Launch of Singapore’s first television station

The discussions on introducing commercial television in Singapore were first initiated by then Minister for Education Chew Swee Kee in February 1956.^[1] In 1955, the government had already called for tenders from commercial operators to provide a television service.^[2] Three companies – Cathay Organisation, Singapore Rediffusion and Shaw Brothers – submitted their proposals to run the television service.^[3]

While the idea of having television in Singapore was generally accepted, a television station that was commercially run in Singapore was objected to by a few assemblymen at the Legislative Assembly session held on 9 February 1956.^[4] Given the influence of television as a medium, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew felt that it was in the people’s interests to have a television station run by a public corporation instead, as “[television] was one of the most powerful weapons for influencing human minds, whether for good or evil, and should not be left to a commercial undertaking.”^[5]

A committee was then formed in 1957 to investigate all aspects of introducing television in Singapore.^[6] Recommendations put forth by the committee included having the government contribute an initial capital, which amounted to $750,000 for a pilot station to operate for the first year. The committee also recommended that the television station be operated by a public corporation.^[7]

Based on the costly estimates, the government decided in December 1958 not to introduce television in Singapore due to insufficient funds.^[8] It was only in May 1960 that then Minister for Culture S. Rajaratnam confirmed that a television station would be set up in Singapore.^[9] The television station would start broadcasting in the four official languages over two channels for four hours each day.^[10]

On 15 February 1963, Singapore’s first television station, Television Singapura, was officially inaugurated. The 300 invited guests at the Victoria Memorial Hall together with the public at 52 community centres, at Victoria Theatre, and at Princess Elizabeth Walk, as well as 2,400 families who had television sets in their homes, bore witness to the first pictures and sounds from the 1.5 hours of monochrome service.^[11] Rajaratnam, who steered the preparations for television in Singapore, was the first image people saw on screen.^[12] He proclaimed at the inauguration event that “tonight might well mark the start of a social and cultural revolution in our lives.”^[13]

References
1. Singapore. Legislative Assembly. Debates: Official Reports. (1956, February 9). Commercial TV: Introduction (Vol. 1, col. 1535). Singapore: [s.n]. Call no.: RCLOS 328.5957 SIN.
2. TV: A decision soon. (1957, April 9). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. The Straits Times, 9 Apr 1957, p. 4.
4. Singapore. Legislative Assembly. Debates: Official Reports. (1956, February 9). Commercial TV: Introduction (Vol. 1, col. 1548). Singapore: [s.n]. Call no.: RCLOS 328.5957 SIN.
5. Commercial TV: Lee dims the view. (1956, February 10). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Singapore. Committee Appointed to Examine the Possibility of Introducing Television in Singapore. (1957). Report of the Committee Appointed to Examine the Possibility of Introducing Television in Singapore (p. 1). Singapore: Government Printing Office. Call no.: RCLOS 791.45 SIN.
7. Singapore TV report. (1957, June 5). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. No TV for Singapore this year or next – no money available. (1958, December 13). The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Singapore TV: ‘It’s definite’. (1960, May 30). The Straits Times, p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. 4-language TV for Singapore. (1960, December 16). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
11. Raja to launch Singapore TV. (1963, February 13). The Straits Times, p. 1; Yong, J. (1963, February 16). Raja: this could be start of a cultural, social revolution. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
12. Ng, I. (2010). The Singapore lion: A biography of S. Rajaratnam (p. 471). Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Call no.: RSING 327.59570092 NG.
13. The Straits Times, 16 Feb 1963, p. 1.