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Channel i (Singaporean TV channel)

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This article is about the defunct Singapore channel. For the Bangladesh channel, see Channel i.

Channel i
CountrySingapore
NetworkSPH MediaWorks
Headquarters82 Genting Lane
Singapore 349567
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format4:3 576i SDTV
Ownership
OwnerSingapore Press Holdings
Sister channelsChannel U
History
Launched20 May 2001; 23 years ago (2001-05-20)
(as TVWorks)[1]
3 March 2002; 22 years ago (2002-03-03)
(as Channel i)[2]
Closed1 January 2005; 19 years ago (2005-01-01)
Replaced byChannel 5 (most of programming)
Okto (frequency, channel space and some of programming)
Former namesTVWorks (2001-2002)
Availability
Terrestrial
UHFChannel 30

Channel i was a Singaporean English language free-to-air terrestrial television channel that was launched on 20 May 2001 as TVWorks (also styled TV Works). It was one of two channels owned by SPH MediaWorks, a subsidiary television service of Singapore Press Holdings.

Initially poised to be a serious alternative to its competition, with emphasis on local productions, as TVWorks, the channel struggled, causing the channel to change schedule formulas frequently and dedicating more airtime to foreign (especially US) content. The channel adopted its later name on 3 March 2002.

The channel was shut down in 2005 due to low ratings and lack of advertiser support alongside the media merger with Mediacorp. All Channel i shows that were active at that time were moved to Channel 5. Its frequencies (terrestrial and cable) and channel space were taken over by Okto (using Channel 12/Premiere 12/Central's and some parts of TVWorks/Channel i's old format) nearly four years later. Okto itself later also closed down on 1 May 2019 due to similar reasons, after which the channel space, created in 2001, folded and ceased to exist.

History

Logo used as TVWorks

The name and logo of the channel were revealed at the SPH MediaWorks trade launch on 1 November 2000.[3] Later that month, it was announced that TVWorks would broadcast from a studio in Singapore's city centre.[4]

In January 2001, TVWorks revealed that much of the output carried by the new service would be local, as a counterweight to its future competitor Channel 5, promising that it wouldn't flood its airtime with foreign celebrities.[5] One of the scheduled programmes, The Big Buffet, was going to be a variety show akin to Talentime from the SBC phase.[6] TVWorks secured the broadcast rights to the three matches of Manchester United's tour in Singapore, scheduled for July 2001, in a decision that was considered to be a "fatal blow" for Sportscity.[7]

Weeks ahead of launch, TVWorks' primetime schedule would consist largely of local content on Monday through Thursday nights.[8] In May, Russell Koh (played by Adrian Pang) was selected by the company to become the film reviewer for The Big Buffet.[9]

On 26 April 2001, SPH MediaWorks received a nationwide free-to-air television service licence from the Singapore Broadcasting Authority, allowing them to start broadcasting two channels, Channel U, a Chinese language channel, and TVWorks, an English channel.[10] The channel was set to broadcast TV Land The Musical (named after a roadshow event SPH MediaWorks held on 29 April) on launch night.[11] On 20 May 2001, TVWorks was launched.[12][13] The first night on air was seen with dismal ratings, the channel opened with Godzilla peaking in at 4.7%, whereas TV Land (which cost $1 million to produce) received much lower ratings of 1.6%. By contrast, competing Channel 5 always stayed above 10%, peaking at 18% on TVWorks' launch night.[14] The initial format of delivering a large amount of Singaporean content didn't draw in any viewers, and it changed tactics, giving more slots for foreign content.[15] The changes caused criticism from a female viewer, who thought the revised programming was too male-skewing.[16] In June, The Big Buffet cut its length.[17] The highest ratings so far came on the first match of the Manchester United tour of Singapore in July, with 322,450 viewers tuning in.[18]

The channel started carrying highlights of the FA Premier League at the start of the 2001-02 season.[19] This came ahead of a new "quality over quantity" schedule that was introduced for the 2001–02 season,[20] and a rebrand on 3 September 2001.[21] In contrast to its attempts at producing local programming, TVWorks' schedule now heavilly resembled that of Channel 5, with a focus on imported programming (typically from the United States). So far, its only success was its coverage of the Manchester United tour of Singapore two months earlier.[22] Its coverage of the 2001 general election had 169,000 viewers, a number that paled to 1.721 million over the combined total of MediaCorp's channels.[23]

