SINGAPORE'S pool of TV talent is about to get a helping hand from one of showbiz's biggest names.

The largest entertainment agency in the world, the William Morris Agency (WMA), is to hold a media industry Masterclass Series next year in collaboration with the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA).

Topics the series could cover range from financing a TV production to scriptwriting, although details such as names of top entertainment players who will be sharing their knowledge will be available only early next year.

The announcement of Singapore's Masterclass coup was made by Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Dr Lee Boon Yang when he launched the Asia Television Forum (ATF) here yesterday.

He told the opening of the three-day trade event at the Shangri-La Hotel that the Masterclass series will help 'enlarge our talent pool to meet the needs of the media ecosystem'.

United States-based WMA, which has six offices in cities such as New York, Beverly Hills and London, and also one in Asia, in Shanghai, represents showbusiness personalities including singer Alicia Keys, director Tim Burton and entrepreneur Richard Branson.

Its senior vice-president and co-head of WMA Independent, the agency's film packaging arm, Mr Cassian Elwes, told Life! that the Masterclass will consist of four sessions - one in each quarter - next year.

He added: 'Financing and talent are key to this business. We represent the talent. We are looking for the money, and Singapore is a natural financial hub which we can tap.'

The managing director of Willaim Morris Asia, Ms Grace Chen, said that while setting up the Shanghai office is its first venture into Asia, holding the Masterclass series in Singapore is the agency's first step in reaching out to the South-east Asian market.

She stopped short of saying that WMA will set up an office here, but added that it is always 'exploring possibilities'.

Now in its eighth year, the ATF is part of the Asia Media Festival, organised by Reed Exhibitions and hosted by MDA.

The mediafest's events include the Asia Film Market and Conference, Asian Television Awards, Asian Festival of First Films and the Media Financing Forum.

It also saw the launch of Asia-Pacific's first Centre For Content Protection, a clearing house and resource centre for information on digital distribution and copyright protection.

This year, festival organisers expect about 4,700 partipants from close to 50 countries, with more than 140 companies taking part for the first time.

At the event last year, about US$47.1 million (S$68 million) in transactions were made.