Mega TV
(CableView Services Sdn. Bhd.)
IndustryCable television
Founded1 November 1995 (1995-11-01)
Defunct1 October 2001 (2001-10-01)
HeadquartersPetaling Jaya, Selangor
Area served
Malaysia
OwnerMedia Prima Berhad
ParentSistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (40%)
MoF, (Inc.) (30%)
Eurocrest Sdn. Bhd. (12.5%)
Ibex TV (M) Sdn. Bhd. (12.5%)
Sri Utara Sdn. Bhd. (5%)

Mega TV was Malaysia's first ever subscription-based pay television service. It was incorporated on 18 October 1994 and began transmissions on 1 November 1995 and was operated by Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (TV3), is a Malaysian free-to-air television network owned and operated by Media Prima Berhad.

Mega TV was transmitted from its headquarters in Bandar Utama, in the northern fringes of Petaling Jaya, Selangor. It failed to break into the pay television market, and shut down in 2001.

History

Mega TV began as a plan by broadcaster RTM in 1991 to "to spread information to the public".[1] Initially named "Customised News Service",[1] it was renamed "Subscriber News Service" in 1992.[2] The service – jointly operated by the public and private sector –[2] would have a three-[2] to-five channel offering,[3] focusing on news[3] with content from CNN and Britain's ITN and BBC.[1] The service would be transmitted through UHF and received using decoders.[1] The service cost RM 25 million and planned to begin in 1993 with coverage initially limited to the Klang Valley.[2]

In 1993, it was revealed that Subscriber News Service's channel lineup would consist of CNN, BBC and Prime Sports from Star TV,[4] with each channel broadcasting 18 hours a day and without censorship.[4] Subscribers of the service would need to pay RM 50 a month.[4] RTM spent RM 500 million a year to carry those channels.[4] The Economic Planning Unit was tasked to find suitable companies to run the joint venture.[4]

At least 11 companies applied for the joint operation of Subscriber News Service in early 1994.[3]

On 11 July 1994, a consortium of companies, consisting of Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (TV3), Ibex Corporation and Eurocrest (M) Sdn. Bhd.,[5] was selected to run the joint venture[5] out of the eleven applicants.[6] The consortium was fully ran by Bumiputra companies.[5] The joint venture would be 70% owned by the consortium with RTM taking the rest,[5] with the latter involved in controlling the broacast and information sources that may harm the safety and values of Malaysia.[5] The Economic Planning Unit chose the three-company consortium as it would guarantee high returns to the government.[5] The service was renamed "Satellite Network Services", with the offering expanded to five channels and would be able to broadcast 24 hours a day.[5]

The following month, TV3 took 40% share of the consortium[6] while RTM takes 35%[6] and Ibex Corporation and Eurocrest taking 12.5% of the share respectively.[6] RTM's role would later be handed over to the Ministry of Finance (MoF, Inc.) with 30%,[7] along with Sri Utara joining in taking 5% of RTM's former share.[7]

CableView Services Sdn. Bhd. or simply Mega TV was incorporated on 18 October 1994 by a consortium which consisted of Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (TV3), Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF, Inc.), Eurocrest (M) Sdn. Bhd., Ibex TV (M) Sdn. Bhd. and Sri Utara Sdn. Bhd.[8]

In 1995, it was revealed that the consortium – by now known as CableView Services Sdn. Bhd. – would launch in the third quarter of the year,[7] with a plan to provide 30 more channels.[7] This would later be changed to third trimester of 1995, providing a five-channel service. The initial plans were to start the rollout in the Klang Valley, followed by Seremban and Malacca.[9] By August it was announced that Mega TV was set to start on 1 November 1995, after signing a deal to carry HBO Asia.[10]

Cable-based transmissions was officially inaugurated by the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and broadcasts from Petaling Jaya on 1 November 1995 through a microwave-based broadcast system.[11][12]

In September 1998, a CNN interview with Anwar Ibrahim was interrupted, which Mega TV said it was "an accident".[13]

Faced with stiff competition from the Astro satellite television network which was launched seven months later, combined with the failures to expand its content, Mega TV ceased transmission in 2001 as a result, leaving Astro as the one and only pay-TV service provider in Malaysia.

Channel listing

At the time of launch, Mega TV offered the following channels:[14]

Name Language Owner Group Type
TV1 Malay RTM Free-to-air Terrestrial
TV2
TV3 Media Prima
CNN English CNN News Subscription
Discovery Channel Asia English (Malay subtitle) Discovery Communications Education
ESPN Asia English ESPN Sports
HBO Asia English (Malay subtitle) HBO Movies
Cartoon Network Asia & Turner Classic Movies English (Malay subtitle) Cartoon Network Cartoons and classic movies

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "RTM may have 2 different primetime news bulletins". The Straits Times. 25 October 1991. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Two more TV stations for Malaysia soon". The Straits Times. 1 August 1992. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "11 firms apply to manage Subscribers' News Service". The Straits Times. 4 March 1994. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "3 new cable TV channels for Malaysia next year". The Straits Times. 23 August 1993. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "RTM, 3-company consortium win cable TV licence". Business Times. 12 July 1994. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "TV3 takes biggest stake in cable TV". The Straits Times. 17 August 1994. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Malaysia to get cable television by end-1996". The Straits Times. 29 April 1995. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  8. ↑ About
  9. ↑ "MEGA TV". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 27 May 1995. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "HBO Asia movies to screen on M'sia cable TV". The Business Times (retrieved from NLB). 24 August 1995. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  11. ↑ "Mahathir calls on local media to be innovative". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 1 November 1995. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "Cutting edge for satellite broadcasts". The Business Times (retrieved from NLB). 2 November 1995. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Interruption in Anwar interview 'an accident'". The Straits Times. 11 September 1998.
  14. ↑ "M'sia launches subscription TV". The Business Times (retrieved from NLB). 2 November 1995. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
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