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8TV (Malaysia)
Encyclopedia
8TV is a private Malaysian Chinese television station
, previously known as MetroVision Channel 8. Metrovision closed on 1 November 1999. 8TV was officially launched on Thursday, 8 January 2004 as 8TV
after being acquired by Media Prima Berhad
.
8TV is a sister channel of TV3
, ntv7
and TV9
. It currently shares facilities with TV3 at its headquarters at Sri Pentas
, Bandar Utama
.
8TV currently broadcasts under UHF
(Ultra High Frequency). In the Klang Valley
the UHF
channel is 25. 8TV is also available over Astro
on Channel 708. Its daily broadcasting hours are from 07:00 am until 02:00 am the next day.
. This broadcast area was only limited to Klang Valley
area only.
The channel targets Malaysian English
-speaking viewers; American English
, Indonesian
, Malaysian
and Hong Kong Cantonese
programmes are also shown in this channel.
Metrovision was launched started television broadcasting first airdate on Saturday, 1 July 1995 at 18:30 local time tonight officially launched by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia
by Mahathir bin Mohammad. It was originally planned for a nationwide expansion but due to the then-recent Asian Financial Crisis the plan was put off. It has faced many challenges to its business foundation, most notably the rise of Astro
on 1 June 1996 and the start of NTV7
on Tuesday, 7 April 1998. Metrovision was ceased transmission at Monday, 1 November 1999 at 00:00 local time midnight.
.
It has a popular slogan, "We're different," and has partially attempted to show this by offering a large variety of popular series and movies that focuses on youth, urban and Chinese as the targeted audiences.
and Malay daily Berita Harian
form the largest media
group in Malaysia, collectively known as Media Prima. It is currently headed by Ahmad Izham Omar
. Its Director of Network Operations is Paul Moss
, a recording executive who is also a judge on One in a Million
and the now-cancelled Malaysian Idol
.
, a toddler named "Pow Pow
" who graces some of 8TV's promo
ads as well as the main page of its official website. He was originally called simply the "8TV baby" until a name search contest was held to look for a suitable proper name
, and eventually the name "Pow Pow" was selected. Pow Pow is always seen wearing a crimson collared shirt with the 8TV logo on its front, decorated by an orange cape with the 8TV logo again on it, as well as a diaper. Sometimes he is seen sporting an electric guitar
. He bears an uncanny resemblance of the character Jack-Jack from Disney/Pixar's the Incredibles
.
Pow Pow was potentially not the first mascot used by 8TV. During 8TV's early months, it featured a nerd
named "Gary the IT Guy" and his fellow fictional 8TV workforce for its promotional activities, who functioned similarly in the form of a mascot for the then-new station.
public service announcements (PSA) have sparked outrage among the online community for its allegedly racist content. All three ads, which run for 30 seconds each, show the same Chinese girl acting “inappropriately”, with three different scenarios, at a Ramadan bazaar. All of it were widely circulated in social networking sites by users who said the announcements left a bad taste in the mouth which left the station with no choice but to remove it after a few hours.
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
, previously known as MetroVision Channel 8. Metrovision closed on 1 November 1999. 8TV was officially launched on Thursday, 8 January 2004 as 8TV
8TV (Malaysia)
8TV is a private Malaysian Chinese television station, previously known as MetroVision Channel 8. Metrovision closed on 1 November 1999. 8TV was officially launched on Thursday, 8 January 2004 as 8TV after being acquired by Media Prima Berhad....
after being acquired by Media Prima Berhad
Media Prima Berhad
Media Prima Berhad , DBA Media Prima, is Malaysia’s leading integrated media investment group. It currently owns 100 per cent equity interest in TV3, 8TV, NTV7 and TV9...
.
8TV is a sister channel of TV3
TV3 (Malaysia)
Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad or TV3 began broadcasting on 1 June 1984 as Malaysia’s first commercial television station. It is part of Media Prima Berhad group of companies. It now transmits opened broadcasting business private 24-hours a day, 7 days a week since 1 January 2010...
, ntv7
Ntv7
Natseven TV Sdn Bhd or better known as ntv7 is a terrestrial television channel in Malaysia. It was launched nationwide on 7 April 1998 and was the country's third private free-to-air TV station after TV3 and Astro. Its mission is to promote a happier and more enlightened Malaysia...
and TV9
TV9 (Malaysia)
TV9 is a free-to-air private television station in Malaysia. TV9 began broadcasting on 22 April 2006, as a subsidiary of Media Prima Berhad. It formerly existed as Channel 9, which began airing on 9 September 2003 and ceased transmission on 1 February 2005 due to financial difficulties faced by the...
