MediaCorp Channel U
MediaCorp Channel U or Channel U (U頻道; pinyin: U Píndào) is the second Mandarin Chinese channel in Singapore and was started officially began on-air broadcasting, inaugurated opened television studio station's transmission first established since on 1 January 2005 (although it had been broadcast since 6 May 2001 under SPH MediaWorks Channel U). Taking over the channel from SPH MediaWorks as a result of the media merger, it targets the younger generations of Chinese Singaporeans as an alternative channel to the more established MediaCorp Channel 8.
On 1 January 2010, the station changed its post-merger slogan (帶動亞洲流行, Leading Asia's Trends) to 最精彩 (The Most Exciting). This slogan complements Channel 8's longtime slogan, 最親切 (The Most Endearing).
Programming
In its first four years, the Channel was run by SPH MediaWorks, a subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings. Channel U was popular for showing Hong Kong and Taiwan prime time television dramas and variety shows, and the first in Singapore to broadcast Korea dramas. On the other hand, locally-produced contents (although made with quality) are somewhat lacking as SPH MediaWorks was running the broadcast business at a loss.
Upon merger with MediaCorp on 1 January 2005, Channel U began to air more locally-produced programmes, which included a revamp of the news bulletins, and the introduction of new current events and variety programmes. Channel U's target audience consists of Singapore aged 15–45. Current broadcasting hours begin at 3:00 pm on weekdays and 10:00 am on weekends.
From 31 December 2009, there is a major programming refresh during prime-time hours ever since post-merger. There are non-stop entertainment programmes on weekdays between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm with the best of acquired programmes from the region and quality local productions.
Its weekend news bulletin News Club, which aired at 7pm, is replaced by current affairs programmes Money Week and World This Week from 27 December 2009.
Opening and Closing times
Startup
Channel U starts at 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. on weekends. The national anthem was played, followed by the stations ident (MediaCorp TV/MediaCorp TV Channel U). The first programme of the day follows thereafter.
Closedown
Channel U closes down at 2:00 a.m. The last programme, will be broadcast followed by the national anthem. Stations ident (MediaCorp TV/MediaCorp TV Channel U) and the test card was broadcast at the end.
In the closing (offair) time, Channel U broadcasts a testcard complete with date to time and with the text "MEDIACORP TV CHANNEL U - SINGAPORE".
Transmission Hours
Transmission hours are from 3:00 pm to 2:00 am in weekday or 9:00 am to 2:00 am in weekend and public holidays from 3:00 pm to 2:00 am in weekday or 9:00 am to 2:00 am in weekend under same time daily a day it plays the national anthem.
Transmission Times:
- Mon to Fri: 3pm to 2am
- Sat to Sun: 9am to 2am
Slogans Over The Years
- 以優為先 (Putting Excellence [or You] First, 6 May 2001-31 December 2004. This slogan is a play on the channel name, as the Chinese word 優 sounds like the letter U.)
- 帶動亞洲流行 (Leading Asia's Trends, 1 January 2005-30 November 2008)
- 最精彩 (The Most Exciting, 1 December 2008–Present)
Artists
Newscasters
Current
- Serene Loo 呂寺琳 (From Channel 8)
- Tung Soo Hua 董素華 (From Channel 8)
- Zhao Wenbei 趙文蓓 (From CCTV)
Former
- Jessy Chang 張恆芝 (From TVBS) Signed a 3 year contract with MediaCorp
- Liang Ni 梁妮 (From Shanghai Dragon Television/上海東方衛視)
- Wang Yan Qing 王燕青 (Returned To Shanghai)
Former, but still in MediaCorp
- Zhang Haijie 張海潔 (From SPH MediaWorks Channel U, left MediaCorp at first, but later returned to Channel 8 as News Tonight presenter)
- Wu Lei 吳磊 (Went to Channel 8's Good Morning Singapore breakfast television programme)
Local programmes
Drama
Current affairs
