S'pore to issue media licenses

S'pore to issue media licenses

SINGAPORE (AFP): The Singapore government announced on Monday
that it would grant new print and broadcast licenses but made it
clear the domestic media would stay in Singaporean hands.

Minister for Information and the Arts Lee Yock Suan said
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. (SPH), which publishes all of the
island's newspapers, will be given up to two free-to-air
television licenses and two radio licenses.

The dominant broadcaster, the Media Corp. of Singapore, will
in turn be granted a newspaper license, breaking the SPH monopoly
on dailies.

Foreign newspapers and magazines as well as cable news
broadcasters are freely available in Singapore but the domestic
media are regarded by officials as strategic sectors which should
remain in local control.