This week's latest media news (episode 3)

Welcome to "This week's latest media news". Last week there were no interesting news about the media so I don't make one. This week I will focus on Malaysian TV logos because recently I saw some TV channels make some changes in their logo and presentation. Only TV2 and TV9 slightly change their logo design, not changing to a new or different logo.

First up, TV1. TV1 changes its presentation line-up, made a new ident and adds a new slogan called "Mewarnaimu" (Colours you). TV1 lacks a slogan since its logo change in January 2011. This happened by the start of February.

Second, TV2. By the start of this week on Monday, TV2 made a minor change in its logo design. The box behind the number 2 on its logo has been removed. The revised logo is currently used only for its top-right logo generator appearing during programmes and its promos. TV2 still uses the previous logo design for its ident and break bumper. TV2's current logo, which has been used since January 2009, had a minor logo design change in January 2011. TV2's logo is similar to TV1's previous logo.

And last but not least, TV9. TV9 has changed its logo design from the usual 3D computer drawn logo (used since April 22, 2011) to a 3D cake logo. The first time I saw this was a programme block ident for Chamsarang on February 19 (complete with a female advertisement voice talent who introduces the programme block which I got confuse because I mistaken it as a sponsored programme block).

The next day, the old logo design which appear during programmes in the top-right has been changed to the 3D cake one. Even the programme name and the colour on the left side which appears on the top-left has been changed to just green for all programmes, instead of purple for general programming, yellow for children's (but I've seen it appearing again today) and green for Islamic programming.

TV9 also stopped using themed idents that appear on certain times of the day and the second ident and "now, next" information that appear before the end of each commercial break. Instead, programme block idents (which have TV9's new logo design at the end) and break bumpers will appear on certain programme blocks such as Mutiara Hati and Raudhah. No changes for Bananana, which is a children's programme block with the block also used by TV3, NTV7 and 8TV. Even TV9's slogan is gone. TV9's previous slogan is "Dekat di hati" (Close to the heart) and later just "di hatiku" (at my heart).

Of all the TV logo changes that I have seen, TV9 has the most apparent logo design change.

New episodes of Ninja Hattori-kun to air in Japan

The new episodes of Ninja Hattori-kun which has been aired on Nick India in May last year will air in Japan on pay-TV channel Animax on May 13. 26 episodes have been made. The new episodes are produced in collaboration with TV Asahi, Shin-ei Animation and an Indian animation company. Ninja Hattori-kun which has been aired in India on Nick India since 2006 has attracted a large viewership.

Sources: narinari.com and cinematoday.jp

Radio Bario - a community radio station in Sarawak

Radio Bario is a community radio station in Bario, Sarawak. It is a community radio station because it is owned by the Bario community and the UK-based RadioActive Ltd. RadioActive is responsible for bringing radio technology to rural areas around the world. It was launched in 2011 on the 94.0 MHz frequency. It broadcasts between 6 am and 10 am in the morning. The station was featured in the New Straits Times on 16 November 2012. The station's manager is Stanley Issac. The purpose of the station is to gather current news from the internet and translate them into Kelabit, a local language spoken in Bario, as newspapers are difficult to carry to the highlands due to its distance. It also plays songs in Kelabit, Malay, English and Indian. The radio station is part of the successful eBario project by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

Malaysia and Indonesia agrees to make a TV programme for bilateral cooperation

Malaysia and Indonesia have made an oral agreement to make a TV programme to increase bilateral relations between the two countries today, as reported by Bernama.

Minister of Information, Communication and Culture Rais Yatim and the Indonesian Information Minister Ir. Tifatul Sembiring made an agreement to revive two programmes which have been previously aired many years ago which is Titian Budaya and Titian Muhibbah. Both programmes will start production by next month. They have also agreed to make a programme concentrating on the culture, language and education of both countries which will air once a month.

(Source: Utusan Online)

(Minor revision on February 10)

New radio station "UFM 101.3" started broadcasting in Klang Valley

A new radio station called UFM 101.3 has started broadcasting recently. I think this station is related to the 1 Malaysia For Youth (1M4U) campaign initiated by the Prime Minister Najib Razak. It is part of his efforts to reach the youth in his speech during the launch of 1M4U in July last year. It is broadcasting on the 101.3 MHz frequency in the Klang Valley area with the slogan "Memang Beda" (Really different). The station has a Facebook page called "UFM Malaysia". The station's name is not related to the other two stations that are also called as UFM; the former which is the university radio station Universiti Teknologi Mara and broadcasting on the 93.6 MHz frequency in Shah Alam, and the latter, which I found through Facebook, which is also a university radio station of Universiti Teknlologi Mara's campus in Dungun, Terengganu on the 95.5 MHz frequency.

New dramas from Korea and Japan, including a local "drama reality" series

Two new dramas, including one "drama-reality" series have started airing on Malaysian TV. All of them started airing on January 28.  

A new Korean drama has started airing on TV9 under the recently debuted Chamsarang programme block. It is called I Miss You and is airing every Monday and Tuesday at 9:30 pm. The drama has been aired recently in South Korea and airs on MBC TV channel. This is the first time TV9 has aired a Korean drama.

A new Japanese drama has debuted on TV Alhijrah which is called Teppan. The drama is a production of NHK. It airs daily at 5:00 pm. TV Alhijrah has previously aired Japanese dramas such as Suzuran and Princess Atsu; both are also productions of NHK.

TV9 has debuted a "drama-reality" series called Dream Sisters, which features four young girls who wanted to achieve their dreams based on their inspirations from their parents. In fact, all of them are real people. Anis Nabilah wants to be a chef while her other sisters Aimi, Amira and Aisya have other dreams that they want to do. It airs every Monday at 10:30 pm on the 9X programme block.

This week's latest media news (episode 2)

This is a compilation of the latest media news that happened compiled by myself.

On February 1, I spotted KBS World adding a "MULTI CAPTION" logo located on the left-side of KBS World's logo (KBS World's logo is on the right side of the screen). It happened during an episode of "Cheer Up, Mr. Kim!". I believe that "MULTI CAPTION" refers to the subtitles option for languages other than English are available, such as Chinese and Malay.

On January 28, ESPN rebrands as FOX Sports after ESPN Star Sports was taken over by News Corporation last year. On Astro, ESPN becomes FOX Sports, while ESPN HD becomes FOX Sports Plus HD and ESPN NEWS beocmes FOX Sports News. The Star Sports channel is not affected over the change. (Source: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)