It’s a searingly hotmorning and five well-groomed men in sharp suits are standing around the rooftop of Sri Pentas, the mother ship of the Media Prima group, looking cool despite the heat.

Surrounded by satellite dishes, they certainly wouldn’t look out of place as poster boys for the television channels they represent – Dato’ Amrin Awaluddin, CEO of Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (TV3); Dato’ Anthony Firdauz Bujang, CEO of ntv7; 8TV’s boyish-looking CEO Ahmad Izham Omar; Bukhari Che Muda, the COO of TV9 and, of course, the instantly-recognisable Dato’ Sri Farid Ridzuan, Group CEO for all the four channels as well as CEO of Media Prima International.

If ever there were an A-team of the Malaysian television industry, these fab five would be it.

In an industry that is famously cutthroat, Media Prima Berhad has always managed to stay one comfortable step ahead of the competition. 2007 was an especially good year for the group, with the industry continuing its bull run. It also marked the first time Media Prima succeeded in posting record profits, surpassing the RM100 million mark, hitting RM117.4 million - up 46 per cent from RM80.3 million in 2006. "We’ve certainly grown," says Dato’ Sri Farid, looking really pleased.

Having started operations with just one station, Media Prima now counts four robust ones under its umbrella, each enjoying a comfortable, if not growing, position and catering to various and distinct segments of society. TV3, the dominant network, is undoubtedly king of the hill, having swept all the top 10-rated spots in 2007’s television programme line-up. ntv7 continues to enjoy a strong and popular position, catering to the urban, English and Chinese-speaking markets, while hip and funky 8TV remains a big hit with Malaysia’s urban youth. TV9, with its strong content focused on wholesome traditional values is the channel of choice for the nation’s semi-urban and rural Malays. Not content with dominating the field in free-to-air television, the Media Prima group has also set its sights strongly on international and regional expansion in its bid to further grow its business. The recent directorial reshuffle within the group resulted in the enigmatic Dato’ Sri Farid being tasked with handling a bigger portfolio.