Mediacorp is Singapore’s largest broadcaster with a network of 13 FM stations that broadcast mainly in four local languages.
Eight of its stations were among the 10 most-listened-to radio stations in Singapore each week according to the latest Nielsen Diary Survey (Sep-Nov 2015.
The company is marking 80 years of radio broadcasting in Singapore with a year-long initiative called Radio 80.
Debra Soon, Head, Family (English) Segment, Mediacorp, told AsiaRadioToday about the journey so far and their plans for the future.
1. Mediacorp has recently launched Radio 80 to celebrate eight decades of radio broadcasting. How has the network evolved and grown over the years?
From a single station in 1936, Mediacorp today has the largest network of FM stations broadcasting in all of Singapore’s four national languages. Our radio stations play an integral role in the lives of Singaporeans reaching out to more than 80% of the P15+ population, which is about 3.5million weekly listeners. Each listener tunes in for over three hours daily, to his or her favourite station.
Statistics aside, besides FM broadcast, we also stream digitally online on our MeRadio platform, so our stations are listened around the globe. We know many Singaporeans overseas tune in to us and we do have listeners writing in to express appreciation. After all, Singapore is a global city, connected and wired, and Singaporeans are global citizens who travel widely and sometimes like to take a piece of home with them wherever they go.
We are in the digital age after all, and our stations make use of social media to keep in touch with our listeners, try new ways to draw new listeners and meet the needs of the ever changing tastes in the evolving media landscape.
2. What are the emerging trends you see the radio industry in Singapore?
The media landscape is ever evolving and radio, a medium associated with broadcast, still has the power to reach widely in a very cost effective manner.
Yet radio too has to evolve, whether it is internet radio, a radio app or part of a telco music subscription, as the undisputed leading radio owner in Singapore, we have to take the lead in experimenting and trying new ways to reach, grow and engage audiences.
It may mean rethinking how we organise ourselves, for example like we have recently done, to better serve customer segments, and we have also relaunched our MeRadio apps with better features.
We will continue to offer our services across many platforms, providing good content and music, grow listenership, and offer a unique experience.
3. Your English stations are seeing close competition from SPH radio. Do you see them as a major threat and how do you counter it?
We are used to competition. It keeps us on our toes and helps us make sharper decisions and to remember to always serve our listeners first. We have had competition since the 80s and are not afraid of it. Being lean and hungry always helps.
4. 987 FM and YES FM were the first radio stations in Singapore to offer Visual Radio. The service has since been discontinued, but do you have plans for similar initiatives in the future to increase your presence across other platforms?
Visual radio didn’t end. Visual radio was the start of putting our deejays online, on video, and on TV. It was a good learning journey for us which led to 987TV, an online video platform featuring our 987FM deejays on Youtube, in their usual studio conty and their zany videos. The team did well and so we have also put the Yes 933 team on Youtube! It has a strong following and this has helped engage the elusive younger audiences. We need to continue to experiment in cost effective ways, tapping on the experience of our colleagues, but at the same time trying out newer, better, faster, and cost effective ways to do things.
We are the only media company with radio, TV, print assets and an online video service, Toggle. You will see more of our radio personalities and brands on TV. It is something we will do more of with all our brands.