JSL projecting 10% growth next year

TELEVISION PRODUCTION

JSL projecting 10% growth next year

WORANUJ MANEERUNGSEE

JSL Co Ltd, Thailand's leading TV production house, projects 10% growth in billings next year, improving on lower-than-expected 7% growth this year, according to managing director Vachara Vaewuthinand.

JSL typically sets a conservative target every year so that at the end of the year it can say that it beat earlier projections. In 2007, Mr Vachara said the company's billings reached the earlier target of 972 million baht, but executives regarded that as a poor performance.

Parent company JSL billed 620 million baht and its eight subsidiaries billed another 352 million baht. Billing projections for 2008 were set at 1.08 billion baht, largely based on the hope that the country's political situation would be better after last Sunday's general election.

JSL is eager to win business from state agencies for events next year in anticipation that the next government could run the country smoothly, according to Mr Vachara.

''It does not matter which party forms the next government,'' he said.

In 2008, JSL plans to produce 12 major programmes, including two new programmes that will start broadcasting in January: a variety show called Glom Gig and music variety talk show Kuen Nee Wan Nan (Tonight That Day). Currently, all of its programmes air only on the free-to-air TV Channels 5, 7 and 9.

JSL also plans to invest in a new information technology company. The content for the new website may be something related to the creativity or the talents of web users, said Mr Vachara.

As several of JSL's TV programmes are recurring, next year, the company planned to develop other media outlets for them such as books, DVDs and even events to earn more income from them.

The first half of 2007 was the hardest time for the firm, Mr Vachara said. Its billings missed the target by 15% because sponsors were reluctant to spend on advertising. Consumers lost confidence in the country's economy, which was hit hard by political turmoil.

He said that after political problems started to be sorted out in the middle of the year, leading to the election last weekend, the company's billings picked up significantly.

''In 2007 our jobs were more difficult because advertisers had extreme demands to optimise their money,'' he said.

In addition, he said the company could cope with hard times by improving its business strategy.

For instance, the TV talk show Joh Jai linked up with the oil and gas company Chevron to produce a special programme to raise funds for education through satellite TV. It also cut operation costs, partly because the firm offered redundancy programmes.

JSL's profits this year would be better than last year, he said, but he declined to disclose exact figures.