Published on October 25, 2005

Kitikorn Penrote has always cherished his own ambitions in show business and now, as managing director of UBC Fantasia, he’s able to offer a stepping stone to the reality show’s participants

Being in show business has been a dream of Kitikorn Penrote ever since he was a kid hammering away at a guitar and piano. Now he’s managing director of UBC Fantasia. But it’s been a zigzag climb.

Studying engineering at Chulalongkorn University and earning an MBA in the United States had only altered the focus of Kitikorn’s dream.

He wanted to own a music company, and started out as the marketing manager of the now-defunct recording firm Kita.

“Phi Ter [late GMM Grammy president Raewat Budhinan], a businessman and a musician, was an inspiration to me,” says Kitikorn. “But there’s a lot of fierce competition in the music business.”

He shifted gears and switched to television, beginning as business-development manager at production company Kantana and handling marketing and promotion for iTV before moving to United Broadcasting Corp, also as marketing manager.

Seven years later, he jumped to Bec-Tero, where he was deputy managing director of marketing and production.

Kitikorn next joined Chayen Comnuan, the executive director

of Click Radio, to set up Eliconia,

an entertainment firm involved in TV, music, events, radio and publishing.

The company derived its name from the heliconia, a plant with numerous and diverse blossoms.

It produced several shows for Channels 3 and 9, but was so diverse and prolific itself that Kitikorn’s dream was now spanning all of show business.

“The television business is also highly competitive, but it’s better suited to my skills,” he says.

Kitikorn recently invested Bt25 million in a joint venture with UBC – the new music company UBC Fantasia – to provide career support for all 12 contestants from the just-finished second season of “Academy Fantasia”.

“It isn’t easy for young people these days to make it in the entertainment business because there are always changes among the sponsors as well as the consumers,” says Kitikorn, 36.

“But I believe there’s still water in the well.

“There’s may be fewer sponsorships to go around, but we’re confident in our business partners, our product and our connections.

“Today’s music business is smaller than it was 10 years ago in terms of sales because of all the copying that goes on now,” he says.

“The best thing now is to expand into other business lines: artist management, distribution of digital content [downloads and ringtones] and concert management, because a music company can’t focus just on album sales.”

Kitikorn refuses to call UBC Fantasia a record label – it’s a music company with a dream, he says.

Its first project is “Patibutkarn Ray Khai Fun” (“Going for a Dream in Action”), an album on which each of the 12 “Academy Fantasia II” contestants covers a popular tune, plus two tracks by the whole gang.

Due for release today, it boasts pop, dance, rock, R&B and look thung, and represents a stepping stone to solo albums for each of the contestants.

Appearing on the album regardless of how they fared on the popular TV reality show are Rujana “Look Taln” Uthaiwan, Anusra “Preaw” Wantongtak, Tanakrit “Waan” Panichwit, Supanat “Off” Chalermchaijaroenkij, Navapadol “Mew” Mingthum, Padcha “Pad” Anekayuwat, Alissa “Kukkai” Sim, Pitsanu “Boy” Nimsakul, Pasana “Pas” Tongbunruang, Kittima “Oe” Panprapan, Jittinan “Mai” Hongtong and Panupol “Jo” Ekpetch.

“Of course we’re already halfway to success with the album because the ‘Academy Fantasia’ artists are already well known,” Kitikorn notes, “but the other half depends on how well the music is received.”

A series of “Ray Khai Fun” concerts is already scheduled – Impact Arena on November 5 at 2pm and 7pm; Khon Kaen University on November 12; the Lotus Pang Suan Kaew Hotel in Chiang Mai on November 19; and the Royal Phuket City Hotel on November 26.

“Now we’re responding to the ‘Academy Fantasia’ kids’ dream,” says Kitikorn.

“We’re helping them find several different ways of making a living in show business.

“As for me, I’ve realised my dream – now I just have to make sure it ends successfully.”

Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul

The Nation

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