8TV (Malaysia)

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Not to be confused with MediaCorp Channel 8, a Chinese-language television station owned by MediaCorp.
8TV
八度空间
8TV my.svg
Launched 1 July 1995 (1995-07-01)
Relaunch: 8 January 2004; 12 years ago (2004-01-08)
Owned by Media Prima Berhad
Picture format 576i (4:3)
Audience share 6% (Sept 2013[1], )
Slogan We're different
Chinese: 我们是不同的
(2004-2010)
None (2010-present)
Country Malaysia
Broadcast area Nationwide
Sister channel(s) TV3
ntv7
TV9
Website www.8tv.com.my
Availability
Terrestrial
Analogue Channel 27/ Channel 58 (UHF) (Klang Valley) [1]
myFreeview (Malaysia) Channel 108
(Test transmission)[3][4]
Satellite
Astro (Malaysia) Channel 708 [2]
NJOI (Malaysia) Channel 708[5]
Cable
ABNXcess (Malaysia) Channel 108
IPTV
HyppTV Channel 108[2]
Streaming media
Live Streaming (Malaysia only) www.tonton.com.my/liveList/

8TV (Chinese: 八度空间; pinyin: Bādù Kōngjiān; literal: 8th dimension) is a free-to-air private television station in Malaysia. The television channel targets the urban youth and Chinese audience demographics. 8TV's line up consists of dramas, sitcoms, and reality shows either produced in Malaysia or imported from other countries, mainly in the English and Chinese languages. 8TV broadcasts with the concept of "one station, two channels" in two languages shifts: 8TV in English and 八度空间 (pinyin: Bādù Kōngjiān) in Chinese.

8TV is also available on Astro channel 708, and through channel 108 on ABNXcess and HyppTV.

History

8TV was launched on 1 July 1995 as MetroVision Channel 8. It was managed by City Television Sdn Bhd, part of the Melewar Group (controlled by the Negeri Sembilan royal family) and broadcasts from Shah Alam. It was first available only in Klang Valley, Seremban, parts of Pahang and Malacca, but later expanded to Kedah and Johor, thus allowing Singaporean viewers to access it. Viewers were required to install fish-bone antennas to receive this channel.[6]

MetroVision's logo resembled the infinity sign - which is the number 8 rotated 90 degrees.[7] Nevertheless Malaysian viewers name it as TV4 as it was the fourth free-to-air television channel. It was first broadcast in Malay language with original transmission hours from 9am to midnight.

Resulting from the Asian financial crisis and intense competition from other channels (especially ntv7 which launched in 1998), MetroVision quietly closed on 1 November 1999. The operator promised to re-open the channel in March 2000 after a supposed "signal upgrade" but it failed to materialise.[8]

Programmes broadcast

The following are programmes currently or previously broadcast on 8TV. Although English, Malay, and Chinese languages are spoken in the channel, only Mandarin Chinese is used in all of its news broadcasts. There was also a short-lived Malay news broadcast that was available in the channel's early years. TV series that had been broadcast may be repeated on the channel a year or two later, with the exception of those produced by TVB. According to an announcement by Tonton - Media Prima's online portal service - a programme reschedule was implemented on 1 April 2016, allowing the time slot to expand to accommodate more Chinese programmes on Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, while English programmes retain their time slots on Wednesdays to Fridays as usual.[9]

The rescheduling also includes a 3-hour morning home shopping block brought in part by Korean conglomerate CJ Group titled CJ Wow Shop which had also been introduced across other Media Prima channels, some more affected by the changes (especially NTV7 and TV9). However, this block has attract huge criticism on social media as a large part of daytime schedule has been replaced by CJ Wow Shop, which these slots had been previously running mostly reruns, religious programming and kids programming.[10][11][12][13]

Chinese New Year campaigns

As a Chinese-oriented TV channel, 8TV broadcasts more Chinese programmes and movies in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations every year. For the same purpose, the channel also distributes its Chinese New Year singles discography alongside its sister channel NTV7 and sister radio channel OneFM in competition with rival TV company, Astro since 2011 (It had previously distributed its Chinese New Year singles on its own from 2009 to 2010).

