MediaCorp plans Asia channel

MediaCorp plans Asia channel

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore state-owned broadcaster MediaCorp News Ltd announced plans Thursday for a regional 24-hour news television channel.

Channel NewsAsia will go Asiawide on September 18 with a mix of news covering politics, finance, business, technology, sports and entertainment, the broadcaster said in a statement.

The service, to be carried by cable operators, will target countries such as Indonesia, India, Australia, Korea, China, Hong Kong and countries in the Middle East, MediaCorp said.

Channel NewsAsia is currently only available round the clock in Singapore.

It set up a studio in Hong Kong in February and plans to establish bureaus in Taipei, Sydney and New Delhi, as well as employing correspondents in several other cities.

Channel NewsAsia, the flagship of government broadcaster Media Corporation of Singapore, linked with Hong Kong multimedia firm PhoenixNet Ltd. in July began to broadcast live via the Internet across the region.