Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Radio has been awarded the tender to operate two new radio stations by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
The new stations are FM89.3 and FM96.3, and will be launched in December 2017.
IMDA had launched a public tender in June last year seeking proposals for the two frequencies, one which was formerly occupied by Expat Radio 96.3 FM.
It received nine proposals from SPH Radio, Mediacorp, Rex Cinema, HT Overseas and Asia Today Singapore.
Rex Cinema's had proposed a 24-hour Tamil station, HT Overseas pitched for a 24-hour Hindi, Bengali and Tamil station playing music from Bollywood, Tollywood and Kollywood films, and Mediacorp had proposed for a 24-hour not-for-profit Chinese dialect station targeting listeners above 55.
SPH Radio, Singapore's second largest radio broadcaster, currently operates 3 radio stations – ONE FM 91.3, UFM 100.3 and Kiss92.
One of the new radio stations will be Singapore's first business and personal finance radio station in English. It aims to reach a wide audience with a broad range of financial topics and enhance Singapore's positioning as Asia's economic hub.
The station will have access to content from The Business Times and the business section of The Straits Times, SPH's flagship newspaper. It will also work with SPH subsidiary, financial portal ShareInvestor, which has one of the largest investor relations networks in Asia.
The other new radio station will be a Chinese infotainment station for active seniors aged 50 and above.
Besides memorable tunes of the 80s and 90s, there will be content tie-ups with SPH's Chinese flagship newspaper Lianhe Zaobao and its two Chinese evening dailies, Lianhe Wanbao and Shin Min Daily News. It will also work with StarHub and like-minded community organisations to produce appropriate programmes.
Patrick Daniel, Chairman of SPH Radio and Deputy CEO of SPH, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the licences to operate two more radio stations in Singapore. They will cater to new listener segments and increase the vibrancy of the local radio industry with their unique positioning and programming. Together with our three existing radio stations, we will deliver engaging and enriching content for both our listeners and advertisers.”