 | |
| Country | Singapore |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Singapore Peninsular Malaysia (spillover) Indonesia (spillover): Riau Islands Riau |
| Headquarters | Mediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Mediacorp |
| Sister channels | Channel 8 Channel U Suria Vasantham CNA |
| History | |
| Launched | 15 February 1963; 62 years ago (15 February 1963) (as TV Singapura) 2 April 1963; 62 years ago (2 April 1963) (as TV Singapura Channel 5) |
| Links | |
| Website | Mewatch |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Digital terrestrial television | UHF Channel 29 (538MHz) LCN: 2 (HD) |
| Streaming media | |
| meWATCH | Available onmeWATCH website or mobile app (Singapore only) |
Channel 5 is anEnglish-languagefree-to-airterrestrial television channel inSingapore, owned by the state-owned media conglomerateMediacorp. It airs ageneralist format including domestic and imported entertainment programming, news, and sports coverage.
The channel began broadcasting on 15 February 1963 as the pilot service TV Singapura, the region's first television service. It officially launched on 2 April 1963. It initially broadcast programming in theofficial languages ofEnglish,Chinese,Malay andTamil; Chinese and Tamil programming were later spun off toChannel 8 in 1973, and Malay programming moved toChannel 12 in 1994, leaving Channel 5 as an English-language service.
On January 3, 1963, the Singaporean government announced the start of pilot programming effective February 15. The station was set to broadcast on VHF channel 5 in the 625-line television standard and would provide a license fee of $24 per year ($2 per month), touted at the time as being "one of the cheapest inthis part of the world". The output from the start of the pilot service was going to last less than two hours, before extending to four hours by April. Asecond channel was slated to start between August and September of the same year. By the time of the March extension, the service was going to carry filmed programming in English and Hokkien, before gradually extending to include Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and other Chinese dialects. The regular service would provide, effective April, a four-hour schedule in the official languages of Singapore. A temporary studio was built on Caldecott Hill in the precincts of Radio Singapore and a television transmitter at Bukit Batok was erected. The staff consisted of experienced workers coming from theUnited Kingdom,Australia andJapan.[1] Ahead of the start of the pilot service, it was recommended for manufacturers of television sets to ensure that their presets would match Channel 5 and Channel 8.[2]
The channel first launched as a pilot service,TV Singapura on 15 February 1963. Chong Yan Ling and Lucy Leong were two of the four women who appeared for the opening lines of TV Singapura on its launch day.[3] Minister for CultureS. Rajaratnam introduced its inaugural night of programming, which included the documentaryTV Looks at Singapore, imported cartoons and comedy programmes, the Malayvariety showRampaian Malaysia (Malaysian Medley), and news. Rajaratnam stated that "tonight might well mark the start of a social and cultural revolution in our lives." The pilot service would broadcast 100 minutes of programmes per-night.[4] At the time, it was estimated that only one in 58 persons in Singapore owned a television set.[5] Airtime began to increase on 11 March, before reaching the four-hour target in April.[6]
While many viewers found television as a source of entertainment, the real purpose of the new service was a mere tool against supporters of communism who were against Singapore's merger with Malaysia.[7] The first newsreader on launch night was Steven Lee, while the first newsreel (Berita Singapura) was read by Harry Crabb, who later appeared in the regular bulletins. The news division was assisted by AustralianDavid Prior, who trained train locals in the field of television journalism. At the time, it was projected that Prior would stay with TV Singapura for two years.Continuity announcers were also a central part of the staff, primarily appearing at start-up and at closedown delivering the schedule.[8] Among the initial set of announcers were Mildred Appaduray (English), Kamala Dorai (Tamil), Hsu Fong Lim (Mandarin) and Zaiton Haji Mohamed (Malay).[9]
