Majalah 3 talks about batik in Okinawa

Tonight Majalah 3 talks about Japan again, this time more specifically to Okinawa and related to my country. I can recall the last time Majalah 3 went to Okinawa was in early 2012 to talk about some martial arts that are unique to there. Majalah 3 also later in  2012 talked about Japan twice, one about the earthquake and tsunami victims in east Japan and the development of Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Earlier in 2013 Majalah 3 also talked about koi fish and its relation to Japan and also talked about Hokkaido and Japan's readiness to attract Muslim tourists and halal food in Japan.

Tonight's episode that I watched via Tonton live TV streaming was about batik in Malaysia and Japan. The batik in Japan that they refer is the bingata which is made in Okinawa and the texture is look like batik. I'm not really a fan or interested in the world of textures but I watched the episode with interest in Japan. Bingata is only worn by the Ryukuan royalty and only made by the families authorised by the Ryukuan royalty. So I believe that bingata making is a family business. Nowadays bingata is made by the Shiroma family and one of the family members of the Shiroma family is responsible for the bingata. He is Eiichi Shiroma. He had studied batik in Jogjakarta and was also able to speak some Malay when he met with a batik expert professor from Universiti Teknologi Mara and his mentor. Eiichi Shiroma inherited his ancestors' bingata tradition. His family is now in its 14th generation.

The batik expert professor from Universiti Teknologi Mara showed a Hokokai batik which was used by his mother. It uses the Japanese technique. The batik has different designs in each part of the batik in one fabric. He said one who wears this may think that she had two batik fabrics.

I also found out that the Malaysian batik downfall happened between late 1970s and early 1980s because batik was made using dull colour. Batik making revived during the Look East Policy in 1982.

The Majalah 3 team also went to a prison where some prisoners are thought to make batik. The batik expert professor from Universiti Teknologi Mara visit the prisoners who make batik. He wants the prisoners to pass the knowledge of making batik with honesty.

The batik expert professor from Universiti Teknologi Mara's former student is also interested in batik. He had once tried to introduce batik to Japan by using kimono. He is also interested in making batik using natural colouring using his experience.

A discovery of an ancient kris found in Okinawa in 2003 (I think this is the first time I know this) also made  a question mark on whether the Malay sultanate had made trade relations with the Ryukuan Empire. The kris was shown to the batik expert and his student by an Okinawan researcher named Prof Dr Kurayoshi Takara. The researcher, the batik expert and his student believes that this is one evidence that proves that trade relations between Malacca and Ryuku exists. The kris artefact is stored in the Okinawa Archaeological Centre. The centre's officer Yamamoto Masaaki is responsible for keeping the kris artefact.

The batik expert and his student also visited Shuri High School which is the oldest school in Okinawa. Bingata is one of its learning subject in the school so they visited there. The students, mostly girls, learn how to make bingata during their three years in the school. The batik expert also talked to the students in Malay about Malaysian batik making.

In the end, Eiichi and the batik expert collaboratively made bingata and batik motifs in a fabric. The end product is later exhibited at an art gallery at UiTM Shah Alam.

And that was the end of tonight's episode which is also Majalah 3's last episode for 2013. It is also a mere coincidence that the first and the last episode of Majalah 3 for 2013 is also about Japan. Tomorrow I'm going to watch Syahadah Tokyo special programme on TV9 in the morning.

Yet other programmes also talk about Japan at almost the end of 2013

Just two things I want to talk to supplement the earlier:

TV1 had aired a foreign documentary related to Japan which is Japan Tsunami - How it Happens on 17.12.2013 at 10:05 pm.

TV3's Majalah 3 goes to Japan again, this time talking about batik in Malaysia and Japan. It will air today at 9:00 pm. Here's the promo that I captured:

Media news daily: DTTB (digital TV) to be tested first in East Coast Peninsular

According to Bernama via New Straits Times, the Communication and Multimedia Minister had said in Kemaman on 24.12.2013 that the digital TV infrastructure development projects will start in mid-2014. He said it would be tested first in the east coast (Peninsular Malaysia) states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. The minister said the reason why is to provide an opportunity for places with less (population) density to experience digital broadcasts before expanding to places with high density. The digital TV infrastructure development would incur a cost of about RM 1 billion and expected to be completed by 2017 before the government decides to end analogue TV broadcasts services by 2020.

Media news daily: 50 years of TV Malaysia

Yesterday was TV Malaysia's 50th anniversary. There were some programmes and news talking about TV Malaysia. One is Selamat Pagi 1Malaysia, Berita Nasional and the special programme Konsert Jubli Emas TV Malaysia. Today I searched the internet to find and gather any news related to TV Malaysia into this post.

