Newspapers, dominating as a category last year, attracted RM3.9 billion in advertisement expenditure - a 14.2% hike from the year before - and free-to-air TV advertising expenditure jumped 18.2% to RM2.9 billion.

As a category, newspapers are pretty much in the news, these days, what with all the gossip and rumours that readers are fashionably taking the pay TV, online and digital highways, again foretelling a  trend that would  bury newspapers altogether.

According to figures by Nielsen, pay TV adex alone totalled RM1.95 billion in 2010.

Last month, media-related companies turned to the public with initial public offerings (IPO) on Bursa Malaysia Securities and the list of companies included Media Prima Bhd, Star Publications (M) Bhd, Media Chinese International Ltd and Berjaya Media Bhd, and it was believed that Catcha Media Bhd would follow.

If so, it would not be the first time for Catcha, the first being in April 2000 when the NASDAQ crashed while Catcha was on a global IPO roadshow. The IPO was aborted and the company become a victim of the dot.com bubble.

The next was in 2008, when it said the public offer would be designed to allow the company the strength and resources to continue to consolidate the Malaysian publishing markets, amongst other plans. Catcha Publishing said proceeds from the IPO would be used to launch more titles locally and regionally and advance into the online media sphere, which is experiencing massive growth globally. Catcha Media’s portfolio includes 14 magazine titles like Homepride, Prestige Malaysia, Prestige Lifestyle, Malaysian Evo, Stuff, Supercars, Performance Heroes and K-Zone. It also has joint ventures with Microsoft, Catcha Group Pte Ltd, Catcha Media Holdings and Catcha Digital Pte Ltd.Why the current media trend to list? Well, because advertisers are actually spending more (by 15.8% to a record RM7.66 billion, last year) and with the heady competition from digital and online, newspapers simply need the resources to expand their reach and stay alive.

The market for media companies has been volatile. Media Prima looked at a 6.15% drop. Berjaya Media’s fell 5.56%.

In contrast, the Star Publications share went up by more than 5%, and Media Chinese International Ltd by almost 4%.

TheEdge FinancialDaily also recently reported, "Having seen its cash pile diminish significantly, Star Publications (M) Bhd is proposing to raise up to RM750 million from the capital market to boost its war chest. The amount makes the proposed exercise Star Publications' largest fund-raising effort to date."

While it is no secret that advertisers who do not have a big budget and can’t afford to engage an ad agency do seek media owners for production help, the thorny issue of buying media direct with media owners remains a burning question on people’s minds, as it sabotages essential income for media agencies.

ADOI speaks to the chief of Malaysia’s top transit media brand for digital, broadcasting and advertising offerings, Asia Media CEO Dato’ Ricky Wong, as he excitedly rolls up his sleeves.