SPH MediaWorks Ltd (SPH MediaWorks) (Chinese: 报业传讯) was the ephemeral free-to-air terrestrial television broadcastor in Singapore. SPH MediaWorks brought 2 alternative free-to-air terrestrial television channels to the audience in Singapore, in 2001. As of 1 January 2005, SPH MediaWorks had ceased to exist upon the merging of operations with MediaCorp TV Singapore Pte Ltd (MediaCorp TV) and MediaCorp Studios Pte Ltd.

A subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd, (SPH ), SPH MediaWorks was originally set up to create variety and healthy competition with MediaCorp TV Singapore Pte Ltd (MediaCorp TV). MediaWorks is widely praised for injecting more variety in local programming and for its creative innovations.

Merger

On 17 September 2004, however, SPH and MediaCorp Ptd Ltd (MediaCorp) announced that both company had entered an agreement on merging the television operations of the two companies, of which operates the mainstream free-to-air terrestrial channels; Channel 5, Channel 8, TVMobile, Channel U (优频道) and Channel i. The 3 other free-to-air terrestrial run by MediaCorp: Suria, Central and Channel NewsAsia, remained wholly-owned and run by MediaCorp Pte Ltd, in contrast to the channels owned by MediaCorp TV Pte Ltd, under the holding company of MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd (MediaCorp TV Holdings) as of 1 January 2005; MediaCorp TV Holdings were 80% owned by MediaCorp and 20% by SPH. The merger was seen as a move to reduce the losses faced by SPH since the launch of Channel U and Channel i, and to reduce the losses in the free newspaper market of “Today” faced by MediaCorp.

Apart from the merging of television operations, the merging package includes the merging of the free newspaper operations of both MediaCorp and SPH. Streats, managed by SPH will merge into “Today”; Streats will cease its independent publication upon the completion of the merger. “Today” continues to be managed by MediaCorp solely.

Milestones

In June 2000, Mr Lee Cheok Yew was appointed as the CEO of SPH Mediaworks Ltd. Between August and November 2000, Mr Man Shu Sum and some of the MediaCorp artistes joined from SPH Mediaworks, the former as Chief Operating Officer of MediaCorp.

In May 2001, Channel U, a Mandarin channel and its English counterpart, TV Works were launched.

In October 2001, UnionWorks, a subsidiary of MediaWorks and NTUC Media was launched; owns and operates UFM 1003 and WKRZ 91.3FM. Both radio stations were simply re-branded and resume operations of Heart 100.3FM and 91.3FM, previously wholly-owned by NTUC Media.

In March 2002, TV Works was renamed Channel i.

In December 2002, MediaWorks won the "Broadcaster of the Year" award in "Asia Television Awards". Channel U also bagged the "Channel of the Year" award.

Channel U too organises a charity show, "Ren Ci Charity Show ", shortly after being named the Broadcaster of the Year. Ren Ci Charity Show bears similarity to those hosted by MediaCorp. Audience will be fed with intense performance presented by actors, actress and guest, and encouraged to donate, commonly through telephone or mobile phone.

Mr Lee Cheok Yew resigned as CEO of SPH Mediaworks in April 2003.

Channel i News won the "Best News Programme" of "Asia Television Award" in December 2003.

In September 2004, MediaCorp Group CEO Ernest Wong struck a deal with SPH CEO Alan Chen to merge their mass-market television and free newspaper. The two media companies have previously been scathed and stifled by stiff and unhealthy competition from each other and the merger is widely seen as inevitable. MediaCorp TV Holdings will be created upon the completion of merging. MediaCorp will have an 80% stake while SPH will own the remainder.

On 31 December 2004, MediaCorp and SPH jointly announced that the merger is legally completed and that Channel i will be ceasing transmission at 2am, 1 January 2005, after being reviewed as not commercially practicable to maintain the channel. And on this day, SPH MediaWorks Ltd comes to her last day of providing Singaporeans an alternative that was however, ephemeral.

Conclusion

Despite being in the market for merely four years, MediaWorks had managed to emerge as an eminent competitor to the more established MediaCorp. Channel U was much praised for pioneering Mandarin-dubbed Korean dramas as well as Taiwanese TV-serials in their programmes. For example, like the TVB longest running drama series Kindred Spirit, which the rival company, MediaCorp, will produce a local marathon family drama series like Holland V and Double Happiness.

Programmes

Channel U

• Ad-War
• Add Your Service
• Apple Pie
• Banzai My Kids
• Be Somebody - Drama
• Big Challenge - Variety
• Celebrity Travellers - Variety
• Inside Out - Current affairs
• Legally Yours
• Money No Problem - Drama
• OK, No Problem - Drama
• Snap (3 seasons) - Variety
• The Frontline - Drama
• The Westside Story
• Top 10
• Yummy King (3 Seasons) - Variety
• Variety Unlimited - Variety
• Zero (Ling Lou) - Drama

Channel i

• Ah Girl (3 Seasons) - Sitcom
• Channel i News - Current affairs
• Durian King - Drama
• Perceptions - Drama
• Six Weeks - Drama

TV Works

• After Hours
• Big Chilli Wednesday

Artists

• Adrian Pang - to Mediacorp
• Arnold Gay
• Ben Yeo 杨志龙 - to Mediacorp
• Bryan Wong 王禄江 - to Mediacorp
• Chen Yuyun (Evelyn Tan)- left showbizz
• Fu Fangling - to Mediacorp
• Guo Liang 郭亮 - to Mediacorp
• Guo Xuxian (Ann Kok) - to Mediacorp
• Huang Mingde 黄明德
• Zhong Qing (Kym Ng) 钟琴 - to Mediacorp
• Lin Minglun - to Mediacorp
• Lin Wanfei 林琬绯
• Michelle Chia 谢韵仪 - to Mediacorp
• Pamela Oei
• Quan Yifeng 权仪凤 - to Mediacorp
• Sheng Qingshan (Ix Shen) - to Mediacorp
• Song yifie - to Mediacorp
• Wang Shufang
• Wang Yanqing
• Zhang Haijie 张海洁 - to UFM100.3

• Chen Huihui - Sacked
• Hong Rong - Sacked
• Fu Aini - Sacked
• Chen Hongyu - Sacked
• Chen Chuanzhi - Sacked
• Chen Yuyun - Sacked

Link

SPH Mediaworks