MUMBAI: On 2 December 2011, the BBC World News ?Horizons? series visits China, currently the second largest economy in the world, to examine how Chinese brands and manufacturing are growing in significance around the world.

Horizons presenter Adam Shaw is in Shanghai where manufacturers believe that re-shaping the image of China, with good designs and presentation, will establish more desirable international brands for export to the West.

Shaw visits a company building brands around traditional Chinese values, including tea ceremonies, to find a resonance in potential export markets. He also visits a company that produces contemporary bone china designs, which are then sold to exclusive shops and displayed in five star hotels around the world.

Shaw meets Dr Chen Junsong, lecturer at the China European International Business School. Dr Junsong says; "In many markets the sale of big brand automobiles has shrunk. China is one of the markets which has a different situation. China is currently the second largest market for BMW, Audi and Mercedes and it is possible that the country could overtake the number of sales in Germany next year. The sale of many European brands in China has increased by 40 per cent, so you could say that without China, some leading European brands would be having a harder time."

Shaw said, "European brands are still very popular in China, and the rest of Asia, but the markets indicate that Chinese brands will become more influential in the future. The next generation will experience the rise of Chinese influence. Not just its economic influence, but its social and cultural influence as well. In the future it could be Chinese brands, faces and values that dominate the shelves of shops the world over."

MUMBAI: Sports marketing agency IMG Worldwide chairman, CEO Ted Forstmann has passed away.

The 71 year old was a founding partner of private equity firm Forstmann Little & Co. He bought out IMG in 2004 for $750 million.

IMG put out a statement that reads, "It is with great sadness that IMG Worldwide announces the passing of its chairman and CEO, Theodore J "Ted" Forstmann. Forstmann passed away after a courageous battle against brain cancer."

Under Forstmann, IMG expanded into key markets like India, China and Russia. In India it formed a JV with Reliance and also helped managing the operations of the Indian Premier League (IPL) among other things.

IMG?s statement further notes, "Under his leadership, IMG experienced unprecedented domestic and international growth. Today, IMG is a worldwide leader in the sports, fashion and media industries with a group of best-in-class businesses.

The statement adds that prior to acquiring IMG, Forstmann had already achieved legendary status in the financial world as the head of Forstmann Little & Co., a preeminent investment firm he founded in 1978 with his brother Nick Forstmann and close friend Brian Little.

"Forstmann Little had an unparalleled record of investment performance, generating superior returns for its investors. Under Forstmann?s leadership, the firm made 31 acquisitions and investments, and ultimately returned more than $15 billion to its investors."

IMG?s statement says that Forstmann was also a philanthropist in every sense of the word. "He was most passionate about children?s causes, but rarely missed an opportunity to dedicate his time or make a financial contribution to other charitable organisations or goodwill groups. Recently, Forstmann joined some of the wealthiest individuals and families in America as part of The Giving Pledge - a commitment to donate the majority of his wealth during his lifetime to the philanthropic causes and charitable organizations closest to him."

MUMBAI: Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific (DNAP) and Novus Media Solutions, a Singapore-based custom publishing specialist, have partnered to re-launch the Discovery Channel Magazine in Asia-Pacific region.

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific president, MD Tom Keaveny said, "The idea behind the Discovery Channel Magazine is to provide additional touch-points for our viewers with the brand, and extend their interaction with us beyond television. We want to engage them wherever and whenever we can and give them a more in-depth experience to continue to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity on a broad range of subjects. For our advertisers, it also allows us to offer more value, and more integrated campaigns covering not only television, but online, on-ground, and in print. Even in a crowded marketplace, just as we?ve seen with our flagship Discovery Channel, we believe quality always stands out from the clutter. It is a natural extension for us."

Novus Media Solutions CEO Rosemarie Wallace said, "Novus has assembled an international team of world-class writers and designers from as far afield as New Zealand and the United Kingdom, headed by Luke Clark, the editor of the Discovery Channel Magazine. We want to give readers and advertisers everything they loved about the magazine first time around and more."

Clark joins the Discovery Channel Magazine team following 16 years experience in the Asia-Pacific media industry, including work for Reed Business Information Asia on the TravelWeekly brand, and three years as an editor for Ink Publishing. Design director Richard MacLean brings extensive experience of the European media scene, including work for Bauer Media?s UK version of Grazia, and design work for brands including the Arts Council, BBC and MTV.

Published monthly, the magazine will feature a fresh, contemporary design and feel while staying true to the DNA of the Discovery brand. The most striking difference is the new look cover and layout which reflects some of the design cues from the refresh of the channel which is also unveiling at the same time.

Reflecting the different genres featured on Discovery Channel, the Discovery Channel Magazine will cover a wide spectrum of topics within 12 pillars - nature, adventure, marvels, sci-tech, history, the universe, forensics, seekers, survival, info-tech, psychology and the environment. The tone of the editorial will build on the successful formula from before, a compelling read with strong injections of humour and emotion. The inaugural issue will seek to investigate and unlock the secrets of immortality, delve into Asia?s high speed trains, fact-check the technology featured in Star Wars to see how it measures up in real life, and get up-close and personal with one of the world?s natural born killers - the mosquito.

At launch the Discovery Channel Magazine will be available in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand at newsstands, and for subscription sales in other markets including India, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.