Merry Christmas!

On the last legs



2004 is coming to an end, so is Channel I and Mediaworks. And definitely not forgetting Hwa Chong Junior College.



Went back to Hwa Chong JC to capture the last days of its glorious history before it enters the new but disappointing era of Institution/High School. The walk through the empty campus and seeing the start of the renaming process sent feelings rushing through my mind. I have never appreciated every school I have attended until I have passed that phrase. Imagining that the ties with an once-familiar branding vanishing soon just saddens me so much. 2004 may have brought happiness as it brings me closer to University, but with the links to the future not yet established and having links with the past breaking up once the clock strikes 12 on 1 Jan 2005 in real and reel life, its gonna be one great new year...

Photos taken can be found here

Media Merger

MediaCorp and SPH complete staff rationalisation exercise
Singapore, 7 December 2004 – MediaCorp and Singapore Press Holdings (“SPH”) have completed the staff rationalisation exercise following their agreement to merge their mass market TV and free newspaper operations.

The exercise, lasting about two months, involved the selection of staff needed to run the merged TV and Studio operations in which MediaCorp owns 80 per cent and SPH 20 per cent.

It was undertaken by a Manpower Synergy Committee chaired by MediaCorp independent board member, Mr Soo Kok Leng, and comprised heads of the Human Resources Divisions, Mr Wee Leong How of SPH and Mr Chua Hoe Sing of MediaCorp.

The Committee reviewed about 1,200 staff from both SPH MediaWorks (SPHMW) and two companies in the MediaCorp group, namely MediaCorp TV (MCTV) and MediaCorp Studios (MSD).

The rationalisation affects a total of 429 staff from SPH, the majority of whom are from SPHMW. Of these, 200 will be transferred to MediaCorp, 97 will be absorbed by SPH and 132 will be retrenched.

Besides the rationalisation of MCTV and MSD’s manpower undertaken by the Committee, MediaCorp separately reviewed its own staffing level with a view to enhancing efficiency further. Altogether, MediaCorp will be releasing 72 staff from across the group.

On the rationalisation of the merged TV and Studio operations, Mr Soo Kok Leng, Chairman of the Committee, said: “We evaluated staff from both parties on the principle of ‘best person for the job’, that is, people who can adapt, respond, anticipate and deliver to meet the future needs of the merged businesses. The individual’s performance is one of the key assessment criteria that we used.

“The process was open and transparent, with both sides taking a consultative approach at all times. I’m happy to report that the Committee has done its best in ensuring that the process has been fair, rigorous and thorough.”

Mr Wee Leong How, Executive Vice President of SPH's Human Resources Division, said: "I am satisfied that the Committee has done its best to save the maximum number of jobs. We have managed to secure jobs in the joint venture company for as many MediaWorks employees as we could. Separately, SPH has also managed to absorb almost a quarter of the affected MediaWorks and SPH TV News staff, who will be redeployed to other parts of the Group. "

Added Mr Chua Hoe Sing, Executive Vice President, Group Human Resource and Corporate Services of MediaCorp: "We had taken some time to conduct the review to ensure that the process was thorough, and that due consideration was given so that the right job goes to the right person."

The National Trades Union Congress has formed a task force under its Assistant Secretary General Mr Seng Han Thong which is facilitating the consultations between union and management on manpower rationalisation issues at the two media groups.

Sad to see so many professional artistes moving out of the spotlight while majority of the moronic actors/actresses from MCS are remaining on screen. One has never seen a company run so much like a closely knitted family. Somehow, very conveniently, this years' poor showing of Singapore in the Asian television awards seems to go hand in hand with the merger theory that steming domestic competition will help local media compete regionally and internationally. If this was so, there would not have been competition between each radio station and between Channel 5 & 8 some 10 years back...

The artistes moving back into that hill are like adopted children. Will the family treat these children the same way as those which are born and bred on the hill and never ever dared to venture out into the real world? Will a previous rivalry stable continue to outshine the home stable in variety and current affairs programming?

Channel U will be complementing Channel 8's programming. That's a whole lot of bull. We shall see. Once we see the end of all the familiar series on Channel U, we shall be seeing a whole new Channel U, Mediacorp TV Channel U. A channel that will no longer show its zest and creativity.

That's why I have simply gave up on the local media industry. 5 years down the road, I will go regional if not international. Chances I have of this mindset changing will be as much as I will say "I enjoy NS."

