Channel 5 (Singaporean TV channel)
Channel 5 (Chinese: 五頻道) is a free-to-air, English-language television channel in Singapore. Owned by state broadcaster Mediacorp, it broadcasts news, luxury and oldies entertainment programming. The channel's logo is a big white number 5 superimposed on a blue bar.
| Country | Singapore |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Mediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507 |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English Mandarin (subtitles) |
| Picture format | 1080i 16:9 HDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Mediacorp |
| Sister channels | Channel 8 Channel U Suria Vasantham CNA |
| History | |
| Launched | 2 April 1963 |
| Links | |
| Website | Mediacorp Channel 5 |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Digital terrestrial television | Channel 29 (HD) |
| myFreeview | Channel 1 (HD) (Johor only) |
History
At 6:00pm SGT on 15 February 1963, Channel 5 was launched as its first pilot television service as TV Singapura. The channel operated 1-hour and 40-minutes monochrome service on black and white during its daily test transmissions from 6:00pm to 7:40pm SGT. After the image of the state flag and the playing of the national anthem, Majulah Singapura, Minister for Culture, S. Rajaratnam, became the first person to appear on Singapore Television, announcing that "Tonight might well mark the start of a social and cultural revolution in our lives." Following his speech, the first television programme in Singapore was a 15-minute documentary produced by Television Singapura called TV Looks at Singapore. It was followed by two cartoons featuring Heckle and Jeckle in "Off to the Opera" and "Moose on the Loose", a news report and newsreel, a comedy show called Hancock's Half Hour and a local variety show called Rampaian Malaysia (Malaysian Mixture). At the time, it was estimated that only one in 58 persons in Singapore owned a television set, and the pilot service offered only 1-hour and 40-minutes of broadcasting per day on Channel 5 was in held at Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.[1]
At 7:15pm SGT on 2 April that year, President Yusof Ishak officially inaugurated the regular television service as TV Singapura Channel 5 (TV Singapura Saluran 5/新加坡电视第五波道) with 4-hour daily broadcasts from 7:15pm until 11:15pm SGT before gradually brought forward to 6:30pm in September that year, showing programmes in Singapore's four official languages.[2]
Channel 5 and Channel 8 became regional stations of Televisyen Malaysia when Singapore was part of Malaysia between September 1963 and August 1965.
After the separation of Singapore from the Malaysian federation, all of the Malaysian television and radio operations in Singapore were fused to become Radio Television Singapore (RTS) a part of the Ministry of Culture and TV Singapura Channel 5 was officially relaunched as RTS Channel 5 (Saluran 5 RTS/新加坡广播电视第五波道). This led to the expansions of the network, including a move to the new $3.6 million Television Centre in Caldecott Hill on 27 August 1966.
Channel 5 began its very first colour television signal on 1 May 1974 with the very first colour comedy programme of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Channel 5 began its colour broadcasts on 7 July 1974 at 10:10pm SGT with the very first colour programme being a live telecast of that year's FIFA World Cup final between West Germany (two goal) and Netherlands (one goal) narrated by Brian Richmond relayed via satellite transmission was officially name as RTS Color/RTS Colour (RTS Warna).[3] About 2,000 colour television sets were sold in Singapore three days before the match.
Channel 5 began its officially opening colour broadcasts on 9 August 1974 at 4:44pm SGT with the very first colour live programme of Singapore's 9th national day parade was held at the Padang, Singapore for the first time in all four languages.[4]
On 31 January 1980, Radio Television Singapore (RTS) officially closing telecast and transmission with closing broadcast as usual on television channels by RTS Channel 5 at 11:35pm SGT and 8 at 11:30pm SGT to prepare for a network rebrand.[5]
Rebranding
Radio Television Singapore (RTS) was officially renamed as Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) effective 1 February 1980 when the government officially relaunched its mother company as a statutory corporation and RTS Channel 5 was officially relaunched as SBC Channel 5 (Saluran 5 SBC/新广第五波道) and officially opening telecast on same day with opening broadcast as usual on television channels including SBC Channel 5 at 3:00pm SGT.[6]
SBC 5 debuted stereo broadcasts for its English and Malay productions beginning 1 August 1990 as part of the country's silver jubilee year of independence.
Privatisation
On New Year's Day 1994 at midnight stroke SGT, SBC Channel 5 revamp the channel logo for a new look and became the first channel in Singapore to become a full-fledged English-language channel. News 5 at Seven an half-hour of English-language flagship evening news programme opened on New Year's Day 1994 from 7:00pm to 7:30pm SGT. News 5 Tonight became a half-hour of late news bulletin on SBC Channel 5 aired daily from 10:30pm to 11:00pm SGT after Malay programmes was officially transferred from SBC Channel 5 to SBC Channel 12.[7]
On 29 August 1994, "AM Singapore", Singapore's first English-language breakfast programme begins on TCS Channel 5 aired live on Monday to Friday at 6:00am SGT.
Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) was privatised/privatisation on 1 October 1994 into a new holding company Singapore International Media (SIM Group of Companies) with three business units: Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS), Radio Corporation of Singapore (RCS) and Television Twelve (TV12). SBC Channel 5 was officially launched new name as TCS Channel 5 (新视第五波道).[8]
On 29 September 1995 at midnight stroke SGT, Channel 5 began 24-hour broadcasts.
Channel i officially closing telecast on New Year's Day 2005 at 1:30am SGT and all Channel i shows officially shift and moved to officially replaced by Channel 5.
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 talkshow The 5 Show), a "local serial drama", and a new talent search competition.[9]
On 1 May 2019, Channel 5 replaced its morning and afternoon schedule (which primarily featured simulcasts of Channel NewsAsia) with the children's programming block Okto on 5 (replacing the Okto channel, which was discontinued).[10]
On New Year's Day 2022 at midnight stroke SGT, Channel 5 officially became news, luxury and oldies entertainment free-to-air terrestrial channel.
Programming
References
- ^ Lim Ann Qi, Angela (14 February 1963). "PROGRAMME FOR TV PILOT SERVICE". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Lim Ann Qi, Angela (2 April 1963). "Television Singapura The Straits Times". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Lim Ann Qi, Angela (7 July 1974). "Singapore Colour Live Telecast on FIFA World Cup Via Satellite Transmission". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Lim Ann Qi, Angela (9 August 1974). "Singapore First Colour Television". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Lim Ann Qi, Angela (31 January 1980). "FAREWELL RADIO TELEVISION SINGAPORE". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Lim Ann Qi, Angela (1 February 1980). "THIS IS SINGAPORE BROADCASTING CORPORATION". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Channel 5 (First Full English Channel) first day schedule, 1 January 1994 at 7.30am on the New Straits Times
- ^ Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) first day schedule, 1 October 1994 at 6.00am on the New Straits Times
- ^ "Local Upsize on MediaCorp's new Channel 5". Television Asia Plus. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^ "Mediacorp integrates English-language channels Channel 5 and okto". Channel NewsAsia. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
External links
- MediaCorp TV Channel 5's official website