Burma's Forever Group eyes revenue boost

 “A new firm has recently been set up in Myanmar [Burma], named Forever BEC-Tero,” said chief executive officer Winn Maw, who is also adviser to the Burmese Information Ministry.
In the first phase, BEC-Tero will provide technical support and jointly produce TV drama and morning talk shows for Forever’s free-to-air channels.
Winn Maw said the Thai partner, which runs ThaiTV3, would provide expertise on programming to the JV with the aim of improving ratings and advertising revenue at Forever’s media outlets.
Rangoon-based Forever Group currently operates free-to-air channel MRTV-4 and also offers 70 subscription-based TV channels, including 10 digital channels and seven high-definition (HD) ones.
In mid-April, after Burma’s New Year festival, the company plans to introduce a new free-to-air Channel 7, with a US$10-million (Bt310 million) investment on basic infrastructure ahead of the soft opening.
 It will also introduce more HD pay-TV channels, as prices of HD television sets are now affordable for many urban Burmese, Winn Maw said.
The CEO added that the group recorded revenue of $20 million last year, 70-80 per cent of which came from advertising on its free-to-air TV channel and FM radio channels, with the rest from subscriptions from pay-TV customers.
He believes the Forever BEC-Tero JV, as well as a partnership with Thailand’s Index Creative Village, will enable the group to achieve a 50-per-cent increase in revenue this year. The new Channel 7 is estimated to generate between $3 million and $4 million in the first year of operation.
He added that the advertising industry in Burma, valued at about $40 million last year, was expected to witness growth of 25-30 per cent this year.
There are about 6 million to 7 million households with access to television sets, mostly concentrated in the urban areas of Rangoon, Naypyidaw and Mandalay.