Singapore – Red Bee Media has virtually closed down its Singapore operation, with the region to be handled primarily out of its Beijing office. Singapore-based vice president for Southeast Asia Petri Nikula is believed to have left the company. Beijing-based Anthony Shang, who heads up the whole of Asia, was unavailable for comment at press time. According to its website, the year-old Singapore office specialised ‘in media management, creative and editorial services for the Asia – Pacific region. We plan to grow the office into one of Red Bee Media’s digital media hubs, linked up with our other hubs in London, UK and Sydney, Australia.’ Asked whether external creative agencies are often the first casualty in a recession was met with disagreement from one source who said that Red Bee Media’s creative services operations are doing very well elsewhere in the world. “The Singapore office concentrated on new media anyway, this is more a case of the company (and its parent company) rethinking its strategy for Singapore.” Red Bee Media, previously a profit making arm of the BBC (known as BBC Broadcast), was sold in 2005 and became an independent company. It was bought by Creative Broadcast Services Limited which is jointly owned by Macquarie Capital Alliance Group and Macquarie Bank Limited.