Mediacorp, SPH application to merge mass-market television operations approved

The Media Development Authority (MDA) has given the approval for MediaCorp and Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) to merge their mass-market TV operations. No regulatory approval is needed for the proposed merger of the two companies' free newspapers, TODAY and Streats, as this move does not amount to a consolidation.

The approval for the merger of MediaCorp and SPH's TV operations is subject to their acceptance of the following conditions, which are introduced to encourage and ensure the continued growth of the local production industry while meeting the viewing interests of local audiences by providing quality, diversity and choice in local programming.

MediaCorp TV will be required to outsource at least 285 hours a year of local content production work to independent production companies. This requirement will create jobs for local firms and help raise production standards, contributing to the overall growth of the local independent production sector. It will also help to increase the diversity and quality of local programming, by tapping into the diversity and experiences of the growing independent production sector. In addition, MediaCorp TV will be required to continue to provide local content on its free-to-air TV channels to cater to the diverse interests of the audiences. The MDA will ensure that the broadcaster continues to meet its public broadcast requirements.

Additionally, the MDA will be reviewing the sharing of rights in relation to programmes which it funds, and will work with companies to realise the maximum commercial potential of such programmes.

The MDA will also engage in further discussions with the broadcaster and the industry to examine new models of broadcasting technology, standards or business rules that can add to the choice and diversity of programming and grow the local production sector.

The application by MediaCorp and SPH was for the formation of a joint holding company that would run the mass entertainment TV channels, with MediaCorp holding a 80 per cent majority and SPH the remaining 20 per cent.

At the same time, SPH would acquire a 40 per cent stake in MediaCorp Press, which publishes the free newspaper, TODAY. MediaCorp would hold the majority 60 per cent in the company.

While MediaCorp is selling 40 per cent of its shareholding in MediaCorp Press to SPH, it will continue to have Board, management and editorial control over TODAY. No regulatory approval is required for this as the arrangement does not amount to a consolidation under the Media Market Conduct Code.

Post merger, the media landscape for newspaper operations is expected to remain similar to the current, pre-merger situation. MediaCorp and SPH will continue to operate their newspapers independently and in competition with each other.

The application by the two companies was assessed in line with the Code of Practice for Market Conduct in the Provision of Mass Media Services. In evaluating the application, the MDA took into consideration the impact of the merger upon the media industry as well as public interests and also reviewed the efficiencies that will result from the consolidation.

The MDA hopes that the consolidation will lead to better quality programmes and services for local audiences as well as markets overseas. The synergies created will benefit MediaCorp and SPH and allow both to work towards regionalisation.

MediaCorp and SPH had jointly announced the intended merger of their TV and free newspaper operations on 17 Sep 04 and the complete formal application was submitted to the MDA on 5 Nov 04. Prior to that, the companies had sought and received in-principle approval from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

Sad, we will be seeing the end to creativity; an end to the strong family ties ever so omnipresent in a media company, a station that fought through thick and thin only to have everything vanish overnight. The world will keep spinning and the show will go on...Mediaworks has brought wonders to my life for the past four years and that legacy will and only be replaced by cable...good bye fre-to-air tv...

Dreams are made of these...

My bro and his girlfriend are discussing ROM next year, probably would be on 26 Apr 05. As the civilian world draws nearer, the future is once again within grasp, and I can't stop letting my wildest dreams start roaming my mind.

My Dream Home



City living at its best, world class view from the marina and probably near to my dream workplace, just that it being one of the top 10 highest residential buildings in the world worries me as Singapore is just so unsafe despite the smoke screen put up by the government.

My Dream Job



Yes, a job commanding respect and good prospects in a regional/international media player. I have given up on the local industry. Its too political; media is just a pawn in the local ruling party's game of chess.

Ok, "and then I woke up. It was all but a dream." Hmm, good ol' primary school days...that aside, its time for a reality check.

I have stopped the countdown to my parole, for the moment that is, since I would be going back to work soon, after a full 60 days halt in my NS, I feel pretty good about things with 4 months left in service. And the jolly mood is sure setting in this year..Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas!

New toy...again!



Visited SITEX and bought a cheap but use-able DVD-RW drive. At $148, my dad estimates that the BENQ brand would last for a year and that would be good enough. But well, I think it can go beyond that...

NTU draws nearer and nearer...



Received the enrolment confirmation letter from NTU two days back and have replied online. Had a mahjong session with Jiyuan, Eng Wee and Wang Kok Wee, who unfortunately is entering SCI as well, and everything seems to have come into perspective. These two years, I would not say has gone by in a flash, but it did pass by pretty fast and is not all that stormy a journey...sighz...its time to pack up my feelings and get prepared for the next phase of my life...

