Building on the success of Qalam 2001, a two-day creative writing workshop held in December 2001, television services company Indian Television Dot Com Pvt. Ltd takes its vision of providing a forum for the industry to discuss issues critical to the business to the next level.

Indias first TV air time forum Ad-Wise 2002, a day-long meeting ground to understand the various issues impacting the business of TV air time, is being held in Mumbai (MayFair Rooms, Worli) tomorrow. The theme of the forum is Future Shock: The Road Ahead and is targeted at professionals from broadcasters who sell air time, media planners and buyers from ad agencies and media concessionaires, and at marketers.

A cross section of television, advertising, media, research and marketing professionals are slated to come and share their views at Ad-Wise 2002. Among them: Raj Nayak, executive vice-president, Star India, Abraham Thomas, ad sales head Sony Entertainment, TAM India CEO LV Krishnan , Initiative Media CEO Ashish Bhasin, Mindshare Fulcrum CEO Vikram Sakhuja, and Eureka Forbes COO SK Palekar, to name a few.

SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta is delivering the keynote address. According to Dasgupta, Ad-Wise 2002 is a forum whose time has come. Indias television channels are dependent mainly on advertising for their sustenance, says Dasgupta. And there are many issues that need to be discussed amongst the various constituents. Ad-Wise 2002 should serve as a platform for that.

Nayak echoes that sentiment saying: "It is sad that in spite of being an industry dealing in thousands of crores, there is no authentic source of TV Spend. How do media independents who work on 2 - 2.5 per cent commission take an exposure of crores of rupees where clients do not pay on time? Why are brand managers becoming salesmen? Ad-Wise 2002 should throw up a lot of interesting issues.

Ad-Wise 2002 is supported by both Star India and Sony Entertainment. MTV India, Sabe TV, Turner International are other broadcasters who have put their might behind it.

Says Indian Television Dot Com CEO Anil Wanvari: Ad-Wise 2002 Forum is another pioneering effort from indiantelevision.com, a television services company. The Forum is a vehicle where a lot of ideas will be exchanged amongst planners, buyers, marketers and television ad sales professionals. We thank the entire television industry for their active support and participation in all our initiatives.

Indiantelevision.com is taking small steps to help the television industry to evolve as well as to provide learnings to the professionals involved in the business. Hence, we pioneered The Indian Telly Awards the first ever awards to recognise the contribution made by several individuals to the television industry, and Qalam 2002 a scriptwriters forum and workshop, he added.

Close to 250 professionals involved in air time sales for television, media planning and buying, research and in marketing are slated to attend Ad-Wise 2002.