MediaCorp's New Complex

News from CNA MediaCorp

“SINGAPORE: The Republic's leading media company MediaCorp announced on Friday that it has selected DP Architects and Maki and Associates as the architects of its new campus, which will be located at Mediapolis@one-north.

MediaCorp first announced its relocation to a 1.5ha site in Mediapolis@one-north in December last year.

Following a selection process, the design presented by Singapore-based DP Architects and Tokyo-based Maki and Associates was chosen "for their ability to meet operational needs, the seamless public engagement connectivity and their experience in designing media facilities around the world", MediaCorp said in a press release.

Collectively, the team has built iconic structures including Resorts World Sentosa, Republic Polytechnic, Japan's TV Asahi Headquarters, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Arts and Sciences Building (MIT Media Lab), as well as the upcoming New York World Trade Center Tower 4.

MediaCorp CEO Shaun Seow said: "Beyond building an efficient and functional working environment, our vision for the new campus is to incorporate fun, collaborative and exciting spaces for staff and members of the public to enjoy. We want the new complex to act as a catalyst to the cultural and media development of Mediapolis." ..For more please see http://channelnewsasia.com
- At last it is happening . The project to move started 20 years ago. I remember Cheng Tong Fatt, Albert Hong, Mrs Wong and Management Team made study tours to Canada, Japan and USA to look at how others plan and build their new complexes. The current building in 1966 was not that old then but the decision was taken to free the land possibly for good class bungalows and the location of a broadcasting complex on Caldecott was somehow a misfit. Over the years many sites were explored including the old World Trade Centre, Bugis Junction area and Changi Business Park as well as Bukit Batok. Chairmen came and went and eventually with Teo Ming Kian on board a firm decision was made to move to Mediapolis instead of Bukit Batok as earlier announced.

75 Years of Radio

RADIO

info from ChannelNewsAsia

"It was a night of glitz and glamour at the Capella on Sentosa on Tuesday as MediaCorp Radio celebrated its 75th anniversary with a gala dinner.

And, it was nothing short of a starry night with radio's biggest personalities - past and present - celebrating the diamond jubilee.

MediaCorp Radio started out with just one radio station at Empress Place in 1936.

Today, MediaCorp operates 13 FM stations.

Overall, there are 18 FM stations in Singapore now.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister of Information, Communications & the Arts, who graced the event, paid tribute to Radio saying it has stayed resilient all these years.

And he's confident that in tandem with the changing media landscape, Radio will adapt and stay exciting to listeners.

Dr Yaacob said: "I believe MediaCorp has done a good job in reinventing Radio .

"Stations and deejays have built up a faithful following and even have presence across media platforms and live shows, giving an added boost in reaching out and keeping the conversation alive even after the music fade."

Mr Shaun Seow, CEO of MediaCorp, said: "American songwriter Bob Dylan once said radio makes hideous sounds. The (late) 38th US president Gerald Ford remarked he listened to a lot of baseball onradio.

"So whether you're a radio fan like Ford or a hater like Dylan, guess what, radio is alive and kicking at 75 years.

"75 long years and radio rocks!"

Mr Seow also paid tribute to those who have contributed to Radio 's success.

"I value even more very special people who have made this all possible, my dedicated radio team........................................................." for more read at CNA

(In my 43 years there I spent most of my time in the TV Engineering Department but had opportunity to manage the radio engineering facilities for a few years. During these few years i met with nice people like Brian Richmond and the late Steven Lee and Vernon Palmer. During the later years when they were about to call it day at Caldecott Hill Vernon and Steven were our regular lunch kakis. I missed the jokes (original ones) from both of them which never failed to make my day.....)

Note: Picture shows a visit 42 years ago by VIPs at the early short wave and medium wave radio broadcasting station in Jurong. In subsequent years transmission technology was replaced by FM and the site at Jurong given way to HDB estate.

