Thursday, 10 December 2015

Mediacorp Campus officially opened by PM Lee

Located at Stars Avenue, the 800,000 sq ft campus will be equipped with state-of-the-art production and digital broadcast facilities such as a digital-first integrated newsroom and a 1,500-seat performing arts venue.
Channel NewsAsia, 8 Dec 2015

Mediacorp has begun its nine-month migration from the iconic Caldecott Broadcast Centre in Andrew Road, its home for the past 63 years, to its new campus at one-north.

Gracing the official ceremony for the Mediacorp Campus at Stars Avenue on Tuesday evening (Dec 8) was Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim, and Minister of State for Communications and Information and Health Chee Hong Tat.

In his speech, Mr Lee said Mediacorp has played an important role in shaping the Singapore identity through its entertainment and cultural programmes in all languages and in sharing many of the country's milestones with the nation.

"In 1961, thousands tuned in weekly to listen to Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s Battle for Merger radio talks. More than many soap operas in those days. On August 9, 1965, the whole country watched the emotional press conference when Mr Lee announced our separation from Malaysia," he said.



"Every year, hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans watched the National Day Parades on TV. Now, Singaporeans overseas too tune in online to celebrate National Day as one people. This year when we mourned his passing and when we celebrated SG50, Mediacorp was instrumental in helping us to express how we all felt, and helping us understand the context and the significance of these moments. In these moments, we became one people in large part because of Mediacorp," added the Prime Minister.

Mr Lee noted that the media landscape has evolved and that Mediacorp will face a challenging environment going forward as media consumption habits continue to change.

It is competing not just with other cable television channels but ones over the internet such as Netflix, YouTube or social media, he said.

Mr Lee said: "It's going to be a challenging environment for Mediacorp, as it is for most broadcasting companies in the world. Even the BBC is struggling with declining viewership and tight budgets. Commercially, Mediacorp will face greater competition for eyeballs and for advertisers. Even more challenging, will be for MediaCorp to maintain its place as the broadcaster of choice for news, current affairs and entertainment.

"And yet it'll continue to play an indispensable role as the national broadcaster helping to bring the whole nation together. It's not just another commercial entity, responding to market signals without caring about the value and the significance of your content. You have to continue to produce programmes that celebrate our culture and heritage, reflect our society and values, educate and entertain your audiences, as well as report news and produce current affairs content which matter for Singaporeans, and which are compelling to watch."

He added: "Many Singaporeans travelling in the region appreciate being able to catch up with Asian and home news on Channel NewsAsia. You're providing a valuable service, and if you didn't do this, nobody else will and Singapore will be the poorer for it."

NEW CAMPUS PROMISES DIGITAL BROADCAST FACILITIES

Chairman of Mediacorp Teo Ming Kian said the move to the new campus would support a collaborative and innovative culture enabling the company to better serve its many stakeholders.

"Mediacorp Campus will transform the way we work and engage with our audiences, partners and each other. We have invested heavily in content and digital delivery to make sure we stay relevant and continue to be part of the lives of Singaporeans," he said.

“You are the reason we wake up every day, feeling excited and challenged, to produce the best content we can, delivered anytime, anywhere, to engage, entertain and enrich," Mr Teo added.

The new 12-storey, 800,000 sq ft building in one-north will house 2,800 staff. It has already been awarded the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) Green Mark Platinum rating for its sustainability features.

The new campus will be equipped with state-of-the-art production and digital broadcast facilities such as a digital-first integrated newsroom, entertainment studios and a 1,500-seat performing arts venue.

According to Mediacorp, the integrated newsroom will be staffed by approximately 700 digital, television, radio and print journalists, while one of the four entertainment studios can host live audiences of up to 500 people.

The spanking new performing arts venue called The Theatre at Mediacorp will welcome audiences to musicals and concerts presented by the company's live entertainment arm, Vizpro International, as well as external players.

Mediacorp also said tours of the campus will be offered to the public to allow glimpses into its production facilities including the continuity studios of popular radio stations, as well as weekend events at a public park adjoining the building and atop a 50-step stairway.

Approximately 1,000 guests and staff attended the opening ceremony on Tuesday evening. Local stars graced the red carpet, before an extravaganza which included performances from Australia’s Les Misérables, Japan’s Drum Tao and the cast of The Noose.

UNVEILING OF NEW MEDIACORP LOGO

During the official opening, Mediacorp also unveiled a new logo after 15 years, to reflect an open and evolving company.

CEO Shaun Seow said he hoped the logo's rich colours and texture, a significant departure from its monochromatic precedent, will help project Mediacorp's vibrancy and its multiplicity of talent, media and experiences.

In a nod to Mediacorp's dual roles of commercial media house and public service broadcaster, he added: “Our new logo's rich palette also channels Singapore's cultural smorgasbord. Even as we innovate to meet changing needs, we strive to bind our society together, like how the colours in the letter M come together holistically."

Mediacorp was named Terrestrial Broadcaster of the Year for the 12th time at the Asian Television Awards last week.

Before fireworks lit up the night sky, PM Lee stopped for a "wefie" with Mediacorp stars, capturing a candid shot at a momentous occasion for the broadcasting company.



Many of you guessed right - I was indeed at the new Mediacorp Campus at Mediapolis@one-north. (As one of you pointed...
Posted by Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday, December 8, 2015














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