- 2005: Inside Out 非常透視眼 (from SPH MediaWorks Channel U)
- 2005: Crossfire 針鋒相對 (4 April)
- 2005: Made in Singapore 十分新加坡 (5 April)
- 2005: Scoop 十分頭條 (6 April)
- 2005: Money Week 財經追擊 (1 January)
[transplanted from MediaCorp Channel 8]
- 2006: Art of War 孫子智慧 (5 July)
- 2010: News Tonight 晚間新聞 (Daily, 每天 from 10pm to 10.30pm)
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Documentary and docudrama
- 2005: New Lease of Life 讓生命繼續 (10 February)
- 2005: The Hospital 搶救心跳 (7 June)
- 2005: Hooked 迷幻人生 (10 November)
- 2006: Youth Decode 青春遊走(6 January)
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- 2006: Project Y Y計劃 (4 April)
- 2006: Mamma Mia! 新新媽咪 (6 April)
- 2006: My Special Journey 生命無缺 (24 May)
- 2006: Y Do U Care 驚嘆號！ (13 July)
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Lifestyle and fashion
- 2005: Beyond Body and Soul 健康就是美 (7 April)
- 2005: Man Enough 男人本色 (7 April)
- 2005: A New You 亮麗秀出 (4 July)
- 2005: City by Night 夜森林 (13 October)
- 2005: Man O Man 男人幫 (3 November)
- 2005: Closet Affairs IN女皇 (7 December)
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- 2006: Condo and the City 寓望城市 (12 January)
- 2006: Seeking the Right One 選好就結婚 (8 March)
- 2006: Quick Cuisine 30分鐘煮一餐 (23 March)
- 2006: Follow Your Dreams 隨心所欲 (7 August)
- 2006: Taking Off 起飛 (7 August)
- 2006: Night Walk 步夜城 (16 August)
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Variety
- 2005: Project SuperStar 2005 絕對SuperStar (8 June)
- 2005: FOODBALL TIC TAC GOAL 食在好球 (5 July)
- 2005: HeART & Soul 藝心藝意 (7 July)
- 2005: My Hero Teacher 中華INK雄 (6 September)
- 2005: Smile With Oral B ORAL B 笑一笑 比一比 (8 September)
- 2005: Incredible Tales 靈異怪談 (8 September)
- 2005: It's You 非你莫屬 (13 September)
- 2005: When We Were Together 當我們同在一起 (15 September)
- 2005: Love Airways 愛之航 (21 September)
- 2005: Say Cheez 好攝2人組
- 2005: Planetshakers 自游瘋 (6 April)
- 2005: Love Bites 緣來就是你
- 2005: Shoot! 有話就說
- 2005: Makan King 好吃王 (22 December)
- 2005: SuperFunkies 絕對大玩家 (3 October)
- 2005: City by Night 夜森林 (13 October)
- 2005: SuperHost 超級主持人
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- 2005: Campus SuperStar 校園Superstar
- 2005: Love Bites 2 緣來就是你 2 (7 December)
- 2006: On the Beat 都是大發現 (23 February)
- 2006: Weekend Escapade 週末萬歲 (8 March)
- 2006: UNCUT UNCUT (29 April)
- 2006: Wardrobe S.O.S 搶救衣櫥大作戰 (17 May)
- 2006: SuperBand 非常Superband
- 2006: Hey Hey Taxi 比比接車無比樂 (7 June)
- 2006: Dollar & Sense 神機妙算 (4 July)
- 2006: What's Art 什麼藝思？ (13 September)
- 2006: Say I Do 愛要怎麼說 (19 September)
- 2006: Fit the Bill 人健人愛 (19 September)
- 2006: The 7-Eleven Game Show 7-Eleven 搶先奪快爭第一
(16 October)
- 2006: Project SuperStar 2006 絕對SuperStar 2006-07 (8 November)
- 2007: Music in the Air 音樂格鬥場 (5 April)
- 2007: Campus SuperStar 2 校園Superstar 2007 (28 May)
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Specials
Foreign programmes
Drama
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- 2005: Kung Fu Soccer 功夫足球
(from SPH MediaWorks Channel U)
- 2005: Virtues of Harmony 皆大歡喜
(from SPH MediaWorks Channel U)
- 2005: Slim Chances 我要FIT一FIT (HK)
- 2005: Shanghai Love Story 千年之戀 (2 March, CN)
- 2005: Let's Face It 無考不成冤家 (7 March, HK)
- 2005: Chronicles of the Heavenly Dragon 天龍八部 (2 April, CN)
- 2005: Golden Faith 流金歲月 (4 April, HK)
- 2005: Love At Dolphin Bay 海豚灣戀人 (6 April, TW)
- 2005: My Fair Lady 窈窕淑女 (9 May, KR)
- 2005: King of Yesterday And Tomorrow 九五至尊 (6 June, HK)
- 2006: The Three Musketeers 風塵三俠之紅拂女 (20 May, TW)
- 2006: Jewel In The Palace 大長今
(encore telecast 9 September, KR)
- 2006: The Strange Tales of Liao Zhai 聊齋 (18 September, CN)
- 2006: Princess Hours 宮－野蠻王妃 (9 October, KR)
- 2009: ToGetHer 愛就宅一起 (21 February, TW)
- 2009: Boys Over Flowers (TV series) 流星花園－花樣男子 (16 May, KR)
- 2009: Why Why Love 換換愛 (31 July, TW)
- 2009: Fated To Love 命中注定我愛你 (4 August, TW)
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Variety
- 2005: Tian Cai Go Go Go 天才Go Go Go
(from SPH MediaWorks Channel U)
