The international arms of the public service broadcasters of Singapore’s MediaCorp and Australian ABC have struck a content-sharing and co-production deal for their TV, radio and digital properties.
The deal centres on MediaCorp’s pan-regional TV news station Channel NewsAsia, which is watched in 26 territories across Asia, and Australia Plus, a TV and digital brand available in 40 countries in APAC, and international radio service Radio Australia.
In a statement, MediaCorp’s head of news and premier, Debra Soon, said: “With pressure on news organisations to stay relevant, report faster, expand our digital offerings and meet our competitors head on, media organisations need to find ways to work together without compromising our business objectives or standards. We look forward to working with ABC to explore how we can do so.”
The deal between MediaCorp and Australian ABC comes just over a year after ABC International brokered similar arrangements with broadcasters in China and Indonesia.
ABC International’s CEO Lynley Marshall commented: “Channel NewsAsia sets a benchmark for quality international broadcasting across Asia. As we extend and enrich our content and services to audiences across the region, we are delighted to have reached an agreement that will enable both companies to leverage our respective knowledge, content and platforms.”
Today, MediaCorp also announced it was forming a new digital unit to “accelerate” its transition into a more digitally focused company.
