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A world’s first in online television services with real-time interactivity between the web studio and amongst audience

Singapore, 8 August 2008 – The Straits Times RazorTV, a novel interactive Web TV service of the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), has commenced its first programming. Dr Tony Tan, Chairman of the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), launched the online television service’s first programming today.

RazorTV is a free access, interactive webcast service that offers “live” streaming of studio content and on-demand videos over a real time interactive platform. Coupled with real-time interactivity between the web studio and the audience, and among members of the audience, this service is a unique convergence of web TV and social networking that aims to fully exploit Web 2.0 technologies.

Felix Soh, Digital Media Editor at SPH’s English and Malay Newspaper Division said, “The RazorTV team has been eagerly awaiting the launch of our first programming since the opening of our Multimedia Centre in February 2008. Our programmes are created in a talkshow-like format and are backed by interactive technologies that will allow users to engage and interact with the programme hosts, studio guests and other user audiences. With the emphasis on creating this new user-centric paradigm, there can be no better way to leverage on real time social interactivity to capture new eyeballs and better engage the audience.”

Objectives of RazorTV

• Targeting those between 18 and 40 years old, the web news and current affairs channel will be young, hip and informal.
• Positioned as a hyper-local station with the vision to engage all Singaporeans, it will bring raw, edgy and sharp news and lifestyle features to the netizen's plate.
• It will also feature largely uncut interviews to bring out the full flavour of events. With real-time interactivity, cyber citizens can casually chat with presenters, interviewees and other netizens.

Technology employed for RazorTV

• Adopting the Web 2.0 paradigm of Architecture Of Participation, viewers become co-hosts of shows as they rate, comment and vote in polls all in real time as the LIVE show is webcast.
• Rich interactivity is achieved through generous use of Web 2.0 technologies like AJAX and Flash.
• An advanced Web Content Management system is used to catalog all shows and provide them as VODs so that viewers can enjoy the shows later.
• Combining advanced bandwidth detection at the client end with state of the art intelligent Internet routing, viewers can expect quality videos on their computers.
• At a later stage, viewers can also generate clips, personalise and share them with their friends - a unique convergence of web TV and social networking.
• Next generation Web 2.0 technologies with high-level user tools such as Rich Internet Applications techniques will be developed for greater interactivity and connectivity with other platforms. This is to allow netizens to create content, create, share and personalise content with the RazorTV community.
• As a suite of Application Programming Interfaces (API) will be developed, third-party developers can also create innovative applications to enhance the channel's Web 2.0 experience.

Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Co. Regn. No. 198402868E

For more information, please contact the following:

Eugene Leow
Editor
The Straits Times RazorTV
Tel: 6319 5072
H/P: 9877 9801
Email: elow@sph.com.sg

Yeo Siew Chi
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications Division
Tel: 6319 1586
H/P: 9749 5105
Email: yeosc@sph.com.sg

About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Newspapers and Magazines 
Main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is the leading media company in Singapore, delivering news and information through print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. In Singapore, it publishes 14 newspapers in four languages. Every day, 2.9 million individuals or 81 percent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH's news publications. SPH also publishes and produces more than 100 magazine titles in Singapore and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to information technology.

Internet and Mobile 
SPH's presence on the Internet includes the online editions of its key newspapers, which together enjoy over 150 million pageviews with 9 million unique visitors every month, and are used by major brands to reach out to a predominantly professional, manager, executive and businessman (PMEB) audience. In addition, SPH's expansion of its online and new media initiatives include a revolutionary mobile advertising and information service, ZapCode; recruitment and job search service, ST701; local search and directory engine rednano.sg; and STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects, engages and interacts with readers on the Web and via mobile phone messaging.

Broadcasting 
SPH has a 20 percent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40 percent stake in MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd, which publishes the free newspaper, Today. In the radio business, SPH has a 80 percent stake in SPH UnionWorks Pte Ltd, which operates entertainment stations Radio 100.3 FM in Mandarin and Radio 91.3 FM in English.

Outdoor Advertising 
In addition, SPH has ventured into outdoor advertising through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SPH MediaBoxOffice Pte Ltd, Singapore’s largest outdoor motion display advertising network media company, and a 35 percent stake in TOM Outdoor Media Group, a leading outdoor advertising company in China.

Properties 
SPH owns and manages Paragon, the prime retail and office complex in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore's main shopping belt. SPH's wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, is also developing a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson Road.

Visit www.sph.com.sg for more information.

About The Straits Times RazorTV

Launched on 8 August 2008, The Straits Times RazorTV, Singapore Press Holdings’ (SPH) interactive and free Webcast service, offers news, sports, entertainment and lifestyle features on both live chat shows and video on demand clips for netizens who want to control what they want to watch and when.

High on local content and interactivity, the cyber channel will be young, hip and will use a more informal style that is in tune with the internet. Targeting those aged 18 to 40, users can contribute content and interact with hosts and presenters in real-time.

Programmes are webcast from a studio in SPH's Multimedia Centre. The Straits Times RazorTV underscores SPH's commitment to be a major industry player to offer new media services to both consumers and advertisers.

Visit www.razor.tv for more information.

Source: http://www.sph.com.sg/media_releases/642

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