- 2005: Variety Big Brother 綜藝大哥大
(from SPH MediaWorks Channel U)
- 2005: Delicious Food All Over China 3 美食大三通
(from SPH MediaWorks Channel U)
- 2005: Health Bites 歡喜大補貼
- 2005: About Romance 3 非常男女
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- 2005: Fun Club 5 週日八點黨
- 2005: Guess 4 我猜我猜我猜我猜猜猜
- 2005: Music Time of Fei Yu Qing 3 費玉清時間
(from SPH MediaWorks Channel U)
- 2005: 100% Entertainment 娛樂百分百
- 2006: Guess 5 我猜我猜我猜我猜猜猜
- 2006: Fun Club 6 週日八點黨
- 2009: Million Singer 百萬大歌星
- 2010: Power Sunday
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Education
- 2005: Hearts of Gold 從心出發
External links
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| Television |
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| Radio |
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| Print |
TODAY · 8 Days · I-Weekly · Style: · Style:Men · Style: Living · Style: Weddings · Manja · ELLE Singapore · Health Weekly · Singapore FHM · Mother And Baby · BabyCare
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| Interactive media |
Channelnewsasia.com · Family.sg · Styleweddings.sg · Todayonline.com · xinmsn · Mocca.com
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| Enterprises |
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| Productions |
Caldecott Productions International · MediaCorp EagleVision · MediaCorp Studios · MediaCorp NewsHub
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| Defunct |
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| Regional/International Television Channels |
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| Newspapers |
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| SPH Magazines, Pte. Ltd. |
UW · 24:7 · Action Asia · Asia-Pacific Boating · AsiaSpa · China Boating · Eh! · Female · Female Brides · GameAxis Online · GameAxis/L33T · Glam · Golf Digest Singapore · Her World · Her World Brides · Home & Decor · HWM · ICON · ICON Moments · Jet Asia Pacific · LP Luxury Properties · Marie Claire · Men’s Health · Nuyou · Nuyou Time · People At The Peak · pHing · Polo · Seventeen · Shape · Simply Her · The Peak · The Peak Selections Domain · The Peak Selections Timepieces · Torque · www.hardwarezone.com · Young Parents · Young Parents Preschool Guide
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| SPH Multimedia, Ltd. |
Channel 5, Channel 8, Channel U, Channel NewsAsia, Okto, Suria, Vasantham, HD5, Teletext (20%, joint management with MediaCorp) · Radio 91.3, Radio 1003 (80%, joint management with NTUC Media) · M1 Limited (13.84%, joint venture with Axiata Group Berhad and Keppel Telecoms)
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| Outdoor Advertising |
SPH MediaBoxOffice
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| The AsiaOne Network |
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| Search Marketing |
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| Archived News |
NewsLINK · NewsPOST · NewsTRACK · NewsFEED
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| Mobile and Call Centre |
BizFone · InfoLine · WireLess · Location-Based Advertising ·
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| Other Businesses |
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| Defunct |
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Numbers in parentheses indicate percentage of ownership
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Chinese-language television in Southeast Asia
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The following channels offer at least some programming in Chinese
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| Indonesia |
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| Malaysia |
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| Singapore |
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| Thailand |
Thai Central Chinese Television
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