Beginning from 2015 onwards, 8TV, OneFM and NTV7 individually distribute their Chinese New Year singles yearly with their own themes, theme songs and mascots based on the 12 animal zodiac as well as its' related merchandise (e.g. soft toys). In addition, the discography team responsible also tour across the nation to promote their discography and its' merchandise. The CDs are also sold on shelves of all Popular Bookstore CD Rama kiosks nationwide during the festive season.

Furthermore, 14-second fortune predictions for each of all 12 Chinese Zodiacs are also screened occasionally as bumpers before and after commercials during the Chinese programming slots a few days before Chinese New Year and the first ten days of the celebrations.[15][16]

  • 2009: 8TV Happy Chinese New Year.
  • 2010: 8面威风全星颂 (bā miàn wēi fēng Quán xīng sòng, English: All stars sing and make a magnificent appearance).
  • 2011: 阖家团圆一起发-178 (Hé jiā tuányuán yī qǐ fā- yī qǐ bā, English: Family prospers together in reunion - 178) - "178" being a wordplay on the phrase "一起发".
  • 2012: 阖家团圆一起发2012 (Hé jiā tuányuán yī qǐ fā- Èr líng yī'èr, English: Family prospers together in reunion - 2012).
  • 2013: 阖家团圆一起发2013 (Hé jiā tuányuán yī qǐ fā- Èr líng yīsān, English: Family prospers together in reunion - 2013).
  • 2014: 意气风发庆团圆 (Yìqìfēngfā qìng tuányuán, English: Spirited Reunion).
  • 2015: 样样都好 Very Goat (Yàng yàng dōu hǎo Very Goat, English: Everything is good Very Goat) - a pun on the words "good" and "goat". The year's mascot as mentioned in the eponymous theme song is named Wei Li Yang, the Goat (威力羊 WēilìYáng, literally the power goat), coincidentally has a similar pronunciation as the phrase "Very Good".
  • 2016: 满吉 ，Go Lucky (Mǎn jí, Go Lucky, English: Full of Auspicious, Go Lucky) - "满吉" (Mǎn jí, literally Full of Auspicious) being similar in pronunciation with the word "Monkey". The mascot of that year's celebratory eponymous theme song is also named as such as "Manji the monkey".
  • 2017: 一起发过肥年

References

  1. ^ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20131211222544/http://www.mediaprima.com.my/investorcenter/ibq/2013/IB%20Q3%202013%20FINAL%20%2818112013.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ "HyppTV TV Guide(includes the LCN number of each channel)". 
  3. ^ "MYTV statement on Facebook (Malay)". 13 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016. 
  4. ^ "MYTV Broadcasting Digital TV Trial". 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016. 
  5. ^ "Channels - TV, Radio dan Prabayar (official list of all channels available on NJOI)". 
  6. ^ "MetroVision Tune in guide". Archived from the original on 6 December 1998. 
  7. ^ "MetroVision - intro (Sultan Abu Samad building version - 1995)". Retrieved 31 October 2016. 
  8. ^ "Meredah zaman suram". Utusan Online (in Malay). Utusan Malaysia. Retrieved 6 February 2016. 
  9. ^ http://extra.tonton.com.my/entertainment/8tv-april-2016-program/
  10. ^ Sofyan Rizal Ishak (1 April 2016). "CJ WOW SHOP mula 1 April" (in Malay). Harian Metro. Retrieved 6 April 2016. 
  11. ^ . 1 April 2016 https://www.facebook.com/TV3MALAYSIA/photos/a.392087241166.178751.262044791166/10153548509336167/?type=3&theater. Retrieved 6 April 2016.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ . 1 April 2016 https://www.facebook.com/TV9Malaysia/photos/a.132100906817085.22337.124467560913753/1302978949729269/?type=3&theater. Retrieved 6 April 2016.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ^ . 1 April 2016 https://www.facebook.com/ntv7localdrama/photos/a.299680246757151.72583.293290990729410/1085761854815649/?type=3&theater. Retrieved 6 April 2016.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ 8TV Chinese New Year 2012
  15. ^ "one FM、ntv7 以及八度空间 《样样都好VERY GOAT！》庆羊年 1219热腾腾上架". 
  16. ^ "178《满吉Go Lucky》1211全马上架". 

External links

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