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Okto

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Okto
CountrySingapore
Broadcast area
Network
HeadquartersMediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507
Programming
Language(s)
  • English
  • Chinese
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
History
Launched19 October 2008; 15 years ago (2008-10-19) (as a standalone channel)
1 May 2019; 5 years ago (2019-05-01) (as a children's block on Channel 5)
6 February 2021; 3 years ago (2021-02-06) (as a children's block on Channel 8)
Closed30 April 2019; 5 years ago (2019-04-30)
(as a standalone channel)
Replaced by

Okto is a Singaporean children's programming block broadcast by Mediacorp's Channel 5 in English and Channel 8 in Mandarin Chinese.

The brand originally operated as a standalone free-to-air channel from 19 October 2008 to 1 May 2019, having been spun off from the Arts Central and Kids Central strands aired by Central (whose Tamil language programming had been concurrently spun off as the new channel Vasantham). The channel also occasionally aired sports programming, which from 2014 to its closure occupied the network's prime time schedule.

On 1 May 2019, the channel was discontinued, and Okto transitioned to becoming a children's block on Channel 5, and a content brand on MeWatch. The brand was later extended to Channel 8 in Chinese.

History

[edit]

In March 2008, MediaCorp announced that it would split its channel Central into two separate channels; a channel serving the Indian community, and a channel focused on arts and children's programming.[1] On 19 October 2008, the channel officially launched as Okto, alongside the new Tamil channel Vasantham.[2][3] The name Okto was derived from the Greek numeral for "eight", as the channel was on StarHub TV channel 8 (the former EPG slot of the defunct Channel i) and Singtel Mio TV channel 108.[4]

Okto was split into two strands; children's programming occupied most of the schedule (later branded as Okto Jr.),[5][6] while programming from evening to closedown focused on arts and cultural programming. In June 2014, coinciding with its rights to selected matches of the FIFA World Cup, the Sports on Okto brand was introduced.[7]

In 2017, arts programming was dispersed from Okto to other Mediacorp channels, in favour of expanding the nightly OktoSports block.[5][6]

On 1 May 2019, Okto was discontinued as a television channel, with its children's programming becoming a daytime block on Channel 5 under the Okto on 5 branding,[8][9] and a content brand on Mediacorp's streaming platform Toggle (now MeWatch); previously, Channel 5's daytime programming largely consisted of a simulcast of Mediacorp's news channel CNA. Okto's sports programming was also moved to Toggle and Channel 5.[10] Okto's channel license was subsequently surrendered to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).[11] This would be the second Mediacorp's free-to-air television channels to shutdown outright after City TV which was closed on 11 January 2002.

On 6 February 2021, the Okto brand was extended to Channel 8's children's programming block 乐乐窝 (Lè Lè Wō), which was rebranded as Okto尽在8' (Okto on 8)

Programming

[edit]

Since its standalone channel era, Okto mostly aired English language-produced series with selected shows being broadcast in their original language. The channel aired mostly children's programmes, as well as some arts and sports programmes. The channel's target audiences were children aged 4–13, and adults aged 18–39.[6]

From June 2014 to 30 April 2019, Sports on Okto (later renamed as OktoSports) was introduced which showed sporting events live as well as recorded and delayed coverage. It occupied the nightly schedule from 9pm to closedown every night from 2017 to 2019.[5]

In September 2024, expanding upon existing agreements with the company, Mediacorp made its largest-ever acquisition of children's programmes from BBC Studios, covering 150 hours of programming (including series such as Go Jetters, Hey Duggee and JoJo & Gran Gran) to be carried by Okto and MeWatch.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Wong, Alicia (1 March 2008). "Dedicated Indian and kids TV channels". Today (retrieved from NLB). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Two more to savour". Today (retrieved from NLB). 21 October 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  3. ^ Wong, Alicia (1 March 2008). "Dedicated Indian and kids TV channels". Today (retrieved from NLB). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  4. ^ "MediaCorp Introduces the TV channel, okto" (PDF). Okto. 25 August 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Okto's new lineup includes children". Television Asia Plus. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Mediacorp refreshes okto with new kids and premium sports content". Mediacorp.sg. 22 April 2017. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  7. ^ "MediaCorp serves up World Cup 2014 on Sports on okto". TODAY. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  8. ^ Matthias Ang (20 February 2019). "okto closing down, merging with Channel 5". Mothership. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  9. ^ Toh Ting Wei (20 February 2019). "Mediacorp to integrate okto channel with Channel 5 from May". The Straits Times. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Mediacorp integrates English-language channels Channel 5 and okto". Channel NewsAsia. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Mediacorp integrates English-language channels Channel 5 and okto". Channel NewsAsia. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Hey Duggee heads up BBC Studios kids' content deal with Singapore's Mediacorp". C21media. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
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