Businessman Chairul Tanjung announced the birth of a strategic partnership between WarnerMedia and Trans Media to launch a CNN-branded channel in Indonesia. CNN Indonesia began as an online portal, , on 24 October 2014 with Yusuf Arifin as editor in chief. It made its soft launching as a news channel in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of the country's Proclamation of Independence on 17 August 2015; official launch of the local franchise was held in conjunction with Trans Media's 14th anniversary on 15 December 2015.