From TV Singapura To MediaCorp

Just last Sunday 23 Nov 2008, Channel 8 telecast the gala show of its 45 years in TV broadcasting. Before that, it showed some preview of it like the one below about its history or milestone;

As you can see, the icons shown in sequence were as follow;

1. TV Malaysia Singapura

2. TV Singapura;

Note the similarity of the above two icons.

3. RTS (Old and New Logo);

4. SBC;

5. TCS;

6. MediaCorp;

Credit : Above all – MediaCorp of singapore

I practically grown up with our TV broadcasting as I’m 46 yrs old and they are 45 yrs! But one thing I find it confusing with that 45 years gala show and its premeire : Should TV Malaysia Singapura come before TV Singapura (as shown in the above sniplets shown on TV previously)?

I’m not sure and let’s wait for the actual gala show on 23 Nov 2008 Sunday. While I’m hoping to get more details from the Sunday Gala show, I’m rather disappointed. Below is the edited version of part of the whole show, depicted the history of our TV broadcasting shown in “news broadcasting” style;

For the benefits of those who don’t understand Mandarin, let me try to write down the main points (correct me if I’ve made any mistakes);

1.

1961- Started planning TV Transmission

1963 – Trial Transmission

1963, 2 Apr – TV Singapura officially started transmission.

1963, 23 Oct – Channel 8 launched.

2.

1965 – RTS formed.

1974, 1 Aug – Started color transmission.

1977, 1 Nov – All programmes in color transmission.

3.

1980, 31 Jan – SBC formed as a Stat Board and separated from Ministry of Culture.

4.

1994 – TCS formed as an Enterprise to replace SBC.

1999 – MediaCorp established replacing TCS.

It seems like I still cannot gather from the above show on whether TV Singapura or TV Malaysia Singapura started first…so I Googled and found the following infos from the Singapore Infopedia on Television Singapura;

1. 1963, 15 Feb – Television Singapura was launched as Singapore’s first monochrome television station.

2. 1963, 2 Apr – Television Singapura started regular transmission. Channel 5 was first started, and Channel 8 was launched in Nov, 1963.

3. 1964, 1 Jan – First advertisement was aired to reduce relying on subsidies.

4. 1964, Nov – The TV station joined the Radio Singapura to form RTS (Radio Television Singapura).

5. 1966, 26 Aug – A new $3.6 million building at Caldecott Hill was officially opened to house the Television Centre.

6. 1974, May – RTS began colour TV test transmission.

7.1980, 1 Feb -The Department of Broadcasting (RTS), Ministry of Culture, became the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), a statutory board.

8. 1994, 1 Oct – SBC was dissolved to make way for Singapore International Media (SIM), a fully privatised entity that led to Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) taking over the television broadcasting role of SBC.

9. 2001 – TCS became Mediacorp TV under a newly restructured group, Media Corporation of Singapore (MediaCorp Singapore).

Weird, howcome there is also no mention of the TV Malaysia Singapura? So I Googled again and found the following from Mica website;

1963 – Inception of national television, Television Singapura. Later renamed Television Malaysia (Singapura) when Singapore became part of Malaysia on 16 Sep 1963.

So for how long TV Malaysia (Singapura) lasted? Probably until Singapore separated from Malaysia on 7 Aug 1965.  In Nov, 1964 RTS (Radio Television Singapura) already formed and some equipments from TV Malaysia (Singapura) still remained in used probably until 1966 as can be seen in this below photo from PICAS;

Credit : Above 2 – National Archives of Singapore, PICAS.

Do you still remember in 4 Apr 1988, we celebrated 25 yrs of Television service in Singapore by launching a new set of stamps;

In this set, all stamps are showing the SBC logo only.

Before I end, do you realise there is a mistake in the Gala show? For those who understand Mandarin, see if you can identify the mistake;

In fact I practically grown up with our TV broadcasting service as I’m 46yrs this year and they are 45.