Suren wins RM50K

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September 8, 2010
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Suren wins RM50K
Suren wins RM50K and 12 months biz support from DiGi on ntv7's reality show, DiGi The Next Level

SHAH ALAM, 9 SEPTEMBER 2010: After weeks of battling it out business-wise on national television, 30-year-old Suren Haris Anwar emerged the winner of ntv7's 10-episode reality show, DiGi The Next Level. Suren beat seven other contestants to take home the coveted RM50,000 cash prize and 12 months of business support from mobile communications provider, DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd ("DiGi").

Amidst the tension and arguments after a series of dramatic and grueling nine episodes, Suren presented his winning business plan during the LIVE finale of the show at Sri Pentas 2, Plaza Alam Sentral, Shah Alam yesterday night.

Suren, who won with his idea of starting a reality show to train 10 running candidates to participate in The Fool Marathon Challenge in Gold Coast, Australia, was elated to take home RM50,000 to kickstart his dream business.

"I must say that I'm ecstatic to emerge as the winner. This has not been an easy competition as there are seven other contestants with viable ideas. My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to not be afraid to pursue their passions like I did. Now, with the cash prize, I can start my running project to inspire people to put on their shoes and run," said Suren.

The show's unique non-elimination concept saw all eight contestants vying to collect the most points each week. Amidst drama brought on by personality clashes and the passion to win, strong contenders of the show who fought to win the most points each week, were Suren and corset entrepreneur Chloe Mok, 23. By the final week before the finale, both tied with the most points followed by marketing executive Kheng, 27; engineer Radzi, 28; IT executive Daniel, 29; youth leader Jazz, 20; mechanic Norman, 26 and graphic designer Ong Tou, 34.

The eight went through weekly challenges ranging from innovation, branding, public relations and marketing to presentation skills. For the final challenge, contestants created and presented a detailed proposal based on their training from previous challenges. The contestant with the most points collected out of a breakdown of 60% from the last eight challenges, 30% from the final challenge and 10% from SMS voting, was declared the winner.

ntv7's General Manager, Airin Zainul, exclaimed her pleasure with the show, which gave budding entrepreneurs the means to kick start their business. She said, "We are delighted that DiGi The Next Level managed to provide not just the contestants but also our viewers with a variety of lessons and circumstances to deepen their knowledge on entrepreneurship through innovative challenges."

Airin also added, "As one of the leading media brands for urban viewers aged 25 and above, ntv7 strives to constantly provide current, relevant, and enriching content, as seen in this programme. We are also proud to work with sponsor DiGi for this show, which has given Malaysian entrepreneurs an amazing chance to take their business to the next level."

On the contestants' progress in the show, DiGi's Head of Marketing Services, Sulin Lau said, "From the time the contestants first began their journey five months ago, they managed to absorb key learnings from their challenges and incorporated them into their business proposals. The contestants, especially Suren, really stepped up their game at the finals as they gave their all in order to clinch the competition prize."

"These eight aspiring entrepreneurs were first selected because they each had a big dream they were struggling to make real. Today, we saw just how far they've evolved these dreams - introducing customer interactivity, mobile technology, smart partnerships and other important lessons they've learnt through the process. It just reinforces our belief that with the right tools and partners, anyone can take their idea to the next level."

Apart from RM50,000 cash, the winner would enjoy 12 months of business support from DiGi worth over RM100,000, comprising business call plans, devices and broadband packages, among others.

The unique reality show piqued the interest of aspiring entrepreneurs nationwide, bringing in a total of 200 applications via online and walk-in audition previously.

The live telecast, which also featured the slick hip hop dance moves and mesmerizing vocals of performer Mizz Nina, and guest judge Sulin Lau, DiGi's Head of Marketing Services alongside the two main judges - youth marketer Khailee Ng, co-founder of Youth Asia, and Dzulkifly Aminuddin, DiGi's Head of Enterprise Marketing. Hosting the show is well-known emcee, upcoming actor, and ntv7's The Breakfast Show host Hansen Lee.

For details and to watch past episodes, log on to www.ntv7.com.my/digithenextlevel or www.TonTon.com.my or follow updates on Facebook and Twitter.

 

About DiGi
Established in 1995, DiGi is listed on Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad and is part of the global telecommunications provider, Telenor Group. DiGi focuses on making it easy, keeping it relevant and providing the best deals to ensure excellent customer experience in mobile and internet services. Through its corporate initiative, Deep Green, DiGi is committed to a sustainable business that is financially and ecologically responsible to all stakeholders.

 

About ntv7
ntv7 first came on air on 7 April 1998 and was Malaysia's third private free-to-air TV station. The station has also positioned itself as a "Feel Good" channel and along this tagline has set itself apart from the other stations with an emphasis on branding. ntv7 is also synonymous with the urban viewers providing trendy, interactive and enriching content that transcends across various digital media platforms such as 3G and mobile content. For more information, log on to ,a href="http://www.ntv7.com.my" target="_blank">www.ntv7.com.my.

ntv7 is wholly owned by Media Prima Berhad, the largest integrated media house in Malaysia which also owns TV3 (First private free-to-air TV station in Malaysia), 8TV (the first station for young viewers), TV9, Primeworks Studios Sdn Bhd (Film production and distributor), New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad (one of the largest newspaper production group), three radio stations - Fly FM, Hot FM and One FM and four outdoor media companies - Big Tree Outdoor Sdn Bhd, UPD Sdn Bhd, The Right Channel Sdn. Bhd. and Kurnia Outdoor Sdn. Bhd. Media Prima's digital communications and broadcasting subsidiary, Alt Media, additionally offers a leading-edge online HD-ready quality viewing experience for viewers of all four TV stations via its TonTon portal (www.TonTon.com.my).


Issued by:
Corporate Communications Department.