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Television channel From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vasantham (Tamil: வசந்தம், lit. 'Spring') is a Tamil-language free-to-air terrestrial television channel in Singapore, owned by state media conglomerate Mediacorp. The channel broadcasts entertainment and news programming targeting the Singaporean Indian community.
Country | Singapore |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Singapore Malaysia (Johor) Indonesia (Riau Islands) |
Network | Mediacorp TV12 |
Headquarters | Mediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507 |
Programming | |
Language(s) | Tamil |
Picture format | 1080i 16:9 HDTV |
Ownership | |
Owner | Mediacorp |
Sister channels | Channel 5 Channel 8 Channel U Suria CNA |
History | |
Launched | 19 October 2008 |
Links | |
Website | Vasantham |
Availability | |
Terrestrial | |
Digital terrestrial television | UHF CH 31 554MHz DVB-T2 Channel 5 (HD) |
Streaming media | |
meWATCH | Available on meWATCH website or mobile app (Singapore only) |
Since the inception of television broadcasting in Singapore, Tamil-language programming had been broadcast by Mediacorp and its predecessors via its existing channels; after having carried programming in all four of Singapore's official languages on Channel 5 and 8, the channels were split on 30 March 1973. Channel 5 would focus on English and Malay, and Channel 8 would focus on Chinese and Tamil.[1]
On 1 September 1995, Channel 12—which took on Malay programming after Channel 5 relaunched as an English-language channel a year prior—relaunched as Prime 12, and Tamil programming moved to the channel. With the move, Tamil output increased from an average of 10 hours per-week to 16 hours.[2]
In September 1999, Singapore Television Twelve announced changes to its two channels, with Tamil programming moving from Prime 12 to Central, which was rebranded from Premiere 12, in January next year.[3] The Vasantham brand was introduced for Tamil programming on 30 January 2000, when Prime 12 was relaunched as the Malay-specific Suria, and Premiere 12 (a channel that took on Channel 12's arts and culture programming after the launch of Prime 12)[1] relaunched as Central; "Vasantham Central" would be one of the three main program strands carried by Central.[4][5]
In February 2008, it was announced that Central would be discontinued, and that its Kids Central and Vasantham Central strands would be spun-off as full-time channels.[6] The new channels—Vasantham and Okto—would launch in 19 October 2008.[7]
Vasantham broadcasts from 9:00 a.m. SGT daily, signing off at 12:00 a.m. SGT on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, 12:30 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and 1:30 a.m. on Saturdays. A simulcast of Mediacorp's Tamil-language radio station Oli 968 is carried during the overnight and morning hours until sign-on.
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