New Straits Times meets some of the people who have been working with TV Malaysia and their experience working with and their unforgettable moments.

On Bernama through its feature, Mohammad Leftee Ahmad recalls his experiences with TV Malaysia ever since its launch in two series. The news agency also reveals how TV Malaysia do its reports in tough times and also sports events by speaking to one of the people who worked at TV Malaysia (RTM TV)'s programme division.

Bernama also report that the Communications and Multimedia Minister said that the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia will review the rate of payment of producers of programmes aired by RTM, in line with the increased costs that had to be borne by the programme producers in making a programme.

TV1's Berita Nasional at 1:00 pm made three reports about TV Malaysia, which were uploaded to RTM's YouTube channel. One is a special report on 50 years of TV Malaysia, the other is a segment containing facts about the history TV Malaysia and the other was Berita Nasional meeting some of the guests who are all formerly worked with TV Malaysia and have appeared on the earlier morning's Selamat Pagi 1Malaysia talking about RTM's switch to digital.

Local newspaper Kosmo had a special feature on 50 years of TV Malaysia with some related articles, according to yesterday's Selamat Pagi 1Malaysia on TV1.

Yesterday's Selamat Pagi 1Malaysia wholly concentrated on 50 years of TV Malaysia by meeting some of TV Malaysia's personalities.

Disney Frozen in Malay dub version in cinemas last November

Just three months after two movies dubbed in Malay released to Malaysian cinemas, this movie also had a Malay dub which is shown to Malaysian moviegoers. It is called Disney Frozen. The movie also had another subtitle beside its main title in Malay which is "Anna dan Permaisuri Salji" (Anna and the Princess of Snow). The picure below is a snapshot of the movie's ad as seen on TV which shows the main voice actors of the movie's Malay dub.

  

Revised on 3.1.2014

Some TV programmes talking about Japan at almost the end of 2013

This month I found some programmes are talking about Japan; all of them are from Media Prima. One is TV3's Nona which on its episode on 22.12.2013 is about geisha and also some sightings to various places around Japan as I saw in a promo.

The other one is a special programme from Raudhah programme block that will be airing on New Year's Eve on TV9 which is Syahadah Tokyo. The tentative title according to my checkings at Tonton TV schedule was Nur di Nippon. It will air on 31.12.2013 at 9:00 am with a repeat the next day at 12:30 pm (I originally expect that Syahadah Tokyo will air at 12:30 pm on New Year's Day). The programme will meet some Japanese Muslims and to share their experience of becoming a Muslim. All the Japanese Muslims that the programme's team met speak English (based on what I saw in the promo below) so I expect that the programme will have Malay subtitles when they speak when the programme airs on TV9 although it will air in Malay as the original language with English subtitles, like how TV9 did with Ronggeng Rendang last Aidilfitri.

Here's the promo for Syahadah Tokyo:

There is also another TV programme that I checked on Tonton TV schedule which is called Ohayo. It will air on 8TV as the first programme of the day on 1.1.2014 at 7:00 am. I think this is a special programme but I'm not sure whether this programme will be Japan-related.

Malaysian TV: 50 tahun TV Malaysia videos

Here are just some videos from YouTube related to 50 years of TV Malaysia which falls on this Saturday. More posts to come...

Generic promo for 50 years of TV Malaysia by RTM with vintage TV equipments at Muzium Penyiaran Angkasapuri and the current TV equipments and studios at Wisma TV Angkasapuri



Promo for Konsert Jubli Emas TV Malaysia featuring Taufik Latiff, Dato' Andre Goh and Rohana Jalil

TV on-air presentation update

Today, me and my brother Hafiz checked Astro's channel list section and saw that most SD channels' EPG names are now longer than it was. They have longer names and also some are in full just like how Astro's HD channels did. Only some channels retain their existing EPG names, but I believe that they will change to their new EPG names soon. Previously it was just in a few characters and I believe it was only used for Astro's decoders (set top box) before the debut of the Astro B.yond-branded decoders and also SD channels.

We also checeked the FX channel on Astro where on the bottom-left side of the screen it says that FX will have a new look in 5 days, that is on 1.1.2014. It will replace the existing blue and yellow logo look and maybe the slogan The Edge of Entertainment.

Yesterday evening, I checked that some programmes are broadcast in 14:9 letterbox. They are Mimbar Pencetus Ummah live broadcast on Astro Oasis (simulcast in HD on Astro Mustika HD) and Tangisan Bulan Madu drama on TV1.

