04 July 2016

Singapore, 4 July 2016 – Zaobao Keywords, a video news programme of Lianhe Zaobao, the Chinese flagship newspaper of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), will be aired on StarHub’s FreeView Chinese channel E City from 4 July 2016 onwards.

Zaobao Keywords is a three-minute talk show that provides viewers with a deeper understanding of major news stories through keywords. Three keywords that are pertinent to the day’s news story are selected by an experienced Lianhe Zaobao journalist and discussed in a casual chat format between the host and the journalist.

The programme, launched in November 2014 on Zaobao’s digital platform, is produced by CMG Digital (CMGD), the digital arm of SPH’s Chinese Media Group, exclusively for Lianhe Zaobao. By drawing on the expertise of journalists to present hard news in an easy-to-digest short video format, CMGD aims to capture the attention of audiences who are always on the go, or who wish to get a grasp of daily news highlights without spending too much time. Zaobao Keywords has been well received since launch and average monthly views are consistently on the rise.

The programme is available at 5.30pm every weekday on Lianhe Zaobao’s mobile apps and website (http://www.zaobao.com.sg/media/video/singapore/zbkeywords).

Starting 4 July 2016, the day's episode of Zaobao Keywords will also be aired on StarHub TV’s E City (Channels 111 and 825) at 7.55pm, with repeat telecasts at 10pm on the same day, as well as 9am and 10am the following day (8am and 9am on Saturdays).

The broadcast of Zaobao Keywords on StarHub’s channel is a joint initiative under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between SPH and StarHub on 7 March 2016. Under this MOU, the two companies will collaborate in areas of advertising sales, creation and carriage of content, data analytics and marketing.

Ms Han Yong May, Digital Editor of SPH's Chinese Media Group cum Associate Editor of Lianhe Zaobao, said: "The debut of Zaobao Keywords on StarHub’s E City Channel marks another step forward for SPH’s Chinese Media Group in the digital world. Journalists have made the transition from print to digital. Producing videos is now part and parcel of our work in the newsroom as journalists have gradually grown accustomed to straddling across print and digital.”

“We expect to face challenges as we enter the TV arena, as viewers demand higher standards of TV programmes. We are ready to accept this challenge and will strive to offer Lianhe Zaobao’s quality content through more platforms to expand our reach to readers and viewers,” added Ms Han.

Ms Lee Soo Hui, Head of StarHub’s Media Business Unit, said: “Zaobao Keywords is not only a convenient way for viewers to be up-to-date on key issues, but it also innovatively helps them to grasp these issues through the use of keywords and phrases. We definitely see value in adding this programme to our line-up. That’s why we have chosen to air it over E City, the popular StarHub-packaged Chinese entertainment channel that can be accessed by virtually all TV households in Singapore.”

“The airing of Zaobao Keywords is a key beginning of more collaborations to come between StarHub and SPH. StarHub has always been on the lookout for content packaged for Singaporean viewers in mind, as localised content lends greater relevance to them. SPH has a valuable resource in its pool of experienced editorial team, and our viewers will surely benefit from having easy access to their views going forward,” added Ms Lee.

The hosts of Zaobao Keywords are CMGD Content Producers Ms Wang Shuyang and Mr Ken Low. Shuyang started her career as a reporter at Lianhe Zaobao. She has more than five years of experience as a journalist and covered beats including lifestyle, court and education. An experienced host on stage, Ken was a DJ at UFM100.3, SPH’s Chinese radio station, prior to joining CMGD.