On 2 April 1963, the channel was formally inaugurated byPresidentYusof Ishak as TV Singapura Channel 5. It expanded its broadcast day to four hours per-night, broadcasting from 7:15 p.m. to 11:15 p.m.SGT in thefour official languages.[10] By the time of the launch of the regular service, TV sets were now available in 7000 households, per aStraits Times survey.[11] A bespoke "second" channel opened on AM radio (1370 kHz) in June providing a second audio track for selected programming.[12][13] On 31 August 1963, a second channel,Channel 8, began test broadcasts.[14]
In January 1964, Channel 5 and 8 became regional affiliates ofTV Malaysia. Television advertising started on 15 January the same year.[15] Following Singapore's separation from Malaysia, Channel 5 and Channel 8 became part of the new state broadcaster Radio Television Singapore, and was subsequently rebranded asRTS Channel 5.The first post-independence Grand Prix was held in Singapore was carried by the channel.[16] A fire hit TV Singapura's main studio on 16 August 1965, affecting its schedule.[17] Both channels moved to Television Centre onCaldecott Hill on 26 August 1966. As late as that period, the RTS channels were still known in some way asTV Singapura.[18] The relocation was marked with a variety show,PAestarama, and an extension of its on-air hours.[19]
Beginning 30 March 1973, RTS divided its language-based programming between the two channels, with Channel 5 becoming responsible for English and Malay programmes (after having broadcast in all four official languages since its launch).[20]
In 1974, Channel 5 began experimental colour broadcasts, including live coverage of the1974 FIFA World Cup final.[21] Channel 5 broadcast its first domestic programme in colour, theNational Day parade, on 9 August.[22] In late 1979, the channel conducted engineering tests after closedown, airing selected programming in colour before their supposed first runs later, confusing some viewers.[23]
On 1 February 1980, RTS was dissolved and replaced by the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), which would operate as a statutory enterprise similar to the BBC rather than as a division of the Ministry of Culture, with the channel accordingly rebrandedSBC 5.[24][25]
In April 1982, SBC 5 introduced new programmes for its afternoon slot, including repeats of Chinese dramas and programmes aimed at pre-school and early school children. The soap operaThe Young and the Restless was removed from the lineup due to its plot and themes not reflecting the social norms of the country.[26] Emergency broadcasts from Jurong were broadcast on the early hours of 14 September 1983, for a two-hour period after the channel's closedown. This was done in case the main facilities were facing a breakdown.[27] SBC 5 extended transmission hours on 26 February 1984, from 11:15 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. on Sundays and Tuesdays, 12:00 m.n. on Mondays and 11:50 p.m on Wednesdays due to complaints from viewers on the early closing times, which turned out to be a "temporary feature" due to the launch of SBC 12.[28]
On 12 October 1987, SBC 5 revamped its 3-to-6-p.m. afternoon slot to attract more viewers, especially shift workers. Mandarin drama repeats and a music programme which used to air at 3 p.m. now air an hour later.[29]
Sunday Morning Singapore, a pre-recorded magazine programme, debuted on 3 April 1988. The initial presenters were Tisa Ng and Paul Kuah, selected from an audition.[30] Along with the debut of the programme, a drama slot at 2 p.m. was introduced while the Sunday afternoon movie slot Movie Parade moved to 3 p.m.[30] A Saturday afternoon sports slot was introduced the following month.[30]
Stereo broadcasts debuted on Channel 5 and its sister channels on 1 August 1990.
