Forbes and Fortune decided to launch Indian editions a few years ago, and after years of waffling they got their acts together. At least Forbes even went ahead and hired IG to head up the thing. But, after IG's unfortunateheart problems, it appears that some people who were about to join him got cold feet, and the launch of what would have been TV18's first foray in print seems to have been 'delayed', we just don't know if the term 'indefinately' can be added here. As for Fortune, it was supposed to have been launched by now, but we believe is still on track but it was supposed to have been launched months ago.
Now, I also believe there is another negative element here - a declining economic scenario and thus, since everything in the media boils down to space selling. Now, this has impacted the potential launch of several TV channels from a shady real-estate operator (who gave tax-free joining bonuses in cash, which is another story) but according to some friends in the ad circuit, the rates being quoted are rather 'high' particularly for the current economic scenario. Would these magazines, which might be thin on local content be viable in such an enviroment?
I'm not being negative about the 'India Story', I still believe there is a great deal of potential in the market, and a softening of the unabashed exuberance of the past three-odd years is not a bad thing. Well, it might be a bad thing for the Congress, but that is about it.
Plus, with newsprint prices going up, expect some more fun on the ad-edit ratio front!
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