Channel 5 (Singapore)

Channel 5 is a 24-hour Singapore English free-to-air nationwide terrestrial television channel. Its programming mainly consists of English language dramas, movies, sports, reality show, variety show, news, current affairs, children's programming and game shows. Local editions of imported programmes such as Singapore Idol, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Deal or No Deal have also been aired on the channel.

Channel 5
Launched15 February 1963 (1963-02-15) (Pilot)
2 April 1963 (1963-04-02) (Analogue)
1 January 2019 (2019-01-01) (Digital)
Closed1 January 2019 (2019-01-01) (Analogue)
NetworkMediacorp TV
Owned byMediacorp
Picture format1080i 16:9 HDTV
SloganIt's Good To Be Home on Five
CountrySingapore
LanguageEnglish
Broadcast areaSingapore
HeadquartersMediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507
Formerly calledOkto TV
Sister channel(s)Channel 8
Channel U
Suria
Vasantham
CNA
WebsiteMediacorp Channel 5
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital terrestrial televisionChannel 29 (HD)
IPTV
StarHub TVChannel 102 (HD)
Singtel TVChannel 2 (HD)
Streaming media
meWATCHAvailable on meWATCH website or mobile app
(Singapore only)

History

At 6pm on 15 February 1963, Channel 5 was launched as its first pilot television service as "Television Singapura". The channel operated 1-hour and 40-minutes monochrome service on black and white during its daily test transmissions from 6pm to 7.40pm. After the image of the state flag and the playing of the national anthem, Majulah Singapura, then-Minister for Culture S. Rajaratnam became the first person to appear on Singapore TV, 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, a news report and newsreel, a comedy show and a local variety show. At the time, it was estimated that only one in 58 persons in Singapore owned a TV set, and the pilot service offered only 1-hour and 40-minutes of broadcasting per day on Channel 5.[1] At 7.15pm on 2 April that year, President Yusof Ishak officially began inaugurated the regular television service as "Television Singapura Channel 5" with 4-hour daily broadcasts from at 7.15pm until 11.15pm before gradually brought forward to 6.30pm in September that year, showing programmes in Singapore's four official languages (see English).[2]

At 10.20pm on 7 July 1974, Channel 5 began its first colour broadcasts with the first live telecast during the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final between West Germany and Netherlands, narrated by Brian Richmond, was displayed in colour via satellite transmission as the first colour television programmes held at Olympiastadion, Munich.[3] About 2,000 colour television sets were sold in Singapore three days before the match. At 4.44pm on 9 August that year (the Singapore's Independence celebrated its ninth year of anniversary), the Singapore National Day Parade held at Padang was broadcast in colour for the first time in all four languages.[4]

At stroke of midnight on New Year's Day (1 January) 1994, Channel 5 officially revamp the channel logo for a new look to first channel in Singapore and became the full-fledged English channel with the television programme Tellymatch: Running On 5 at 7.30am, Tellymatch: Style Alive On 5 at 2pm, and Tellymatch: Finale On 5 at 1.30am which after News in English was split into two news bulletin programmes:

On 1 November 2014, the channel was announced a revamp in terms on programme, billed as "Local Upsize", as some primetime programmes were moved 30 minutes earlier (such as moving News 5 (formerly News 5 Tonight) from 9.30pm to 9pm), and the start of the Super 7 prime time belt with effect on 31 December that year.[6]

On 1 May 2019, the channel's morning and midday blocks was revamped and renamed to Okto on 5. The move is due to the closure of free-to-air children's and sport channel okto. The programmes replaced simulcast of CNA's breakfast news bulletin and reruns. On the other hand, the programming for the prime time and late-night blocks was retained.[7]

Programming

References
  1. Lim Ann Qi, Angela (14 February 1963). "PROGRAMME FOR TV PILOT SERVICE". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  2. Lim Ann Qi, Angela (2 April 1963). "Television Singapura The Straits Times". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  3. 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.
  4. Lim Ann Qi, Angela (9 August 1974). "Singapore First Colour Television". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  5. Channel 5 (First Full English Channel) first day schedule, 1 January 1994 at 7.30am on the New Straits Times
  6. "Local Upsize on MediaCorp's new Channel 5". Television Asia Plus. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  7. "Mediacorp integrates English-language channels Channel 5 and okto". Channel NewsAsia. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
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