal front page.

What do you think has been your biggest news scoop while Editor of the paper?
We have lifted the lid on many facets of British Asian life in my time as editor. Most weeks we have had original stories on the front page and inside pages.

In terms of the most satisfying story, we were the first British media to expose the plight of Mirza Tahir Hussain. I think that we were the first British Asian media to interview him while on death row in a Pakistani jail. The BBC, Sunrise Radio and other papers including The Mirror and The Independent followed up our original story and this united media condemnation of Mirza's death sentence helped to save his life.

On a cheeky level, I have to say that being named one of the most eligible British Asian bachelors 2007 in one of Asian Woman's magazine was a great personal scoop because I am not particularly good looking, to say the least (lol).

During your time at the Eastern Eye, which story has generated the most negative response?
I received a lot of criticism about our coverage of the Lozells riots. Some in the media felt that our angle, that the riot was an excuse for blacks to vent their jealousy at Asians' relative economic and educational success, was racist. My view was that the angle reflected the views of British Asians in Birmingham and some of the sentiment expressed privately by Asian commentators and politicians in that city. I tried to ' keep it real'. Frankly, my readers would have lost respect for us if we didn't 'keep it real'.

Have you got plans to launch the entertainment supplement E-Guide as a separate entity?
It is well known that many Eastern Eye readers were lost when the glossy E-Mag was phased out in 2003, so I would be delighted to see the magazine back.

Are there any plans to venture into other types of publications such as magazines?
No.

Where do you see the Eastern Eye in a year from now?
Our website will improve. I would expect our Success Magazine to continue to evolve to include more industries and our Asian Business Awards to maintain its position as the No1 British Asian awards ceremony. Perhaps the pagination will fall - but Eastern Eye will always attract enough talented editorial and sales staff to maintain its position as the most important Asian publication in Britain.

Personally, what makes me happy is the ability to put out a newspaper that is good looking and makes good reading. When that is no longer possible, I would say 'thank you' to my bosses and seek a new challenge, be it as a journalist in the mainstream or editing a different newspaper or magazine in Asian media.

When did you launch Ikonz?
I started working on Ikonz in June 2006, the first issue came out in December just in Asian stores – this was purely for marketing purposes. We were expecting to continue this for six months but as it happened we got a great distribution deal within 2 months - by February 2007 we were in all the main outlets WHSmith, Asda, Tesco, newsagents etc. So really I consider the February issue to be our first real issue so next February we’ll be celebrating ONE YEAR!

What has been the biggest challenge for you since you started up Ikonz?
This interview! I’m so used to interviewing others – that I find it really hard being on the receiving end – hehe!
If I said it had been really to start up Ikonz, I’d be lying. I’ve been in the Asian media industry for over 10 years now so I’ve built a huge networking circle, made some great friends and have people I look up to in this industry who have supported me and given me great advice. Throughout my media career I’ve made some of the greatest friends – people who I’ll always be thankful to for there support and belief in me. I’m not saying we haven’t had challenges, we have. Finding the right team was difficult for a start, I have to work with people who I can trust, and people who have the passion I have.
To be honest I thought doing a magazine with a mix between Asian and Mainstream content would mean that it would be difficult to get the Mainstream content and support, but as it happens the Mainstream industry’s support has been amazing.

Ikonz filled a gap in the market as the British-Asian version of the popular English magazine Heat. How do you feel when they are both compared?
To be compared to one of the most popular celebrity magazines out there is amazing! I love Heat! The crazy thing is when we were working on Ikonz initially we didn’t actually aspire for it to be like Heat, it just went that way, which is great for us because if anything it has got us noticed by the mainstream more so, hence why we’ve been getting loads of press and they’re loving the product. The positive thing as you say is that we did fill a gap in the market for Brit-Asians and I always wanted to do a magazine that with mix cultures of being both British and Asian.

Prior to Ikonz, you were working as Editor of Desi Xpress – when did the idea come about launching a magazine type like Ikonz?
Ikonz had been in my head for years but I didn’t actually think I’d get the opportunity to do it. DesiXpress was brilliant, I learnt a lot at Urban Media and I'm always thankful for having that opportunity. But as it happened I knew I wasn’t going to progress there and neither was DesiXpress so I knew my vision of Ikonz wouldn’t happen there either. I left there because I needed time out to decide if Ikonz was something I could do. I left there in May/June 2006, took a month or so out to go away and take a break (as you and I both know Raj – we don’t get a lot of rest in this industry so I desperately needed a break!) and then I got working on Ikonz in July/August 2007 ready for December’s first issue.

What has been the response of Ikonz since it went national in February of this year?
It’s been overwhelming! That’s the only word that comes to mind when I think about it. The response from the general public is great, I get letters and email everyday from readers and they do feel it is something that was needed in the industry and they simply can’t get enough of it. Also the support from the industry is great too; the artists, Bollywood celebs, Hollywood celebs, PR agents, fellow media people – they all love the product and because I’ve known most of these people since even before DesiXpress they always have supported me as a person so I knew when starting Ikonz the support was one thing I could always count on.

