MONOPOLY OF TV MARKET

Parliament of Singapore · 21 March 1995 · 8th Parliament

Official Report, 21 March 1995, Vol 64, Issue 8 · Open in the reader (summaries, search, filters)

Harun bin A. GhaniMohamad Maidin B P M

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

1

Encik Harun bin A. Ghani asked the Minister for Information and the Arts why the Television Corporation of Singapore and TV12 should be allowed to monopolise the TV market and why other independent companies could not be allowed to operate another TV station.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Information and the Arts (Encik Mohamad Maidin B P M) (for the Minister for Information and the Arts): Mr Speaker, Sir, TCS and TV12 do not have a real monopoly of the TV market. There are three subscription TV channels in Singapore and three Malaysian TV channels, besides videotapes which are readily available. Also, homes in the East Coast area with UHF antennas can receive three Indonesian channels broadcast from Batam. Cable TV, which will have about 30 channels, will provide further competition when they start reaching the HDB homes in June this year. The emphasis for TCS and TV12 is to improve to meet the challenges posed by this competition.

The Government does not plan to introduce additional advertising-supported free-to-air channels for mass entertainment in the next few years. While we have no objection in principle for more commercial broadcasting stations in Singapore, our television market is not big enough to sustain too many free-to-air channels. A TV station requires heavy investment. The liberalisation of the broadcasting market has to be carefully undertaken.

We have to be certain it will be economically viable before a licence is given to another commercial TV station. In 1990, when New Zealand liberalised its market and allowed a private TV channel to compete with the existing TV stations, the new channel promptly sustained losses and went into receivership after six months. We have to pay heed to such lessons.

The Singapore Broadcasting Authority will monitor developments in the broadcast industry and determine the pace at which the market should be liberalised.

Encik Harun bin A. Ghani (Hong Kah GRC): Sir, is there any private company which has offered its service to operate a TV station?

Encik Mohamad Maidin B P M: Sir, several companies have shown interest to operate the channels for cable TV.

Source: Singapore Parliament Official Report (Hansard) for 21 March 1995. Republished on SGParliament.