SHAUN SEOW is new CEO of MediaCorp

Latest info from CNA...

"Singapore's leading media company, MediaCorp, has appointed Mr Shaun Seow as its Chief Executive Officer and Board Director with immediate effect.

With a media career of more than 20 years, Mr Seow has been MediaCorp's Deputy CEO since 2005, overseeing a range of business lines spanning television, radio, print, interactive and outdoor media.

His appointment comes after an intensive executive search to fill the position of MediaCorp CEO after Mr Lucas Chow resigned in January 2011.

"I am very pleased that the new CEO is a homegrown talent from within the organization" said MediaCorp Chairman, Mr Teo Ming Kian.

"Having experienced and run the whole gamut of the media business, Shaun is a most worthy successor and I have every confidence that he will be able to harness the strengths of the company and work alongside the Board, Management and staff to steer the company to greater heights.

"The time for renewal of leadership is most appropriate as the company prepares itself for the move to a new campus at Mediapolis over the next few years."......"

For more please read at CNA website
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1139240/1/.html

About Radio

When is the last time you turn on a Radio? I bet it is only a while ago while driving. Yes I do that all the time. It is either 93.8 or 95.8 and occasionally 92.4. But when is the last time you switch on your Radio at home? Probably you cannot remember. But I do occasionally listen to 92.4 at night despite the busyness with the internet and television. And I listen to 92.4 on my EVOKE DAB receiver. Yes ,DAB ... digital audio broadcasting. The quality is better than that of FM. MediaCorp has DAB services on air besides its 13 FM services. But unfortunately you need new radio receiver to tune in and it is more costly than a FM receiver and manufacturers don’t see a business case to put more receivers on the market. Mainly because there are a number of different digital standards that leave broadcasters and manufacturers uncertain of the future of digital radio. As such FM will remain the king for the next 44 years!
Radio in Singapore started in 1936 with a short wave service. In later years medium wave followed and with the present FM services in 1967. Both SW and MW closed down already. I must say Singapore listeners are spolit for choices on the present FM. There many FM channels by MediaCorp, SPH and SAFRA. I understand two more FM frequencies (FM 92 and FM89.3)are being offered by MDA and there are many takers. Don’t forget also we have Redifusion.

The website of Redifustion says

“Rediffusion is Singapore's ONLY subscription radio, offering a full suite of 15 regional and international channels (the most number of radio stations in Singapore) that include news, storytelling, music, entertainment, education and 17 local free-to-air channels.
Rediffusion is the 1st in the WORLD to broadcast on Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus (DAB+). This digital platform allows subscribers to enjoy Rediffusion's programs on our wireless digital receiver, which boasts flawless crystal-clear sound as compared to the fizzy FM noise.
Rediffusion has a rich history since 1949 and has been entertaining Singaporeans with quality programs that glue listeners to our radio 24/7.”

When I was a boy I used to listen to a famous story-teller on Redifusion and I remember it was the story of “The Monkey God”. He got many ears glued on the box every evening. Now Redifusion is pioneering the next wave of digitizing of the broadcast media that digital radio over the air. I forsee there will many more niche channels on the digital radio wave in the next five years.

If you are young you may prefer to listen to radio while on the go on your mobile phone. Most phones have FM services. And there is also Internet Radioboth on the PC and portables. You probably will know you could get many almost limitless radio channels on the net world wide. My wife and mum wont for this cause of the effort put in to turn on a computer or operate thoswe portable internet radio(using Wi-Fi). I think until Internet Radio is made easier to use FM will forever remain the King of Radio.

Whither Digital Radio??

