MUMBAI: With India as one of its priority markets in Asia, FremantleMedia, a leading creator and producer of television content, has opened a new regional office in Chennai to focus on creating content for India?s large non-Hindi speaking markets.

This is FremantleMedia Asia?s second office in the country, and will join the existing Mumbai operations to further the company?s on-ground production business and provide entertainment content to a wider audience in India.

FremantleMedia Asia MD Paul O?Hanlon said, ?The Asian market place is thriving and this new office represents a great opportunity for FremantleMedia to improve its already strong foothold in the region. FremantleMedia Asia has produced a number of prime time formats in India in recent years, including Indian Idol, India?s Got Talent and X Factor India. The new Chennai office will target and forge proactive partnerships with top broadcasters, enabling us to effectively roll out popular television shows for the non-Hindi speaking population, and deliver outstanding entertainment content across the country.?

The Mumbai office will continue to focus on the Hindi speaking market while the new production hub in Chennai will focus on non-Hindi speakers, which account for over half of India?s population.

FremantleMedia Asia Pacific CEO Ian Hogg said, ?This is a fantastic opportunity for FremantleMedia Asia. India is the second most populous country in the world and this expansion will allow us to access new markets, work with new broadcasters and reach a greater audience with the world-class entertainment for which we are known."

MUMBAI: Japanese broadcaster Fuji Television Network and FremantleMedia Asia, the Asian arm of television format creator and distributor FremantleMedia, have formed a strategic co-development partnership focussing on supplying new television formats to Asia to maximise opportunities for business development and growth in the ever-expanding regional market.

FremantleMedia Asia and Fuji TV will work closely to build a steady content pipeline for viewers across Asia, co-developing, co-producing and rolling out fresh television formats as well as amplifying the success and business opportunities of each other?s existing formats in local Asian territories.

FremantleMedia Asia CEO Ian Hogg said, "The Asian marketplace is thriving and this new deal between Fuji TV and FremantleMedia Asia will capitalise on opportunities to develop our Asian businesses more aggressively and deliver powerful new programming throughout the region. Fuji TV?s years of outstanding success, know-how and huge popular appeal make them a perfect partner for FremantleMedia Asia, with our expansive knowledge of local markets and a stronghold in several territories across Asia. We are very much looking forward to working more closely with Fuji TV to leverage our joint creative production, programming and business expertise in the region."

This new deal in Asia enhances and builds upon the success of the global Creative Exchange Alliance between Fuji TV and FremantleMedia which saw highly experienced senior creative staff from both companies? global production teams undertake placements in each other?s businesses, and resulted in the creation of such smash hit global programmes as Total Blackout, one of 2011?s most widely travelled formats.

Fuji Television Network senior executive director, programming and production Akihiro Arai said, "We have enjoyed a strong and successful working relationship with FremantleMedia globally in format sales, development, and most recently with our Creative Exchange Alliance.This new deal with FremantleMedia Asia will harness our mutual creative strengths and capabilities along with our unique local experience and track record to develop attractive new television formats that are c