Fact Sheet - Public Service Broadcast Expands Beyond Free-To-Air

MDA today announces that it has appointed StarHub to commission and produce original Public Service Broadcast (PSB)1 programmes which will air on its pay-TV and Internet television platforms, and be made available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike.

MDA’s appointment of StarHub as the first pay-TV operator under its Public Service Broadcast Contestable Funds Scheme (PCFS) means that by 2014, Singapore viewers will be able to enjoy more quality local programming on pay-TV as well, beyond Free-To-Air (FTA) television.

Established in July 2012, the PCFS is a response by MDA to the PSB Review Panel’s2 recommendation to extend the reach and improve the quality of PSB content. The PCFS’ underlying premise is to ensure that PSB programmes continue to be accessible, relevant and engaging to today’s viewers who have a wide array of viewing choices.

National broadcaster MediaCorp i​s the first and other platform partner on the PCFS. Traditionally, it has been the sole commissioning platform for PSB programmes, bringing local stories that bear the Singapore Identity, culture and heritage to viewers through FTA.

StarHub was invited to come onboard the PCFS as it has demonstrated a strong commitment to developing fresh, innovative local content. To underscore this undertaking, it will be commissioning more local programmes including non- PCFS-funded ones. StarHub has also committed to extending the reach of its original-commissioned programmes through multiple screens and devices to reach even more Singaporeans. It has further committed to making the content available on its TV Anywhere platform free of charge, six months after the initial broadcast.

StarHub’s entry into local television content production will also help to introduce a new level of competition to the broadcast sector, as StarHub adopts industry best practices through its commissioning work with local television producers.

MDA thus urges our local production houses to push boundaries and create more innovative programmes and formats, and novel story ideas that will appeal to audiences. Such efforts are important as we continue to seek ways to constantly raise the quality and reach of PSB content and local programmes.

MDA will continue to work with more media platform providers to come onboard the PCFS to create more innovative content that will inform, entertain and educate viewers. This will be done by invitation, as platforms need to meet a range of criteria including the reach of the platform, and the ability to commission, carry and promote local content.​

¹Public Service Broadcast (PSB) programmes play a significant role in contributing to Singapore’s nation-building objectives to foster a cohesive, inclusive and informed society. PSB programmes promote national values; celebrate the Singapore identity, culture and heritage; stimulate knowledge and learning; and foster an informed society. For more information, please refer to: http://www.mda.gov.sg/Public/PublicService/Pages/PublicServiceContent.aspx

²​The 8-member PSB Review Panel was convened in October 2010 by then Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (now renamed “Ministry of Communications and Information”) to provide an independent assessment on the performance of PSB in Singapore and recommend how the provision of PSB can be improved. Chaired by Grace Fu, then Senior Minister of State for the Ministry, the Panel presented its findings to the Minister in 2012, recommending for the PSB framework to be strengthened and the quality and accessibility of PSB content enhanced to meet changing media consumption habits of local viewers.

Ab​out Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) 
The Media Development Authority of Singapore (www.mda.gov.sg) promotes the growth of globally competitive film, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation and interactive digital media industries. It also regulates the media sector to safeguard the interests of consumers, and promotes a connected society. MDA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information (www.mci.gov.sg).