On 9 November 2001, TVWorks was restructured following a loss of 65 employees and a decreasing audience share. Plans for its shutdown were dismissed.[24][25][26] In January 2002, TVWorks secured the rights to carry one weekly match of the Italian league (Serie A), that had previously been carried by Premiere 12.[27] Furthermore, sports coverage was boosted in February with the announcement of the rights to air the S-League free-to-air, which up until then aired on MediaCorp's channels.[28] The first match to be televised was between Tampines and Geylang on 2 March, a day ahead of the rebrand.[29]

On 25 February 2002, it was announced that the channel would rebrand as Channel i. This rebrand became effective on 3 March 2002. Under the new name, Channel i would put a strong emphasis on action entertainment and coverage of the S.League, as well as offering movies every evening. The new brand reflected "the habits, preferences and tastes of the viewers"[30][31] The rebrand was also used as an opportunity to start resource-sharing with Channel U, enabling each other's talents to appear in its local programmes.[32][33] Upon the rebrand, the channel adopted a red sphere with a lowercase I, while print campaigns depicted the logos for both channels promising SPH's strategy of offering "double" offerings.[34][35] With the rebrand, the channel added a new news bulletin, Cue, at 6pm, targeting a different demographic than that of the 9:30pm bulletin.[36] Ratings for the channel grew largely due to the success of S-League matches.[37]

A new movie slot was added in June 2002, alongside an interactive music show, i2u.[38] In July, the channel secured the rights to air the qualifying rounds for Euro 2004, in a package of thirteen matches.[39]

The contract to air the S-League was extended in February 2003 to cover the 2003 and 2004 seasons.[40]

A multi-year agreement with Paramount Pictures was signed in March 2003 and took effect from 1 June the same year.[41][42] The Straits Times TV News was renamed Channel i News on 19 May 2003.[43] The new format was heavily visual.[44]

The channel rebranded on 3 November 2003, adopting what would be its last slogan, "Total Entertainment, The Way You Like It". Emphasis was given to non-stop entertainment from 9pm (Channel i News moved to 8:30pm).[45][46]

Channel i News won the "Best News Programme" award at the Asian Television Awards on 4 December 2003.[47]

A new local sitcom, Durian King was announced in May 2004, starring Kym Ng and Adrian Pang.[48]

Shutdown

On 17 September 2004, MediaCorp and SPH announced a merger of its TV and free newspaper businesses. At the time, the commercial viability of Channel i was under review.[49][50] Days later, a letter sent to The Straits Times suggested that Channel i should continue operating, as MediaWorks' shows had "more substance" than MediaCorp's.[51] However, due to the small size of the English-language television market and other factors, Channel i would be shut down on 1 January 2005, although Channel U would continue operating.[52][53]

Former programmes

as TVWorks

  • The Big Buffet – biweekly run
  • Big Chilli Wednesday
  • The Odd Squad
  • Jalan Jalan
  • The Big Break
  • The Mensroom
  • Here's A Million – Gameshow
  • After Hours – Talk show
  • It's All In The Body – Info-Ed
  • Dollars & Sense – Current Affairs

as Channel i

  • Ah Girl (3 seasons) – Sitcom
  • Channel i News – News
  • Cue – Current affairs
  • Eyewitness – Current affairs
  • Durian King – Drama
  • Fat to Fit – Reality
  • Heath Matters – Current affairs
  • iContact – Current affairs
  • i On The News – Current affairs
  • i2u – Variety
  • Makansutra (4 seasons) – Infotainment
  • Perceptions – Drama
  • Singapore Shakes – Drama
  • Six Weeks – Drama
  • On Today – Current affairs
  • The Money Tree – Current affairs
  • World Life – Current affairs