. It currently shares facilities with TV3 at its headquarters at Sri Pentas
Bandar Utama
Bandar Utama is a township located within the Damansara subdivision of the Petaling district in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is primarily a residential suburb, but is also home to the 1 Utama Shopping Centre.-Demographics:...
, Bandar Utama
Bandar Utama
Bandar Utama is a township located within the Damansara subdivision of the Petaling district in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is primarily a residential suburb, but is also home to the 1 Utama Shopping Centre.-Demographics:...
.
8TV currently broadcasts under UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
(Ultra High Frequency). In the Klang Valley
Klang Valley
Klang Valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. An alternative reference to this would be Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area or Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is geographically delineated by Titiwangsa Mountains to the...
the UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
channel is 25. 8TV is also available over Astro
Astro (Malaysian satellite television)
Astro is the brand name of the Malaysian direct broadcast satellite pay television service. It transmits digital satellite television and radio to households in Malaysia & Brunei...
on Channel 708. Its daily broadcasting hours are from 07:00 am until 02:00 am the next day.
MetroVision Channel 8
8TV was formerly known as MetroVision Channel 8 or TV4. It was managed by City Television Sdn Bhd and broadcasts from Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. This broadcast area was only limited to Klang Valley
Klang Valley
Klang Valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. An alternative reference to this would be Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area or Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is geographically delineated by Titiwangsa Mountains to the...
area only.
The channel targets Malaysian English
Malaysian English
Malaysian English , formally known as Malaysian Standard English , is a form of English used and spoken in Malaysia as a second language...
-speaking viewers; American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
, Malaysian
Malaysian language
Malaysian or Standard Malay is the official language of Malaysia and a standardized form of the Malay language of the Austronesian family. It is over 80% cognate with Indonesian and is spoken natively by over 10 million people...
and Hong Kong Cantonese
Hong Kong Cantonese
Hong Kong Cantonese is a form of Yue Chinese commonly spoken in Hong Kong. Although Hongkongers largely identify this variant of Chinese with the term "Cantonese" , a variety of publications in mainland China describe the variant as Hong Kong speech...
programmes are also shown in this channel.
Metrovision was launched started television broadcasting first airdate on Saturday, 1 July 1995 at 18:30 local time tonight officially launched by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
by Mahathir bin Mohammad. It was originally planned for a nationwide expansion but due to the then-recent Asian Financial Crisis the plan was put off. It has faced many challenges to its business foundation, most notably the rise of Astro
Astro (Malaysian satellite television)
Astro is the brand name of the Malaysian direct broadcast satellite pay television service. It transmits digital satellite television and radio to households in Malaysia & Brunei...
on 1 June 1996 and the start of NTV7
Ntv7
Natseven TV Sdn Bhd or better known as ntv7 is a terrestrial television channel in Malaysia. It was launched nationwide on 7 April 1998 and was the country's third private free-to-air TV station after TV3 and Astro. Its mission is to promote a happier and more enlightened Malaysia...
on Tuesday, 7 April 1998. Metrovision was ceased transmission at Monday, 1 November 1999 at 00:00 local time midnight.
8TV
Prior to closure, the first hour of Berita Perdana (now known as Berita Nasional), RTM TV1's prime time news programme at 20:00 local time tonight was broadcast for several months before the channel ceased transmission. It was originally planned for relaunch on Tuesday, 1 February 2000 after its digitalisation but it was not until Thursday, 8 January 2004. Media Prima Berhad bought City Television Sdn Bhd where they restructured it and relaunched as 8TV8TV (Malaysia)
8TV is a private Malaysian Chinese television station, previously known as MetroVision Channel 8. Metrovision closed on 1 November 1999. 8TV was officially launched on Thursday, 8 January 2004 as 8TV after being acquired by Media Prima Berhad....
.
Features
8TV targets the younger block of viewers with a "one station, two channels" concept whereby the first session of the broadcasts are the Chinese channel, while the second session of the broadcasts is mostly English-language programmes. A third part of the broadcast features interactive SMS games, with some music videos in English, Malay and Chinese.It has a popular slogan, "We're different," and has partially attempted to show this by offering a large variety of popular series and movies that focuses on youth, urban and Chinese as the targeted audiences.
