Okto
Okto is a Singaporean children's programming block broadcast by Mediacorp's Channel 5 in English and Channel 8 in Mandarin Chinese.
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| Country | Singapore |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Network | Mediacorp TV12 (19 October 2008-30 April 2019) Mediacorp TV (1 May 2019-present) |
| Headquarters | Mediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507 |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English Chinese |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) |
| History | |
| Launched | 19 October 2008 (as a standalone channel) 1 May 2019 (as a children's block on Channel 5) 6 February 2021 (as a children's block on Channel 8) |
| Closed | 30 April 2019 (as a standalone channel) |
| Replaced by | Channel 5, Channel 8 and meWATCH (children's programs) meWATCH and Channel 5 (sports programming) |
The brand originally operated as a standalone free-to-air channel from 19 October 2008 to 1 May 2019, having been spun off from the Arts Central and Kids Central strands aired by Central (whose Tamil-language programming had been concurrently spun off as channel Vasantham). The channel also occasionally aired sports programming. Okto used the channel allotments formerly used by Channel i.
On 1 May 2019, the channel was discontinued, and Okto transitioned to becoming a children's and family block on Channel 5. The brand was later extended to Channel 8 in Chinese as well.
History
Predecessors (1995-2008)
On 26 August 1994, the Minister for Information and the Arts George Yeo announced the plan for the creation of a fourth free-to-air television channel in Singapore, offering a predominantly cultural lineup, during the bill to privatise the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. Under this plan, Channel 8 would switch to an entirely-Chinese format, causing the Tamil shows there to move to Channel 12, using its new format to concentrate primarily on Malay and Indian content, whereas the cultural output that was on the former Channel 12 would move to a new UHF channel, due to the lack of VHF slots available.[1]
TV12 (later renamed Singapore Television Twelve) received the greenlight from the Singapore Broadcasting Authority to broadcast a UHF channel on 27 July 1995. Under this plan, Tamil programming was set to move to Channel 12.[2]
Premiere 12 was launched on 1 September 1995, following the split of Channel 12 into it and Prime 12. The channel broadcast on a separate UHF frequency (Channel 12's frequency and channel space was occupied by Prime 12, now Suria). Premiere 12 also included children's TV series (mainly for a preschooler audience) and sports coverage. Premiere 12 later included Tamil-language series and was rebranded as Central, on 30 January 2000.
Central's programming schedule was composed of three timeshared channels: Kids Central, focused on kids' programming; Vasantham Central, a Tamil-language programming block; and Arts Central centred on cultural programming.
Okto channel (2008-2019)
On 19 October 2008, Central was dissolved. Vasantham Central on-air time was extended to form Vasantham, an independent channel focused on the Indian community of Singapore, as announced on 29 February that year by then Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts Dr. Balaji Sadasivan in Parliament. Meanwhile, Kids Central and Arts Central were merged into a single channel named Okto, on a frequency and channel space formerly occupied by Channel i.[3]
On 4 May 2015, the channel began airing in HD.
As a programming block
On 20 February 2019, Mediacorp announced that Okto would be discontinued as a channel on 1 May 2019. Instead, Okto would become a children's and family programming block on Channel 5, as well as a content hub on Mediacorp's video on demand platform Toggle. Okto's sports programming was also moved to Toggle, with coverage of major events airing on Channel 5 proper.[4][5] Okto's channel license was subsequently surrendered to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).[4]
On 6 February 2021, Channel 8's weekend children's programming block '乐乐窝' (Lè Lè Wō) was relaunched as Okto尽在8' (Okto on 8).
Programming
Since its standalone channel era, Okto mostly aired English language-produced series with selected shows being broadcast in their original language. The channel aired mostly children's programmes, as well as some arts and sports programmes. The channel's target audiences were children aged 2–13, and adults aged 18–39.[6]
From June 2014 to 30 April 2019, Sports on Okto (later renamed as OktoSports) was introduced which showed sporting events live as well as recorded and delayed coverage.
References
- "Fourth TV channel will feature cultural shows". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 27 August 1994. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- "TV 12 to start new channel". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 29 July 1995. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- Wong, Alicia (1 March 2008). "Dedicated Indian and kids TV channels". Today (retrieved from NLB). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- "Mediacorp integrates English-language channels Channel 5 and okto". Channel NewsAsia. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- "Mediacorp integrates Channel 5 and okto into one definitive family viewing channel". Mediacorp.sg. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- "Mediacorp refreshes okto with new kids and premium sports content". Mediacorp.sg. 22 April 2017. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2019.