See also

References

  1. ^ "The MediaWorks Big Tune-In; Two Free TV Channels Coming Your Way". SPH MediaWorks. Archived from the original on 4 December 2001. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  2. ^ "i - Your choice for Movies and Action On Singapore's Terrestrial TV!". SPH MediaWorks. 25 February 2002. Archived from the original on 14 August 2002. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Coming your way: Channel U and TV Works". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 2 November 2000. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  4. ^ "TV Works goes to the heart of the city". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 18 November 2000. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Take a big bite out of TVWorks Big Buffet". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 18 November 2000. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Feast on The Big Buffet". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 12 January 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Media Works gets Red Devils' ties". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 18 January 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  8. ^ "It's local fare on TV Works' prime Mon-Thur slots". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 3 April 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  9. ^ "'Russell Koh' to review films for TV Works". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 9 May 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA) issues Broadcast Licence to SPH Mediaworks" (Press release). 26 April 2001. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  11. ^ "TV Works – It's gonna be a... Win-win launch". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 11 May 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  12. ^ "The MediaWorks Big Tune-In; Two Free TV Channels Coming Your Way". SPH MediaWorks. Archived from the original on 4 December 2001. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  13. ^ "TV Works goes on air". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 20 May 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Webs slug it out". Variety. 19 June 2001. Archived from the original on 14 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  15. ^ "More airtime for imported shows". Project Eyeball (retrieved from NLB). 6 June 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  16. ^ "TV Works tweaks its programming, but its testosterone-charged shows beg the question... What about the women viewers?". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 6 June 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  17. ^ "Slimmer menu for The Big Buffet". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 12 June 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  18. ^ "332,450 view TV Works' telecast". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 26 July 2001. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Catch EPL action on TV Works". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 17 August 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Programme line-up change on TV Works". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 21 August 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  21. ^ "TV Works gets exciting new look". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 2 September 2001. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  22. ^ "Top US entertainment site Variety reports on Singapore media war". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 18 September 2001. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  23. ^ "MediaCorp's elections win". Today (retrieved from NLB). 7 November 2001. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  24. ^ "MediaWorks downsizes and restructures TV Works". Singapore Press Holdings. 9 November 2001. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  25. ^ "Why it's tough for TVWorks". The New Paper (retrieved from NLB). 10 November 2001. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  26. ^ "What it means for you, the TV viewer". The New Paper (retrieved from NLB). 18 September 2001. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  27. ^ "Serie A live on TV Works". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 18 January 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  28. ^ "Watch S-League live – only on TV Works". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 2 February 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  29. ^ "Innovative viewing". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 2 February 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  30. ^ "i - Your choice for Movies and Action On Singapore's Terrestrial TV!". SPH MediaWorks. 25 February 2002. Archived from the original on 14 August 2002. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  31. ^ "I-catching change for TV Works". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 26 February 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  32. ^ "TV Works to become Channel i". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 26 February 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  33. ^ "Cost cutting prompts Channel i rebranding". Campaign Asia. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  34. ^ "Double Scoops of TV Goodness". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 4 March 2002. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  35. ^ "Double Shots of TV Satisfaction". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 5 March 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  36. ^ "3-2-1 Cue! It's the news at 6, with Sam". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 2 March 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  37. ^ "Channel i scores as S-League viewership goes up". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 23 March 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  38. ^ "New shows on MediaWorks". Today (retrieved from NLB). 30 May 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  39. ^ "It's free – 13 Euro qualifiers live on Channel i". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 30 May 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  40. ^ "Channel i to show S-League live for 2 years". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 10 February 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  41. ^ "Rejoice, movie buffs!". Today (retrieved from NLB). 21 March 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  42. ^ "MediaWorks wins rights to Paramount movies". The Business Times (retrieved from NLB). 21 March 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  43. ^ "CHANNEL i-nnovation". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 19 May 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  44. ^ "Seeing will be believing on i News". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 19 May 2003. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  45. ^ "i will look different". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 3 November 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  46. ^ "WHAT YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD ON i". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 3 November 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  47. ^ "Channel i News is best in Asia". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 5 December 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  48. ^ "New Channel i comedy". Streats (retrieved from NLB). 12 May 2004. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  49. ^ "Media rivals strike deal to curb losses". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 18 September 2004. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  50. ^ "DETAILS OF THE DEAL:". Today (retrieved from NLB). 18 September 2004. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  51. ^ "Please keep Channel i". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 21 September 2004. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  52. ^ "The fight for space". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 31 December 2004. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  53. ^ Koh, Joyce (8 December 2004). "SPH, MediaCorp to retrench 204 staff, absorb 297". The Business Times.
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