MUMBAI: Indian media and communications companies are on the investment radar of the Los Angeles-based private equity firm The Saban Capital Group.

It recently opened its second Asian office in Singapore relocating director Sumeet Jaisinghani from Hong Kong, the location of its first Asian office.

Saban Capital Group was founded by Haim Saban, the man behind the Power Rangers franchise.

The firm currently has five portfolio investments in Asia: Media Nusantara Citra; Indonesian pay TV operator MNC Sky Vision; Celestial Tiger Entertainment, a joint venture with Astro and Lionsgate; Chinese children?s online entertainment company Taomee and Indonesia?s Global Mediacom.

The group?s president and chief operating officer Adam Chesnoff told Bloomberg recently that it wants to treble its investments in Asia. "There is a void in sophisticated investors focusing on media and communication. And that is the strategy we are employing here in Asia," he said.

He revealed that apart from India, the group was also seeking to invest in other media opportunities in south east Asia and South Korea.

MUMBAI: Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), Asia?s leading vertically integrated independent entertainment companies, has promoted to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Todd Miller of the company.

Miller joined CTE as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) when the company was formed in January 2012 through a merger of Celestial Pictures? channels business with Tiger Gate Entertainment. Miller will continue to report to the Board of Directors of CTE.

"Todd has shown great leadership in integrating two companies into a highly efficient organization with a powerful bouquet of channels and a flourishing licensing business. As CEO, we look forward to Todd continuing Celestial Tiger?s momentum by expanding its channel bouquet, building brand equity, propelling the licensing business and building strategic partnerships," says Saban Capital Group president and COO Adam Chesnoff and chairman of the Board of Directors of CTE.

"It?s been an incredibly exciting first year for Celestial Tiger. We have united a company, launched new linear channels and on-demand services, invested significantly in content and marketing, expanded our channel distribution footprint, and grown the licensing business. I am proud to work with such a dedicated and capable team as we deliver great entertainment and distinctive channels to viewers across the region," said Miller.

Under Miller?s leadership, CTE has nearly doubled the number of network affiliates with 27 new carriage deals and 10 new on demand and over-the-top (OTT) service launches across 16 platforms in Asia.

CTE?s content licensing business also grew significantly during this time. The company closed licensing deals in Southeast Asia and Greater China for over 1700 hours of Lionsgate?s television series and feature films. In addition, CTE now represents Lionsgate content for television and digital rights distribution in Japan and South Korea.

Prior to joining CTE, Miller spent 17 years at Sony Pictures Television, where he last served as Executive Vice President, Networks, Asia-Pacific, overseeing and managing over 25 television networks and channel investments in the region.

MUMBAI: Global media and communications investment firm Saban Capital Group has announced the opening of a new office in Hong Kong by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Saban Capital Group (Asia).

The office is led by Sumeet Jaisinghani, who has re-located to Hong Kong from Saban Capital Group?s Los Angeles office, and serves to expand the firm?s investment activities in Asia.

The Hong Kong office is Saban Capital Group?s first office in Asia.

Saban Capital Group began investing in Asia in 2010 and has three existing portfolio investments in the region: Indonesian
vertically-integrated media company Media Nusantara Citra; Celestial Tiger Entertainment, a joint venture with Astro and Lionsgate on pay TV channels and content creation and distribution across Asia; and Taomee, a children?s online entertainment company in China.

Jaisinghani, who joined Saban Capital Group in 2008, has been involved with all of the firm?s investments in Asia.

Saban Capital Group president, COO Adam Chesnoff said, ?The expansion of our investment practice into Asia represents a strategic priority for Saban Capital Group. Our presence in Hong Kong provides us with a regional connection to the many exciting investment opportunities in media and communications in Asia while supporting our existing investments in the region. Our approach of partnering with strong entrepreneurs and management teams, and contributing our expertise, relationships and capital to help them achieve their global growth objectives, is a unique proposition in these dynamic markets.?

Saban Capital Group (Asia) director Sumeet Jaisinghani said, ?As a highly specialized, and long-term, investor with a flexible mandate and a long track record, we believe we are an ideal partner for entrepreneurs and companies in Asia. Our investment profile in Asia includes the spectrum of growth equity, active minority investments, recapitalizations and co-control situations."

In the Hong Kong office, Mr. Jaisinghani will be overseeing an investment team dedicated to transaction sourcing and execution.

Saban Capital Group was established in 2001 by Haim Saban and its private equity investments outside of Asia have included: Univision Communications, the largest Hispanic media company in the United States; Bezeq Telecommunications (TASE: BEZQ), the incumbent telecom operator in Israel; and ProSiebenSat.1 (FSE: PSM), the largest television broadcast company in Germany.