A Poem

Crabby Old Man
(Info contributed by Anthony Ng -a Caldecott Hill Old Timer)

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in GRASS VALLEY, CA. It was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Missouri. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Crabby Old Man...
What do you see nurses? . . ... . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . When you're looking at me?
A crabby old man . .. . . . Not very wise,
Uncertain of habit ... . . . . With faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . .. . And makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice .. .. . ... . The things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . . Lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . .. . .. . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . ... . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . You're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am. . . . ... . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . As I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .. . . .. With a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . .. ... Who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. With wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now . . . . . A lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . .. My heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . . That I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . .. . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other .. . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . ... . . Have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . . To see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . .. . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . . Shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . ... . . . Young of their own.
And I think of the years .. . . .. . And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . .... And nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . . . . Look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . . Grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . Where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . . . . A young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . My battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . ... . Life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . . Gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . That nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . ... . Open and see.
Not a crabby old man . ... . . Look closer . .. . See ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.
We will all, one day, be there, too!
PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM
The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart.

(Note: there are many stories spun around this poem. This is one version)

I remember LEE CHEOK YEW

I remember LEE CHEOK YEW

He was with the then SBC and TCS from 1991 – 2000. During the period he was in top management positions in the SBC Enterprises, CEO of TCS and COO MediaCorp. He left to join MediaWorks as CEO to compete with MediaCorp.

I was fortunate to be able to work with him and learn the commercial aspects of running a media company as Head of the Engineering Department. Known to think out the box and removing all the bureaucy of the previous organisation Radio and TV Singapore, Cheok Yew was set to bring MediaCorp to new heights.

Every CEO i knew faced the challenges of managing the company both as a commercial broadcaster and a national broadcaster. Till now no CEO has come up with a formula to manage this dilemma to bring the company to soaring heights.

As for Cheok Yew I think he was a commercial broadcaster first and national broadcaster second, which was the reason for the company making lots of money during his tenure of office. And the reason for most bureaucrats to misundertand his style of management.

As a result a series of events in the company that initiated the creation of a competitor, SPH MediaWorks.. he left to be its CEO. Unfortunately the competition was short-lived. It lasted three years. He then joined MTV and was involved in a number of consultancy and media business projects. I understand he has retired but still active in the Marketing Institute and other related consultancies on the media. You can find more information about him on the NET.

Mr S M Ong a former Executive Producer has this to say about him in his blog when he wrote about his favourites CEOs of MediaCorp:

"He was my CEO at both the Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) and SPH MediaWorks.

In 2000, I was part of a group sent to Cannes, France, for an international TV trade show. On one of the days there, Cheok Yew, another executive and I rented a car to explore the region. We drove all the way to Monaco.

But the most unforgettable part of the road trip for me was eating some raw seafood and having the most spectacularly explosive diarrhoea of my life when I returned to my hotel room.

Because of this cherished memory, Cheok Yew will always be my favourite MediaCorp CEO.”

Mr SM Ong blogs at http://smong.net

COT Gathering 2011

one of the many pictures of 2011 gathering which will be posted on facebook

On Wed 23 Feb about 50 CaldecottHill Old Timers got together at Mariners Corner Restaurant for their annual and had a wonderful time updating their travel and life experiences and living out their old memories of working life at Caldecott. Those who were there included Ananda Pereira, Heng Wing, Maureen Liew, George Favacho, Lucy Leong, Michael Loke, Lam Lychow, Cheng Kee, Ter Kwang, Lay Hong, Andrew, Joo Thong, Francis Chowdurie, Aye Lan, Fernandez , Hua Swan and many more.

Watch out for the newsletter 2011 from George Favacho. Meanwhile take a look at this hilarious newsletter 2010(bottom two images).

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Memories keep the heart warm

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

This morning I rx a nice note from Ee Boon Lee . Here it is:

Dear comrade

Early this morning, I received an internet messsage from a long-lost niece in America.

After wishing us the best wishes etc etc, she ended up by saying: I've read lovely things about you on the internet.

I owe you a debt of gratitude for putting me on the Internet. Otherwise, my niece would not have known that after retirement, I had appeared on TV to recount Singapore's passage from self-governing status to independence.

Cheers

Boon Lee