Setup

Speaking at his return from the Commonwealth Broadcasting Conference in New Delhi on 13 February 1960, Mr. A. T. Read said that television would soon come to Malaya, and that the existing network of microwave transmitters, with adequate modifications, would be used for television transmission.^[2] A 1963 target was set on 8 January 1962.^[3]

On 8 May 1962, Mohamad Sopiee announced that the first television station would be built in Kuala Lumpur, covering the states of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. Initial projections aimed at the installation of 20,000 television sets, compared to 9,000 in Thailand and 4,000 in the Philippines. The radio and TV licences were going to be merged, as well as an allotment for a TV test survey and the arrival of two members of the Colombo Plan by the end of the year.^[4]

Early in 1963, television experts from Canada assisted in the building of the national television service, aiming to build the Kuala Lumpur station within a year.^[5] The plan was budgeted at $10 million.^[6] Programmes were scheduled to start in December a one-channel service (Singapore had two channels under Malaysian rule) covering a radius of 15 miles from the capital.^[7] The service was planned to cover all of Malaya by June 1964, with a plan for two channels like Singapore.^[8]

The British-owned Pye company had been given the contract to provide equipment to the then-upcoming television service in October 1963, namely a television transmitter and a film unit.^[9]

Single channel years

The prime minister of the time Tunku Abdul Rahman announced on 27 November 1963 that Televisyen Malaysia would start broadcasting on 28 December 1963.^[10] The station wasn't yet equipped with an outside broadcasting van, which was due to arrive in March 1964. Studio facilities were limited, and video recording facilities were due to start after the station would be on the air.^[11] Initially it broadcast from channel 10 in Kuala Lumpur before moving to channel 5 on 16 May 1964.^[12] The new transmitter was easily susceptible to ghosting.^[13]

The pilot service opened on the appointed date with Tunku delivering a speech in a 30-minute ceremony.^[14] A staff union was formed on 25 March 1964.^[15]

Broadcasts were extended to Ipoh and Malacca in April 1964^[16] followed by Penang and Johor by July.^[17] For Johor, a sub-station at Bukit Treh, Muar was being built from April, costing $80,000.^[18] The plan was shelved within more than one month.^[19] In late April, work started for another relay station at Gunong Banang in Batu Pahat.^[20]

The pilot service upgraded to a regular service on 6 July 1964. At the start of the pilot service the number of weekly hours of operation was 21, increasing to 25 in April 1964, and to 40 with the start of the permanent service. Broadcasts were now from 5:45pm to 11:15pm. On Saturdays, an extra period was added running from 3pm to 5pm. This increase also came due to a demand from the government to expand the programming offer. The news now started on the hour: Tamil at 6pm; English at 7pm; Mandarin at 8pm; Malay at 9pm.^[21]

The increase in broadcast hours caused concern to parents, with one parent writing to the Straits Times (which Malaysian edition would be later spun off into the New Straits Times) that the earlier start damaged children's studies, suggesting the service to start at 8pm instead.^[22] Television Malaysia said that the schedule would remain as it was since the start of the month.^[23]

With an increase of staff, Television Malaysia vowed to progressively increase the quality and variety of its programmes.^[24]

After delays, the transmitter at Gunong Pulai was activated on 26 November 1964, broadcasting on channel 3, enabling Singapore to receive its broadcasts via overspill.^[25] Test broadcasts were conducted in late January 1965, but wouldn't become regular for a few more weeks.^[26]

An educational television pilot project, forerunner of TV Pendidikan, started on 8 June 1965.^[27] There was also the possibility of bringing television to Sabah and Sarawak, as part of the First Malaysia Plan period, including the extension of the signal to the east coast of West Malaysia by the end of 1965.^[28]

On 13 July 1966, the state of Sabah approved plans for the extension of the television service, specifically in Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu) and Sandakan.^[29] In July 1968, it was calculated that the new station would take $3 million to build. Following the purchase of the land to build the station, it was projected that it would be on the air by June 1969.^[30]

Effective 8 February 1969, the channel expanded its daily schedule from Thursdays to Sundays to nine hours (3pm to midnight) in order to adjust to viewers in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu where Thursday was partially a weekend in those areas. The east coast station in Kuantan was set to begin in May. As of then, the service in East Malaysia was still under consideration^[31] - at the time, plans for the Sabah station were outlined for it to begin operations in 1970, worth $10 million.^[32]

