BWI: Open Media Network launches OPEN, the Weekly Current Affairs and Features Magazine

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Open Media Network
Thursday, April 02, 2009 05:40 PM IST (12:10 PM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Entertainment, Fashion, Politics, Travel & tourism; Business: Advertising, PR & marketing, Business services, Information technology, Media & entertainment, Publishing & printing; Technology
Release no: 19616
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Open Media Network launches OPEN, the Weekly Current Affairs and Features Magazine


Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Thursday, April 02, 2009 -- (Business Wire India) -- Open Media Network, the new media venture of the RPG group, launched OPEN, the weekly current affairs & features magazine. Open is aimed at addressing the needs of evolved Indian readers who are well-informed, well-traveled and identify themselves as global citizens. Open wants to redefine the way the news, perspective and insights are presented to these readers.

OPEN is a weekly magazine and is available in 12 cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Jaipur & Kochi.

OPEN is a very special product. Says Umesh Kumar, publisher: "With the introduction of OPEN, we not only celebrate the birth of a magazine, but also take the concept of the weekly current affairs and features magazine to the next level. Contrary to what some may think, we strongly believe-proven by our research-that the needs of Indian readers have evolved whereas the magazines have not." Adds Umesh: "One of our key research findings was that present current affairs magazines are defined by dominance of political content, whereas international titles like Time and Economist are held in high regard but seen as an outsider's view to world affairs, therefore not necessarily relevant from an Indian perspective."

"Thanks to infinite number of websites, more TV channels than we can possibly hope to watch, more and thicker newspapers, every potential magazine reader knows so much already, and immediately, and often interactively. So what they expect or want from a current affairs & features magazine today is profoundly different from what they were satisfied with in the past. That's where we thought OPEN would come in, as a next step in evolution," says Sandipan Deb, editor of the magazine.

"OPEN has a very strong editorial philosophy that it won't repeat news that people already know, that Open will constantly challenge the reader to rethink & to revisit and that it will contribute significantly to the additional knowledge needs of Indian reader," says Sandipan. "Behind all this is an idea that a current affairs & features magazine should provide readers with an interesting & intelligent content that stimulates the mind of successful globally-minded Indians."

OPEN is priced at Rs 30, higher than other existing magazines like India Today, Outlook and The Week, which are priced at Rs 25 and below. From Day 1 of launch, OPEN will be available at all key places like airlines, airport lounges, 5 star hotel rooms, book stores, café's etc.

OPEN comes in a new size that is more than an inch wider than the standard A4 size of most magazines. It gives a two inches more space per spread for content & thus also maximizes ad impact. "The innovation has been done keeping the premium & upmarket brand advertiser in mind and this extra space offers thorough value to the advertiser. OPEN's differentiated design offers advertisers new content adjacencies, innovative placement opportunities and impactful advertising units," explained Umesh.

Indeed, every Friday, OPEN will come to the reader as three distinct magazines rolled into one. The first section, Small World, is a zippy 10-page selection of the most relevant and interesting news of the week from the world. The middle section will have in-depth stories and features on politics, sports, entertainment, science, technology, societal trends, health, culture, and so on. OPEN ends with Mindspace, a section of literary essays, stories on books, art & culture, gadgets, celebrity gossip, science and a totally unique last page, Headstart, which challenges the reader with puzzles, mindgames and questions of ethics.

Open will have an online edition, www.openthemagazine.com. "Starting 3rd April, readers will be able to read the magazine and subscribe to it online. And very shortly, we will launch the full version of the website that will be a treat to the eyes of Indians", said Umesh.

Contacts for OPEN

For Media related queries and requests for additional material/interviews:

For Business: Umesh Kumar: +919810012753; email: umesh@openmedianetwork.in

For Editorial: Sandipan Deb: +919810010945; email: sandipan@openmedianetwork.in

For advertising related queries:

Ahijit Dutta: +91-9810822648; email: Ahijit@openmedianetwork.in

About RPG Enterprises

RPG Enterprises is one of India's leading business groups with a turnover in excess of Rs 13,500 crore. RPG Enterprises has presence in sectors like Power, Tyres, Retail, IT, Transmission, Carbon Black, Specialty & Entertainment.


CONTACT DETAILS
Priti Dalal, RPG Enterprises, +919820860627, pritidalal@rpg.in
Kavita Bhaskaran, Sampark PR, +919987355009, kavita.bhaskaran@sampark.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, ENTERTAINMENT, FASHION, POLITICS, TOURISM, MARKETING, BUSINESS SERVICES, MEDIA, PUBLISHING, TECHNOLOGY

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