Earlier that evening I've also watched some of 30 Minit Ustaz Don live broadcast on TV Alhijrah. At the end of the programme from Hypp TV channel mosaic I saw that TV Alhijrah HD production endcap had some changes where TV Alhijrah's logo design was changed to the current one same as the one used in its station ident and also the "Terbitan" at the top was removed.

TV on-air presentation: Some changes to TV3's Mon-Thu primetime schedule starting 6.1.2014

From Tonton TV schedule that I checked today, it seems that TV3 would reshuffle some of its primetime programmes which air on Monday to Thursday to a different broadcast day. The last time TV3 revised its primetime schedule was on late June 2013.

The primetime programmes that change its broadcast day effective 6.1.2014 as follows:

• Pearl Movie block moves back to Monday instead of Thursday (airtime shares with competing TV2's Golden Dragon Chinese movie block); airtime still the same which is 10:00 pm
• 999 and Bersamamu moves to Tuesday instead of the usual Thursday; airtime also still the same which is 9:00 and 9:30 pm
• Lestary drama block moves to Thursday instead of the usual Tuesday; airtime also still the same which is 9:00 pm

No change for other primetime programmes.

Follow up post: Media news daily: TV3 revises its schedule again for 2014

Small change to title of this post on 27.12.2013 and follow up post link addition on 2.1.2014

Media news daily: Good Morning Tai Tai (活力早晨) on NTV7 starting December 23

This news just came out from mStar.

Good Morning Tai Tai (活力早晨) will be Malaysia's first weekday Chinese morning talk show. It will start airing on 23.12.2013, every Monday to Friday at 8:00 am for one hour on NTV7. The show is produced in association with Media Prima's Chinese radio station One FM. It may replace NTV7's existing English-language The Breakfast Show which suddenly disappear during this recent year-end school holidays.

mStar quotes a media statement from NTV7, saying that the presenters for the upcoming show are Tiang Kah Chee, Jan Chin, One FM deejays, Hoon Mei Sim, Seah Song Fan and Goh Wee Ping. The show will become an information centre for viewers to share the current events and also the latest local and international news.

The show will discuss about various topics and issues and is segmented through different days of the week. Stock exchange information will also be a feature in Good Morning Tai Tai where the show will invite a stock analyst. The show believes that stock exchange information will be useful for modern housewives who who also want such kind of information. Other segments in the show will include husband and wife relationships and the Top 5 segment from One FM which lists out 5 things about the Tai Tai (housewife) lifestyle.

TV on-air presentation: The position of TV2's programme banner

TV2's programme banner now as of the time I post this, has moved back to the top-left. I saw the programme banner at the top-left once after a long time (because TV2 was promoting public holidays at top-left and then blank after some time) at below TV2's logo during Fundance last Saturday on 14 December, then later switched to below TV2's logo for a few days and then move back to top-left again.

Anyway, TV2's Twitter account (@tv2_rtm)'s Photos and videos section is full of TV2's screenshots simply taken from their livestream which is sometimes used to promote which programme is airing right now. It's a good place to find out where the programme banner is actually located a few days ago. I can use them as evidences.

List of VHF and UHF TV channels of Singaporean TV channels (Updated)

This is a follow-up of the earlier post that I have made.

Digital TV signals in DVB-T are marked bold in black and DVB-T2 are marked bold in blue while the analogue TV signals don't. These channels transmit from Bukit Batok in Singapore.

VHF (analogue only)
Ch E5: MediaCorp Channel 5
Ch E8: MediaCorp Channel 8
Ch E12: MediaCorp TV12 Suria

UHF (digital and analogue signals)
Ch E24: Media Corp TV12 Vasantham
Ch E27: multiplex carrying MediaCorp TV12 Okto, Media Corp Channel U and Channel News Asia in SD
Ch E28: MediaCorp Channel U
Ch E29: multiplex carrying MediaCorp Channel 5 (HD) and MediaCorp TV12 Suria (HD)
Ch E30: Media Corp TV12 Okto
Ch E31: multiplex carrying MediaCorp Channel 8 (HD) and MediaCorp TV12 Vasantham (HD)
Ch E32: MediaCorp Channel NewsAsia
Ch E38: multiplex in DVB-T carrying MediaCorp Channel 5 (HD), MediaCorp Channel 5, MediaCorp Channel 8 and Channel NewsAsia; previously for MediaCorp HD5 since its launch