Parent company
8TV, together with three other channels, TV3, ntv7 and TV9, local English daily the New Straits TimesNew Straits Times
The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
and Malay daily Berita Harian
Berita Harian
Berita Harian is a major Malay language newspaper in Malaysia. Its Sunday Edition is called Berita Minggu. It was founded on 31 August 1957, which also marks the date of Malaya's independence...
form the largest media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
group in Malaysia, collectively known as Media Prima. It is currently headed by Ahmad Izham Omar
Ahmad Izham Omar
Ahmad Izham Omar is the chief executive officer of 8TV founder of Monkey Bone Records and head of Media Prima Radio Networks, which consist of Fly FM, Hot FM and One FM....
. Its Director of Network Operations is Paul Moss
Paul Moss
Paul Raymond Moss is the general manager of Media Prima network's media portal and a judge in 8TV's One in a Million singing contest.Moss was the AS A&R director of record company Positive Tone from its inception in 1994 until last year...
, a recording executive who is also a judge on One in a Million
One in a Million (TV series)
One in a Million is a Malaysian reality-competition show. It is the first reality singing competition to offer a RM 1 million prize to the winner...
and the now-cancelled Malaysian Idol
Malaysian Idol
Malaysian Idol is the Malaysian version of the Idol Series that started in UK, similar to shows such as UK's Pop Idol and American Idol in the franchise. This show is a contest to determine the best young singer in Malaysia, with the winner receiving a major record deal, although some runners-up...
.
Events
- 8TV MallShopping mallA shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
Tour (2006) - in selected major shopping malls in Malaysia. - 8TV Youth Tour (2007) - in selected higher learning institutions in Malaysia.
Mascot
In early 2006, 8TV introduced its mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, a toddler named "Pow Pow
Pow Pow
Pow Pow, also known as Lyrical War Report, is a documentary film released in 2005 and based on the release of "Pow " by Lethal B."Grimes first ever documentary investigates the highs and lows of the number 11 chart smash hit."...
" who graces some of 8TV's promo
Promo
Promo may refer to:*Promotion , one of the four aspects of marketing*Promotional music videos, such as those played on MTV*Promotional recording, a recording distributed free in order to promote a commercial recording...
ads as well as the main page of its official website. He was originally called simply the "8TV baby" until a name search contest was held to look for a suitable proper name
Proper name
"A proper name [is] a word that answers the purpose of showing what thing it is that we are talking about" writes John Stuart Mill in A System of Logic , "but not of telling anything about it"...
, and eventually the name "Pow Pow" was selected. Pow Pow is always seen wearing a crimson collared shirt with the 8TV logo on its front, decorated by an orange cape with the 8TV logo again on it, as well as a diaper. Sometimes he is seen sporting an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. He bears an uncanny resemblance of the character Jack-Jack from Disney/Pixar's the Incredibles
The Incredibles
The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced by Pixar and distributed by...
.
Pow Pow was potentially not the first mascot used by 8TV. During 8TV's early months, it featured a nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
named "Gary the IT Guy" and his fellow fictional 8TV workforce for its promotional activities, who functioned similarly in the form of a mascot for the then-new station.
Programmes
Notable programmes by 8TV include:- Ho Chak! (好吃) (Hokkien for 'very delicious', a local programme that promotes mostly various local foods that can be found in Malaysia)
- 8TV Mandarin News (八度空间华语新闻) (8TV is currently the only private free-to-air channel that broadcasts news solely in Mandarin, including during primetime hours)
- 8 E-News (八八六十事) (a programme on latest updates and gossips in the entertainment industry, particularly the Chinese entertainment scene)
- Go Travel (a programme on travel destinations around the world in Mandarin)
- Project SuperstarProject Superstar (Malaysia)Project SuperStar is the Malaysian version of Singapore's successful reality format of the same title. To date, three seasons have been completed on 8TV.-Format:...
(绝对Superstar) (a Chinese reality singing talent search competition, which is franchised from the original version in Singapore) - I Wanna Be A Model (我要做 Model) (a Chinese reality model search competition, supposedly modelled after Tyra BanksTyra BanksTyra Lynne Banks is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough...
' America's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
) - Summer Live Concert (夏日8°演唱会) (an annual live concert involving artistes from the Chinese entertainment industry, notably from Malaysia, SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, TaiwanRepublic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, since 2003)- Goodnight DJ (A short local supernatural drama series) Goodnight DJ season 2 is currently airing on Sundays 8.30pm to 9.30pm.
Controversies
The station's 2011 RamadanRamadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
public service announcements (PSA) have sparked outrage among the online community for its allegedly racist content. All three ads, which run for 30 seconds each, show the same Chinese girl acting “inappropriately”, with three different scenarios, at a Ramadan bazaar. All of it were widely circulated in social networking sites by users who said the announcements left a bad taste in the mouth which left the station with no choice but to remove it after a few hours.