ORD LORZ!!!!!!!!!(Oops, too early, but these 50+ days of rest has brought me back up to earth and being human again...back from the basement)

Media's future not Europe's past

By Russell Heng

THE latest worldwide press freedom index compiled by Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) places Singapore at a lowly 147th position out of a total of 167 countries ranked.

The Government would probably have ignored the insult had Non-Constituency MP Steve Chia not dragged it out in Parliament two weeks ago.

Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lee Boon Yang gave a written reply to Mr Chia but unfortunately, the full ministerial statement is not on his ministry's website.

If The Straits Times had summarised him accurately, I understand Dr Lee to have argued that the Singapore media did not do well in the ratings because of its particular virtues and not its vices.

The RSF ranking favours the advocacy and adversarial role of the press which is not what the Singapore media is about, he was reported to have said.

That triggered off a curious thought. If not being captious is a merit to be coveted, then logically the Singapore media will want to progress to the 167th end of the scale.

If the best is yet to be, so to speak, that means pushing its way past several communist media systems like those of Laos, Vietnam, China and Cuba to share the accolade with North Korea at the bottom of the heap.

That thought fills me, and I hope you too, with horror.

To be fair, I do not think Dr Lee or any of his Cabinet colleagues have any such intentions at all.

I bet if they have to choose reading either the top or bottom 10 papers on the RSF index to be informed about the world, hands upon their hearts, they would probably opt for those at the top.

The top 10 RSF choices start with Denmark and include Ireland, Switzerland (more of this country later) and New Zealand.

If I have reasons to suspect otherwise, I would catch the next plane out of this place and all of you would be wise to follow suit.

In the last 10 years, my research career has been focused on the study of authoritarian media systems, particularly those under communist regimes such as Vietnam.

Significant differences exist between the Singapore media and those of Vietnam (ranked 161st on the RSF index) and Stalinist North Korea.

In a nutshell, the Singapore media is a lot better than them on many counts.

However, I will also add that while the abysmal RSF ranking of Singapore is extreme, it is also not without validity. Those countries at the bottom, Singapore included, do share commonalities.

Borrowing Dr Lee's kind and gentle words, I could describe these media systems as non- adversarial and not given to advocacy. But my preference would be to call them all variations of an authoritarian media system.

Fred Siebert's authoritarian theory of the press, found in that classic Four Theories Of The Press by Siebert, Peterson and Schramm, comes in useful here.

Published in 1956 with many reprints since, this slim cogent volume has been recommended reading for legions of mass communication students.

Four Theories Of The Press also posits a communist model that practises an even more extreme form of state domination over media, but both share a philosophical kernel that privileges state control of media.

Siebert traced authoritarian media regimes to 16th century Europe. He said its operating belief runs like this:

Why should those who have access to the mass media, who often are incapable of grasping the totality of purpose of the state, who most often are not completely informed of the objectives of state policy, why should they - through their ignorance or stupidity - be permitted to threaten the success of that which has been determined to be for the good of all?

From this perspective sprang a whole slate of measures to control the mass media through pre-Enlightenment Europe.

In Tudor England, Elizabeth I gave exclusive printing rights to select publishers of popular literature, an inexpensive method of identifying their interests with those of the Crown.

In continental Europe, the preference was for direct censorship. Almost all of Western Europe enacted laws to regulate public discourse.

Fiscal measures modulated circulation and profit; a form of getting at their pockets and hearts and minds will follow.

Authoritarian regimes did not often object to a discussion of political systems in broad philosophical terms so long as the media avoided direct criticism of current political leaders and their projects.

Elizabeth I permitted, and sometimes even encouraged, a wide latitude of discussion on current issues so long as her authority to make the ultimate decisions was not questioned.

For those who have followed the vicissitudes of the Singapore media since independence, do not all these sound familiar?

When he was prime minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong set a target for Singapore to achieve the 1984 Swiss standard of living by the new millennium.

Having met that, Singaporeans now inhabit a country with a modern European economy but a 16th century European media.

Is this another instance of being uniquely Singapore with nothing to be ashamed of, or a self-evident discrepancy that cries out to be resolved?

Dare I suggest that the new Prime Minister should set a goal for the Republic to achieve the Swiss 2004 RSF rating at some point during his term in office.

That means moving from 147th to the eighth position. Phew!

-- Russell Heng Hiang Khng is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of South-east Asian Studies.

Hmmm...oh well, good food for thoughts and anyway, I had better get started on "Four theories of the press" soon...