DJ/Telerate Emerging Markets Service: New Newswire, Data Are First Fruit Of Tech Data Deal

DJ/Telerate's exclusive marketing and product development pact with Thomson's Tech Data has borne its first fruit -- in the form of DJ/Telerate Emerging Markets Service. The service will comprise a new newswire, called Emerging Markets Report, broker- contributed data and analytical commentary provided by Tech Data.

To be announced on Dec. 1, the service will be offered as an optional service on Basic Telerate or as a stand-alone service called Emerging Markets Matrix.

When Telerate and Thomson signed their long-awaited agreement last summer to begin joint product development and marketing (IMD, Aug. 17), the intention was to wed Telerate data with Tech Data commentary for a series of Telerate-proprietary optional services. EMS is nothing if not that.

The service will concentrate -- at least initially -- on Latin America. And while equities information will be available as an option, EMS will cover most closely the Least Developed Countries (LDC) debt of greater interest to the emerging markets-watchers on the fixed-income desks that Telerate will find easiest to reach.

The basic service will include rates on LDC loans and bonds contributed by a number of the brokers in that market. Sources say Tradition Berisford L.P., Tullett & Tokyo and Lasser Marshall Inc. will likely contribute LDC rates.

When delivered as part of Telerate Digital Page Feed or Basic Telerate service, say sources, EMS will cost $350 monthly for the first subscription and $195 for each subsequent.

As a stand-alone service, Emerging Market Matrix will offer PC- based service using a Telerate-proprietary broadcast feed. The service will cost $695 per terminal monthly, inclusive of communications charges.

For news coverage, DJ/Telerate will provide Emerging Markets Report, which will have eight reporters with news bureaus in Brazil, Chile and Venezuela, as well as in Washington and New York.

Editor Rusty Todd joined DJ/Telerate from the Asian Wall Street Journal, as did Emerging Market Report managing editor Betsy Ring.

The service will provide market wraps twice daily, at 10 a.m. and at 3 p.m., New York time, which will be the unofficial closing time for the service. EMR has begun filing stories in advance of its launch, occupying pages 1802 through 1999.

Sources say it is undecided whether the newswire will be made available as a separate feed or through the DowVision consolidated feed of Dow Jones news services. However, sources say EMR will be treated as a bundled Telerate product and initially delivered over its network exclusively.

Tech Data brings to the party a fundamental analysis and news service called IFR LatAm. IFR LatAm, launched last July, covers capital markets in Latin America, also with special attention to LDC loans and bonds.

IFR LatAm analysts provide rolling headlines and commentary, as well as longer-term analyses of political and economic events. The service includes details on all new issues, including Eurobonds and warrants.

The service will be offered as part of the Emerging Markets Service but will continue also to be sold separately as an optional service on Telerate pages 41875-41894 and 41902-16.

Todd is heading the Emerging Markets Report news service as editor, while Tech Data's New York IFR LatAm bureau chief Tom Himmelberg is liaison for EMS.

Telerate vice president Larry Landau is charged with the data component of the service, as well as marketing of the product in the Americas generally.

Meanwhile, the latest in a series of shuffles at Tech Data makes Scott Knight, New York sales and major account manager, the Tech Data sales liaison to Telerate. Jim Bamford was elevated to the post of regional sales manager concentrating on Latin America, putting IFR LatAm firmly in his lap.

Also two weeks ago, regional sales director David Merrill quit Tech Data to join Telekurs (North America) Inc. as sales executive in a new Boston Telekurs office, handling New England and eastern Canada. Merrill has been a member of Tech Data's management team, and resigned after being offered an alternate position within Tech Data.