Asia‘s first and only all-action and adventure channel, AXN Asia, has fortified its sales team in Asia with the appointments of account manager, Reon Wong in Hong Kong and sales manager, Morris Huang in Taiwan.

Reon is a new addition to AXN‘s regional ad sales team. She is responsible for regional accounts out of Hong Kong and the Philippines.

She joins the sales team from Columbia Tristar Film Distributors International (CFTDI) where she worked closely with CFTDI‘s Regional Marketing Director executing regional marketing activity.

Morris will work with Steven Tsou, AXN Taiwan‘s associate director, sales & marketing to manage AXN‘s sales team in Taiwan.

 new media publishing group has been formed in Hong Kong. Called Media Partners Asia Limited (MPA), it will provide coverage of the media and communications industries in Asia. MPA has announced that it will launch a biweekly publication in April, followed by a quarterly journal and annual industry reportsThe company will also offer consulting services and organize conferences to meet the strategic goals of global business communities.

MPA has been founded by Vivek Couto and Rupert Wilkinson, former senior executives at Kagan Asia Media (KAM), an affiliate of global media research and publishing company Paul Kagan Associates. Couto and Wilkinson successfully built ventures in publishing (Asia Cable & Satellite World, Asia Broadband Technology, Asia Pacific Media Investor) and research (The Casbaa & Kam Asia Cable & Satellite Guide).

"We‘re in the business of creating media value. Media Partners Asia is well positioned to create properties that build on the legacy of Kagan Asia Media," says a joint statement issued by Vivek Couto and Rupert Wilkinson. "Our mission is to serve global business communities with a variety of content platforms focusing on Asia media development."

A day after Zee Network officials claimed to have advanced Rs 2200 million to several Ketan Parekh companies for acquiring shares of various media companies, the stock came under further pressure during opening trade on the stock exchanges.

The scrip was locked at eight per cent lower circuit at RS 110.10. The counter saw trade in 18,515 shares and there are pending sell orders for 2.709 million shares, according to indiabulls.com.

According to reports, the funds for Zee‘s transactions were borrowed from Global Trust Bank.

Meanwhile, Zee‘s claim that it made the advances to acquire 28.5 per cent in AB Corp (Amitabh Bachchan Corporation) and 15 per cent in B4U was strongly denied by both companies.

B4U CEO Ravi Gupta, speaking from his London office, rubbished the Zee claim while emphatically denying any transactions with Zee. AB Corp has also denied receiving any advances from Zee Network or its group companies for a stake in the company.