Note: Ch E29 was previously used as MediaCorp TV's multiplex in DVB-T carrying Channel 5, Channel 8, Channel U and Channel NewsAsia until April 2013 when later moved to Ch E38, probably later upgraded to DVB-T2 on 16.12.2013; MediaCorp Channel U moved to Ch E27 in DVB-T2 on 16.12.2013 when was previously on Ch E29 in DVB-T; Ch E37 was used for TVMobile in DVB-T until 2010

Sources: http://www.ida.gov.sg/~/media/Files/PCDG/Licensees/SpectrumMgmt/SpectrumNumMgmt/WhiteSpaceTP.pdf, http://www.asiawaves.net/singapore-tv.htm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pWzd2aMCmw

With thanks to KZM for giving additional information.

Small revision on 18.12.2013, Updated on 19.12.2013

Media news daily: Singapore starts digital TV broadcasts

Today I've just received some piece of news from ABU and MediaCorp. Neighbouring country down south Singapore has just started terrestrial digital TV broadcasts using DVB-T2 since yesterday, starting with Bukit Batok. Jurong East and Ang Mo Kio will have digital TV in early 2014. Digital TV broadcasts in Singapore carries the HD versions of Channel 5, Channel 8, Suria and Vasantham and also the SD versions of other channels until being switched to HD in 2016. Digital TV coverage will expand within two to three years while the analogue signals will run parallel with the digital signals for another two years. MediaCorp will also offer value-add services on digital TV in the future such as time-shifted services, closed captions and multi-language subtitles.

Media news daily: Bloomberg and Encorp to start Bloomberg Malaysia channel in 2014 [with some retrospective]

This news just came out today from Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. Bloomberg and Encorp Group made a partnership to create a Malaysian business news channel in 2014 which is called Bloomberg Television Malaysia. Although ABU claims that this will be "Malaysia's first business news channel", it should be given to The Capital TV, which airs exclusively on Hypp TV and has similar genre with the yet-to-be launched Bloomberg Television Malaysia. The channel will be headed by Michael Chan, Malaysia's industry veteran and will be broadcast from Encorp Group's Encorp Strand, located at Kota Damansara. Its emerging anchors and reporters will use Bloomberg Television's reporting style.

This is not the first time such partnership between Bloomberg and a Malaysian company has made. In the early 2000s, Astro and Bloomberg made a partnership to provide business news for Astro's existing channels of the time without launching a separate channel dedicated exclusively to business news from Bloomberg. Astro airs Bloomberg-branded business news in Malay on Astro Ria, English on Bloomberg on Astro and Astro's news channel and in Chinese on Astro AEC. General news on Astro is provided by Bernama. Simulcasts of Bloomberg's channel has been aired for a time on on Malaysian TV stations; Metrovision in late 1990s and NTV7 in early 2000s in the morning. Bloomberg and Encorp Group's partnership means that this will be the first time a dedicated Malaysian Bloomberg channel will be launched. The existing Bloomberg Television channel airs on Astro and TM's Hypp TV. It is unknown whether the yet-to-be launched Bloomberg Television Malaysia will replace the existing Bloomberg Television channel in Malaysia.

PS: This is the first time I do a "Media news daily"-branded post. I made this branded post in a rush because I saw the news I mentioned above from a news source. As of time I write this post, I have yet to compile the weekly "Media news" starting from when I stopped blogging for a while due to SPM exams until now. I promise I'll do it. Also I may change the weekly "Media news" to a daily one like I did here after I made a compilation that I said.

Small revision on 17.12.2013

List of Malaysian newspapers carrying TV station guides (as of December 2013)

This is a list of Malaysian newspapers carrying TV station guides as far as I know. Feel free to add more information of any Malaysian newspapers carrying TV stations' guides if you have in the comment section below.

• Utusan Malaysia/Mingguan Malaysia and Kosmo - TV1, TV2, TV3, 8TV, TV9, TV Alhijrah, Astro Ria
• The Star Online - TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV, TV9, Life Inspired; The Star (on print and digital version) carries only synopses of selected TV programmes including Hypp TV channels and Life Inspired TV guide; in the Star Metro Johor edition, the Singaporean TV guide can be seen in the centrespread page 
• New Straits Times [guide shows programmes airing from 9:00 am to 12:00 am only] - TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV, TV9, TV Alhijrah, selected English channels from Astro
• The Sun [selected programmes of each channels are listed in the guide; not a full TV guide]- TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV, TV9 
• The Malay Mail [evening programmes only] - TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV, TV9, selected English channels from Astro
• Harian Metro - TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV, TV9, TV Alhijrah, Astro Ria, Astro Prima
• Sinar Harian - TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, TV9, TV Alhijrah, Astro Ria, Astro Prima
• Chinese newspapers - TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV, Chinese channels from Astro, local Chinese radio stations
• Tamil newspapers - TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, Indian channels from Astro and ABNxcess, Tamil radio stations

List of Malaysian TV channels with internet livestreams (as of December 2013)

This is a list of Malaysian TV channels with internet livestreams. I start off with Malaysian TV broadcasters who have their own livestreams.

