| Type | Government-owned, Public Broadcasting |
|---|---|
| Branding | Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) as of 17 November 1969 |
| Country | Malaysia |
| First air date | 1 April 1946 as Radio Malaya 16 September 1963 Radio Malaysia 28 December 1963 as 'Televisyen Malaysia (then Talivishen Malaysia) 17 November 1969 as Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) |
| Availability | Nationwide |
| Founded | April 1, 1946 |
| Slogan |
Teman Setia Anda (Your Loyal Friend) (2009-present) |
| Headquarters | Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Broadcast area | Malaysia Singapore Brunei |
| Owner | Department of Broadcasting, Malaysia |
| Parent | Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture, Malaysia |
| Key people | Ibrahim Yahaya (Director-General) |
| Launch date | 1 April 1946 |
| Former names | Radio Malaya (1946-1963) Radio Malaysia (1963-1969) Televisyen Malaysia (TV Malaysia) (1963-1969) |
| Digital channel | TVi, Muzik Aktif |
| Analogue channel | TV1, TV2 |
| Official website | http://www.rtm.gov.my |
The Department of Broadcasting, Malaysia, DBA Radio Televisyen Malaysia (abbreviated RTM), is a Malaysian state-owned public broadcaster. It owns and operates a number of radio and television stations in Malaysia, based in Kuala Lumpur. At present, RTM runs 6 national, 2 international, 17 state, 11 district radio stations and 2 television channels (terrestrial free-to-air) from Kuala Lumpur. Their main motto is Teman Setia Anda (Your Loyal Partner). As of 2007, RTM controls about 17% of the television viewing market in the country, behind Media Prima with 54% and Astro with 29%.[1]
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In 1 April 1946, RTM was established as Radio Malaya operating out of Singapore. With the independence of Malaya in 31 August 1957 Radio Malaya was split into two; the original studios in Singapore was taken over by a new station called Radio Singapura and Radio Malaya moved to Kuala Lumpur going on air from the new location on 1 January 1959. It would be later renamed Radio Malaysia on 16 September 1963 with the transmissions beginning with its trademark words Inilah Radio Malaysia (This is Radio Malaysia). Television services under the name Malaysia Televisyen (Malaysia TV) or Malaysia Television (Malaysia TV) started on 28 December 1963 in time for the national New Year celebrations in Kuala Lumpur and regional telecasts in the Klang Valley in Selangor state. The then 10-month old Television Singapura (launched on 16 February 1963) became part of Malaysia Televisyen as its state station for Singapore viewers, a role served until 1965, when Singapore became independent.
Five years later, in 1968 Radio Malaysia and Malaysia Televisyen (Malaysia TV) moved to the present Angkasapuri headquarters based in Kuala Lumpur and merged to form Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM). Televisyen Malaysia soon split the next year, in 1969 with the launch of Rangkaian Dua (Network Two), its newest station while the original Malaysia Televisyen (Malaysia TV) network was renamed Rangkaian Satu (Network One).
Radio Malaysia later became Rangkaian Nasional (National Channel) in 1 January 1971 and became the nation's first 24-hour radio station. In 1972, TV Pendidikan, the national joint educational TV service by Malaysia Televisyen and the Ministry of Education was formally launched.
Color television began on 28 December 1978. TV1 (Malaysia)&TV2 (Malaysia) by then only for Peninsular Malaysia broadcasts in full colour. A new logo plus two new separate slogans for TV1 (Malaysia) and TV2 (Malaysia) were launched in the very same year (1979).
It would be only on 31 August 1980 when Sabah and Sarawak received colour television with the first telecasts being the Hari Merdeka Parade on the Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur with RTM as the only and official television broadcaster for the event which was aired live.
Programming on RTM's radio and television services showed signs of improvement during the 1980's and in 1987, a new corporate logo was launched for RTM1 and RTM2, along with the new corporate slogan Teman Setia Anda (Your Loyal Partner).
RTM1 and RTM2 would become TV1 and TV2 in 1990, and reverted to their former names in 2006 before reverted back to TV1 & TV2 in 2009
In 2005, the Ministry of Information announced their plan to digitalize nationwide free-to-air television broadcasts. Trial broadcasts were undertaken, involving one thousand households in the Klang Valley from 1 September 2006 till 31 December 2006. According to the then-Deputy Minister of Information, Chia Kwang Chye, the trial received "very positive" feedback, i.e. "more than 60 percent said the quality of the signal ranged from good to very good. Over 88 percent said the picture quality improved, while 70 percent said the sound quality was better.
RTM has prepared at least three new channels exclusively for Digital Television, namely RTMi, Muzik Aktif and Arena, besides the two initial channels, RTM1 and RTM2. Though the trials had been long over, the digital channels are (said to be) still active in test forms.[4]
In addition, RTM would introduce regional television channels for each state and territory in Malaysia in such that each of these regions will have its own dedicated television channel with localised content compared to national television making it about 20 television channels for a digitised RTM as part of the state broadcaster's three-year restructuring plan. According to Information Minister Dato Ahmad Shabery Cheek, RTM is expected to launch its Digital Terrestrial Television services nationally in 2012. However, due to creative differences among the providers and the need to improve the broadband infrastructure, coupled with the beginning of successor Najib as Prime Minister, there are no news about the development. It may be abandoned, deferred or postponed indefinitely.
On March 2011, RTM announced that it is also possible that RTM may be planning to switch to DVB-T2 some time in the future.[5]
Unlike Thailand and most of the developing/developed countries, this country leaves the logo shown on commercial breaks and test transmissions.
The clock in Malaysia was not in colour until 1978. Originally the clock was based on the Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur in black and white. In 1978 the clock was in colour, yellow on blue. The clock was mechanical until 2002. In 2010, in the launch of digital television in Malaysia, RTM stopped broadcasting clock even it is still broadcasting in analog right now. RTM now fills the time with music videos and commercials.
Until the introduction of 24-hour broadcasting in 2006, RTM used the Philips PM5544 test pattern during the off-air hours of TV1 and TV2. Until 2010, TV1 uses the Philips PM5534 (PM5544 with clock) during the off-air hours. From September 2010, TV1 uses plain EBU Colorbars test pattern. The test patterns on RTM never shown until 15 minutes prior to startup. The startup have patriotic songs.
Currently TV1 broadcasts from 06:00 to 01:00 the next day (01:30 or 02:00 on Saturdays), while TV2 broadcasts 24 hours a day.
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