Recently the magazine has had a facelift with bigger "in your face headlines", i.e. a tabloid look – what was behind this move?
Ikonz has always been about putting our readers first and British Asians are open minded people who are opinionated and have a positive outlook on life; we’re people who aren’t easily shocked, we’re people who love to voice our opinions and appreciate that fact that we have the diversity of living two cultures – I wanted Ikonz voice that. We tried many different things for Ikonz, and we felt the facelift was something that would really prove to people that we’re not like any other Asian magazine out there and capable of hitting the mainstream too.

What has been your biggest coup since the magazine launched?
We’ve been lucky enough to get some great stories and interviews. We were official media partners at the IIFA Awards this year, a great achievement for us considering we’d only been on the shelves a few months. At the IIFAs I was lucky enough to spend more time than anyone else with Amitabh Bachchan, Shilpa Shetty, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Upen Patel – just to name a few. Whilst spending 4 days amongst Bollywood celebs at such a close level I found out lots of gossip, but had to keep my mouth firmly shut! But it’s not just Bollywood we get to rub shoulders with. We’ve also had Hollywood & Mainstream interviews with Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Dannii Minogue, Simon Cowell and Jessica Alba.

In Bollywood we have reporters planted that are always feeding us juicy stories, plus I have lots of friends who are Bollywood celebs themselves so I find out things before most.

Which story in Ikonz has generated the most response to date?
It has to be our recent issue (the October issue that's out now). We’ve done a Halloween Special photoshoot featuring stars from the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and some of the BBC Asian Network presenters. We’ve had great exposure and response from this including stories in the Daily Star newspaper and girls magazine More.

How much coverage is given to non-Asian entertainment stories in Ikonz?
We are a British-Asian magazine and that’s something I always want portrayed in the magazine. I’d say about 40% of the content in Ikonz is non-Asian.

Don’t you feel that readers have enough choice for English entertainment stories and thus Ikonz should cater more Asian entertainment instead?
You’re right they do, but what we offer is a difference. As British Asians were not just into Hollywood or vice versa, we’re into both Hollywood & Bollywood, Hindi music and Pop, Bhangra and Urban sounds; and we pack that into one monthly issue. Ikonz finds the parallel balance that we live each day as Brit Asians.

What's your take on UK Asian radio stations broadcasting R'n'B and rock music genres?
It depends how those radio stations are labelling themselves – if they’re saying they’re targeting British Asians of today then I don’t see any problem in it at all, and think it’s a positive move.
Not only does it add more variety to what they can offer listeners but it also is the way forward for a Brit-Asian radio station.

What are your thoughts on the influx of Asian TV channels available in the UK market? Do you think they are fulfilling British Asians needs?
I think this is a subject I can talk about all day to be honest because if I’m honest they’re not fulfilling British Asian’s needs. They don’t actually produce any shows dedicated to Brit Asians made here in the UK. They’ve got some really great shows that come from India don’t get me wrong but where are there shows that focus on real life issues that we face everyday in the UK for second and third generation British Asians? The only shows I’ve seen are the club scene ones, I'm sorry but as Brit Asians we have more to offer than bopping in a club! I don’t watch much Asian television, which isn’t because I don’t want to, it’s because there’s nothing that keeps my interest going for long enough. The songs are great, but even they’re getting really repetitive, and I know for a fact the drama’s do great – but they’re from India and don’t reflect our lives.
As I said I could talk about this all day but I don’t want to bore your readers, hehe.

One type of channel that is certainly missing from our screens is a TV version of Ikonz, i.e. tabloid style Asian gossip, news, showbiz – similar to E! – could yourself heading a channel like this in the future?
You said it Raj! I’d love to produce a channel like Ikonz...right now though my total concentration is on the magazine, and taking it to an international scale if I can...but who knows what will be up my sleeve next!

What future plans have you got for Ikonz and yourself?
We’re still finding our feet in the UK, and like any new business have had a few teething problems and we still have a long way to go. I’m the type of person who has her feet firmly on the ground and am very focused in what I do and do things at a reasonable pace. You can’t run before you can walk – and I firmly follow that motto. My next step is not only to progress in the UK, but take Ikonz internationally too as we’ve had a lot of interest from abroad. Whilst working on Ikonz I’ve put everything else on hold but I’m going to be concentrating on other aspects of my life in 2008 too, like my acting and singing – I can’t give too much away right now, but will do as soon as I can.

Where do you see Ikonz in a year from now?
Bigger and Better than it already is, and with the support of great like-minded people like yourself we can’t go wrong. For me it’s not only about seeing Ikonz become a success, I want to play a part in the Asian media & entertainment industry as a whole and help it grow as I have been doing so for the past ten years of my life! It’s all about working together and I’m one person that people can rely on for support because I’m always willing to help if and when I can.