RTM (MyStream)
All livestreams available worldwide for free.

• TV1
• TV2
• TVi
• Galaksi Muzik RTM (carries two livestreams of RTM's still existing Muzik Aktif and Muzik FM; Muzik Aktif was previously on Astro until 2011 while Muzik FM until 2012 when Muzik FM's frequencies being handed over to the revived Nasional FM)
• 1news (self-operating news channel)
• RTM Parlimen (coverage of Malaysian parliament)
• BES1 (simulcast news programmes at times; as of November 2013 has "siaran percubaan digital" text located below BES1's logo at top-left, possibly for future digital terrestrial TV broadcasts)
• RTM's radio stations (national, state, regional and international; note the different logos of the state and regional radio livestreams)

Media Prima (Tonton live TV streaming)
These livestreams allows you to pause live programming or move the white circle below up to 30 minutes from live broadcast. Available in Malaysia only while the occasional events livestream is available either Malaysia only or global depending on the nature of the event. In the future users will need to login to the service with their Tonton accounts; as of the time this post was written the service is free.

• TV3 (This and NTV7, 8TV and TV9 available in Malaysia only)
• NTV7
• 8TV 
• TV9
• Occasional events livestream (Available either Malaysia only or global depending on the nature of the event)

More to come... (Hint: 1 Malaysia IPTV)

List of TV3's new programmes on November and December 2013

I list out this when I was off from blogging due to SPM exams and now edited them out to include some new ones as of the time when I blogged this.
See first post and the later revised post.
Note: This and the other posts does not include any dramas because they have enough coverage on the media especially blogs.

GENERAL

Debuting/Returning

• Preve Fun Challenge - sponsored by Proton; Saturday 7:30 pm since 2.11.2013
• i-SME (TV3 names this programme as Isme; rather confusing) - hosted by Maya Karin and sponsored by SME Bank; Friday 6:30 pm
• Dengan Inovasi Yo Season 2 - sponsored by MOSTI and now hosted by other people; Wednesday 6:00 pm
• Projek Metro - hosted by Fara Fauzana; in association with Harian Metro and Hot FM; Sunday 10:30 to 11:30 pm since 3.11.2013
• Dapur Panas - sponsored by Maggi Cukup Rasa; related to Aidilfitri-themed Dapur Panas aired this year?; Thursday 11:30 am since 31.10.2013
• Mat Three Four - Saturday 9:00 pm since 7.12.2013
• Res Q 2013 - returning after some years of hiatus; has made an Aidilfitri edition this year; Saturday 9:30 pm since 7.12.2013
• Kintang-Kintung -  returning after a month and a half-long hiatus; now on Sunday 9:00 to 10:00 pm starting 15.12.2013

Ending

• Liga Lawak Superstar - ended on 8.12.2013

BANANANA

• Ema Emyliana - Wednesday and Thursday 6:30 pm since 13.11.2013
• Mila & Biggie - 1-minute animated shorts produced by Silver Ant (the animation company which produced Seefood animated movie which was released in March 2012); airs on TV3 and TV9 since November 2013
• Paddle Pop Dinoterra - sponsored Walls Paddle Pop; Tuesday 6:30 pm starting 19.11.2013
• Over The Top Season 2 - sponsored by MBSB - Saturday 10:00 am and Sunday 10:30 am

Small revision on December 9 and 10

I'm back

Hazimworks blog is now back after having a break for a month because I was having my SPM examinations. I did all my can during my SPM because I have revised all the subjects that came out in SPM. The period also means that I don't want to get busy with having no time to blog and have some stress. I'll get my SPM results in March next year.

Starting from now onwards I will start blogging more often because I have plenty of leisure time. No need to do blogging on weekends and holidays. I'll spend my time blogging about my interests and hobbies: broadcasting, anime, you name it.

Also just a reminder that the regular feature of this blog which is "Media news" was also on break after my last post on October 13 because I don't want to spend much time blogging but I still keep the details of what I saw on TV on my scribbling papers. This feature will return as usual from now on.