The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
An increasing number of international media companies seem to have their eyes on Indonesia.
After the publication of Playboy Indonesia and the national brouhaha that came along with it, Forbes -- America's oldest and leading business magazine -- will hit Indonesian newsstands in September.
""With over 200 million people, Indonesia has a huge domestic market.
""It also has the resources and the possibility to become a major exporter as well as a huge consumer market, so it's got the best of both worlds,"" vice chairman of Forbes Inc, Christopher Forbes, said in Jakarta on Monday.
Upon learning that Indonesia's economy was rapidly improving from the 1997 economic crisis, with a new breed of youthful entrepreneur emerging, he convinced his brother, Forbes president Steve Forbes, that the market in Indonesia was ready.
Former state minister of state-owned enterprises Tanri Abeng will publish the upcoming Forbes Indonesia through The Investor Group, a local media group that publishes Investor Daily and Suara Pembaruan.
The president and publisher of Forbes Asia, William Adamopulous, said the company was targeting an initial circulation of 25,000 for the Indonesia version ""and to increase that number as time goes by.""
Forbes Indonesia will be part of the Forbes network in Asia, joining Forbes Asia and Forbes Nihonban in Japan, Forbes Korea, and Forbes China, he added.
Forbes also has local versions in Arabic, Russian, Turkish, Polish and Hebrew.
The company expects Forbes Indonesia to attract readers from among local entrepreneurs, professionals, senior business executives and high-net-worth individuals.
It will be going head to head with the Indonesian edition of Businessweek, along with local business magazines, such as Swa and Warta Ekonomi.
President of The Investor Group and CEO of Forbes Indonesia Wim Tangkilisan said that the magazine's first issue would have between 20 and 30 percent local content, and that this would be extended to 60 percent within a year.
""We can tell you that it will be a rich edition with profiles of risk-taking entrepreneurs and stories on how to make money and how to spend it,"" Adamopulous said.
Asked about the next country to get a local version of Forbes after Indonesia, Forbes said,"" I can't tell you, but it also begins with an I"".
Forbes is the latest foreign magazine to have entered the Indonesian market after Playboy, FHM, Cosmopolitan, and Rolling Stone.(08)
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