Oktois a Singaporean children'sprogramming blockbroadcast byMediacorp'sChannel 5inEnglishandChannel 8inMandarin Chinese.
 | |
| Country | Singapore |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
|
| Network |
|
| Headquarters | Mediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507 |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) |
|
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to16:9576ifor theSDTVfeed) |
| History | |
| Launched | 19 October 2008(as a standalone channel) 1 May 2019(as a children's block on Channel 5) 6 February 2021(as a children's block on Channel 8) |
| Closed | 30 April 2019 (as a standalone channel) |
| Replaced by | |
The brand originally operated as a standalonefree-to-airchannel from 19 October 2008 to 1 May 2019, having been spun off from the Arts Central and Kids Central strands aired byCentral(whoseTamil languageprogramming had been concurrently spun off as the new channelVasantham). The channel also occasionally aired sports programming, which from 2014 to its closure occupied the network's prime time schedule.
On 1 May 2019, the channel was discontinued, and Okto transitioned to becoming a children's block onChannel 5,and a content brand onMeWatch.The brand was later extended toChannel 8in Chinese.
History
editIn March 2008, MediaCorp announced that it would split its channelCentralinto two separate channels; a channel serving theIndiancommunity, and a channel focused on arts and children's programming.[1]On 19 October 2008, the channel officially launched as Okto, alongside the new Tamil channelVasantham.[2][3]The name Okto was derived from theGreeknumeral for "eight", as the channel was onStarHub TVchannel 8 (the former EPG slot of the defunctChannel i) andSingtel Mio TVchannel 108.[4]
Okto was split into twostrands;children's programming occupied most of the schedule (later branded asOkto Jr.),[5][6]while programming from evening to closedown focused on arts and cultural programming. In June 2014, coinciding with its rights to selected matches of theFIFA World Cup,theSports on Oktobrand was introduced.[7]
In 2017, arts programming was dispersed from Okto to other Mediacorp channels, in favour of expanding the nightlyOktoSportsblock.[5][6]
On 1 May 2019, Okto was discontinued as a television channel, with its children's programming becoming a daytimeblockonChannel 5under theOkto on 5branding,[8][9]and a content brand on Mediacorp's streaming platform Toggle (nowMeWatch); previously, Channel 5's daytime programming largely consisted of a simulcast of Mediacorp's news channelCNA.Okto's sports programming was also moved to Toggle and Channel 5.[10]Okto's channel license was subsequently surrendered to theInfocomm Media Development Authority(IMDA).[11]This would be the second Mediacorp's free-to-air television channels to shutdown outright afterCity TVwhich was closed on 11 January 2002.
On 6 February 2021, the Okto brand was extended toChannel 8's children's programming block nhạc nhạc oa (Lè Lè Wō), which was rebranded asOkto tẫn tại 8' (Okto on 8)
Programming
editSince its standalone channel era, Okto mostly aired English language-produced series with selected shows being broadcast in their original language. The channel aired mostly children's programmes, as well as some arts and sports programmes. The channel's target audiences were children aged 4–13, and adults aged 18–39.[6]
From June 2014 to 30 April 2019, Sports on Okto (later renamed as OktoSports) was introduced which showed sporting events live as well as recorded and delayed coverage. It occupied the nightly schedule from 9pm to closedown every night from 2017 to 2019.[5]
In September 2024, expanding upon existing agreements with the company, Mediacorp made its largest-ever acquisition of children's programmes fromBBC Studios,covering 150 hours of programming (including series such asGo Jetters,Hey DuggeeandJoJo & Gran Gran) to be carried by Okto and MeWatch.[12]
References
edit- ^Wong, Alicia (1 March 2008)."Dedicated Indian and kids TV channels".Today (retrieved from NLB).Retrieved24 March2020.
- ^"Two more to savour".Today (retrieved from NLB).21 October 2008.Retrieved30 October2019.
- ^Wong, Alicia (1 March 2008)."Dedicated Indian and kids TV channels".Today (retrieved from NLB).Retrieved24 March2020.
- ^"MediaCorp Introduces the TV channel,okto"(PDF).Okto.25 August 2008. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 10 October 2008.Retrieved23 May2024.
- ^abc"Okto's new lineup includes children".Television Asia Plus.15 November 2017.Retrieved17 April2024.
- ^abc"Mediacorp refreshes okto with new kids and premium sports content".Mediacorp.sg.22 April 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2017.Retrieved21 February2019.
- ^"MediaCorp serves up World Cup 2014 on Sports on okto".TODAY.Retrieved2 May2024.
- ^Matthias Ang (20 February 2019)."okto closing down, merging with Channel 5".Mothership.Retrieved23 July2019.
- ^Toh Ting Wei (20 February 2019)."Mediacorp to integrate okto channel with Channel 5 from May".The Straits Times.Retrieved23 July2019.
- ^"Mediacorp integrates English-language channels Channel 5 and okto".Channel NewsAsia.20 February 2019. Archived fromthe originalon 28 February 2019.Retrieved20 February2019.
- ^"Mediacorp integrates English-language channels Channel 5 and okto".Channel NewsAsia.20 February 2019. Archived fromthe originalon 20 February 2019.Retrieved20 February2019.
- ^"Hey Duggee heads up BBC Studios kids' content deal with Singapore's Mediacorp".C21media.Retrieved9 October2024.
External links
edit- Official website(archived)