Dated: 21 December 2011
Latest station to inject greater diversity into Singapore’s radio industry
The Media Development Authority (MDA) has awarded the FM92.0 radio frequency to SPH Unionworks, paving the way for the launch of a new commercial free-to-air women and family radio station for local listeners.
The award follows a public tender launched by MDA on 29 March 2011 for the allocation of two vacant FM frequencies –FM89.3 and FM92.0 –to be operated as either commercial or not-for-profit (public interest) radio stations. To attract the widest variety of proposals possible, MDA had adopted an open tender approach with no restrictions on language or genre for the new stations.
At the close of the tender on 12 July 2011, MDA received a total of 11 valid bids from five companies: CMS Media Pte Ltd, MediaCorp Pte Ltd, Singapore Austar Media Group Pte Ltd, SPH Unionworks Pte Ltd and StarHub Ltd.
After careful evaluation by a Tender Evaluation Committee comprising MDA representatives and members of the Programming Advisory Committees, SPH Unionworks has been awarded the FM92.0 frequency to operate a round-the-clock women and family radio station in English.
The Committee believes SPH Unionworks’ proposal caters to an underserved, niche segment of the population. Existing local radio stations do provide some women and family-related content but none of them are positioned as stations which cater solely to this audience segment.
As the other proposals were deemed to be less unique and compelling, MDA will tender the remaining FM89.3 frequency at a later date. This is to give industry players time to develop fresh and innovative concepts that can add further vibrancy to our local radio scene.
The addition of a new radio station on FM92.0 will bring the total number of local FM stations to 19. Together, they provide a wide array of multilingual music and infotainment choices for consumers. (Please see Annex A for full list of stations)
The new station by SPH Unionworks is expected to be launched within the next nine months.
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About Media Development Authority (MDA)
The Media Development Authority of Singapore (www.mda.gov.sg) promotes the growth of globally competitive Animation, Broadcast, Film, Games, Interactive Media, Music and Publishing industries. It also regulates the media sector to safeguard the interest of consumers and promotes a connected society.
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