On 31 August 1992, SBC 5 introduced a two-minute 7 p.m. news bulletin,From The Newsroom, airing on weekdays.[31]
The daily afternoon soap opera in Mandarin, one of the fewest non-English programmes airing on Channel 5, moved to Channel 8 on 7 June 1993.[32]
In September 1993, SBC announced that SBC 5's Malay-language programming would be moved to Channel 12 in order to expand its output in the language, and that SBC 5 would re-launch as an English-language channel.[33][34] In preparation for the new Channel 5, SBC adoptedblock programming for the channel, with scheduling based on the lifestyles and preferences of viewers. Monday evenings would be for professionals, managers and executives while Tuesdays are for teenagers and young adults. Lighter shows would air in the 6-8 p.m. slot;I Love Lucy and a game show air every day and weekdays respectively in astripped format. It would also introduceNews 5 at Seven, aimed at blue-collar workers and feature human interest stories andNews 5 Tonight, which resembled the former 9 p.m. news bulletin. On Fridays and Saturdays, two movies were scheduled during prime time; unappealing imports were to air after 11 p.m., reserved for TV series with limited ratings potential in Singapore.[35] Channel 5's new newsroom was built at a cost of S$8 million.[36]
The relaunch occurred at midnight on 1 January 1994, as the culmination ofHi! 5—aNew Year's Eve special fromJunction 8.[37] The relaunch included a special lineup with 35 straight hours of broadcasting, which began on the afternoon of 31 December.[37] AStraits Times reporter observed that Channel 5's new on-air presentation made the channel feel more "foreign" and American in style, in contrast to the more multicultural feel SBC 5 had.[38]
On 29 August 1994, the channel launchedAM Singapore, Singapore's first English-languagebreakfast programme. It aired weekdays from 6:00 to 8:30amSGT.[39] Its initial presenters were Diana Koh and Lance Alexander; the latter who was dispatched fromPerfect 10.[39] AM Singapore was promoted aggressively, emphasising on being first with the news.[39] With the launch ofAM Singapore, Channel 5 now broadcast for 19 hours a day on weekdays.[39]
On 1 October 1994, SBC was privatised into a new holding company, Singapore International Media (SIM), with four business units: Channel 5 would become a unit of the Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS).[40] Channel 5 replaced its family-friendly programmes (sitcoms such asBoy Meets World,Blossom andMajor Dad and drama series such asHomefront andMurder, She Wrote) on Sunday afternoons with action-related programming (the rollerblade game showBlade Warriors,Kung Fu: The Legend Continues andAcapulco H.E.A.T., considered byThe Straits Times as a "flesh parade disguised as a drama series") in late 1994 as viewership ratings showed that families would tune in to fast-paced action programmes in the 12pm-3pm slot, an "appreciable rise" according to a Nielsen survey. The mid-late afternoon slot was still dedicated to family-friendly content.[41]
On 29 September 1995, Channel 5 became the second channel in Singapore to begin 24-hour broadcasting. Local programming on Channel 5 during the 6 to 11 pm prime time in the week from 26 June to 2 July 1995 was at 41%, while in March 1996 it was at 37%.[42] In March 1996, much of the slots for local programmes during prime time were replaced with "imported shows".Chicago Hope, which used to air at midnight, moved to prime time, instead of using these slots for repeats of local productions.[42]
The viewership share of Channel 5 according to Nielsen Survey Research Singapore data was at 60% in September 1995, dipping to 57% in February 1996.[42] Channel 5 shuffled most of its programmes to different time slots and days throughout April 1996, prioritising its local programmes than "foreign imports" as TCS has almost reached the aim of 80% local content during prime time. Notably,Murder One which aired at prime time moved to midnight on Wednesdays despite its loyal following.[43]
In 1997, Channel 5 began increasing local production by commissioning programmes from Zhao Wei Films and Canada-based UTV International. By this period, Channel 5 had 40 hours a week of local programming.[44] With the launch ofChannel NewsAsia in 1999, the channel cut its news service to one bulletin a day (9:30pm) while increasing its entertainment output during primetime hours.[45]
On 29 January 2000, Channel 5 introduced a new programming block for teenagers called The Tube, airing weekdays from 4 to 6 pm and weekends from 9 to 3 pm.[46]
On 30 April 2001,News 5 Tonight was retooled with a new format, geared towards "young people and people on the streets" with stories relatable to the local audience and irrelevant news removed. This also included a live studio interview session each night. Toh Seh Ling, who was a presenter for "teen" news programme Newswatch in 1990, became its new host.[47]
The broadcast ofX-Men on 4 May 2003 gave the channel a record 1.2 million viewers tuning in for its network television premiere.[48] The premiere of local dramaBrothers 4 attracted 715,000 viewers on its 9 August premiere, a record for Mediacorp dramas in 2003.[49]
In order to regain its viewership, Channel 5 announced a new schedule in May 2008 with new local programmes.[50] That year, as part of a realignment of Mediacorp's TV output, the channel would increase its local output to include long form drama series and reality shows. The channel would also launch a Mobile 5 service.[51]
On 1 November 2014, Channel 5 announced a planned expansion of local original programming, including more current affairs programming focusing on Singapore (including the weeknight talk showThe 5 Show), a "local serial drama", and a new talent search competition.[52]
On 1 May 2019, Channel 5 replaced its daytime simulcasts ofCNA with the children's programming blockOkto on 5; this service replaced the Okto channel, which was discontinued.[53]