1969–1984

It was the nation's sole television channel until 1969 when TV2, then Rangkaian Kedua (Second Network) began its operation and the channel became known as Rangkaian Pertama (First Network). At the same time, Televisyen Malaysia merged with Radio Malaysia to form a single broadcasting department - Radio Televisyen Malaysia.^[33]

One of the plans upon the launch of the second network was for the first network to broadcast exclusively in Malay.^[34] In 1973, it was suggested that English-language progrmaming should be phased out in favor of increased local output, with the target being 60% for both channels.^[35]

Television broadcasts extended to Kuala Terengganu on 16 August 1971.^[36]

Colour tests started on both channels in early January 1978.^[37] RTM TV1 started broadcasting in colour since December 1978 in Peninsular Malaysia and 1980 in Sabah and Sarawak.^[33] In 1981, it was supposed that all programmes would have made the switch to colour by 1985. At the time, the output was 80 to 85% in colour.^[38]

National broadcasts to Sabah and Sarawak start an hour early at 7:30 pm Peninsular Malaysia time on 7 May 1979.^[39]

Post–1984

According to a viewership survey carried by Survey Research Malaysia in October 1985, TV1 was seen by people in the rural areas with 2.532 million viewers compared to urban with 1.395 million.^[40]

In late 1987, ^[41] TV1 along with TV2 revamped their programming to compete with rival TV3 with movies, American serials and Chinese dramas.^[42] Public affairs programmes were planned to be included.^[41] Sign off time were now at midnight on weekdays and 1 am on weekends.^[41]

A report by the United Malays National Organisation organ Merdeka suggested that foreign feature films screened on the network should be dubbed in Malay, per a suggestion to convert TV1 to an all-Malay network. In local variety shows, all songs, regardless of ethnic background, would be performed in Malay.^[43] In the wake of the report, TV1 switched to an all-Malay channel in stages, beginning 31 August 1987 ^[44] with the move of RTM's English news broadcast to TV2 and expected to be completed in late 1987. Programmes in English would also move to TV2. The purpose of the switch is to promote the use of Malay as a national language. ^[45] The amount of Malay programming was increased to 72% instead of 55% previously. ^[44]

RTM had plans to introduce separate primetime news programmes for TV1 and TV2 in 1991. At that time, TV2 simulcast TV1's 8 pm news. The Information Ministry believes that along with TV3's news, it would provide "a wider range of information through the electronic media" and "keep viewers informed of developments" from Malaysia and abroad.^[46] In July 1992, RTM decided that TV1's news will be on issues of national interest.^[47]

Starting in 1994, RTM revamp TV1 and TV2 programmes by airing religion, information and educational programmes in primetime slot.^[48]

In March 1994, TV1 started full-time morning and afternoon broadcasts^[49] along with TV3,^[42] signing on as early as 5:50 am. Its programming included children's shows, cooking programmes, news broadcasts from BBC World Service Television (which would later be removed in May),^[50] Asia Business News, ^[49] CNN,^[42] documentaries and business news.^[49] TV1 ended airing Jendela Dunia as a result of CNN news broadcasts.^[51] The morning broadcasts cost an additional RM 18 million a year.^[52]

On 31 August 1995, TV1's prime time slot was extended to 10:30 pm, half an hour more than before. Its prime time starts at 7 pm.^[53]

Most of the local programming on TV1 in 1998 were provided by Home Video Distributors (HVD), Wayang Tinggi and Eurofine. ^[54]

In April 1998, TV1 and TV2 decided to decrease transmission hours and save RM50 million in costs, with TV1 in particular losing one hour of its broadcast day;^[55] its sign on time now would be at 7 am.^[56] A similar proposal made in November 1998, meant to start in January 1999, was to "cut operating costs" and would save RM30 million.^[56]

In 2008, TV1 along with its sister channel, TV2 gained the increasing of viewership ratings and revenue in the last six months.^[57][58]

During its early years, it only broadcast in the evenings, with daytime broadcasts for schools under the TV Pendidikan banner from 1972 until 1 March 1994 when daytime transmission was introduced on the channel. TV1 transmitts 24 hours a day since 21 August 2012, more than 6 years after its sister channel did so (3 April 2006). On 1 April 2019, TV1 has started its HDTV broadcasting in conjunction of RTM's 73rd anniversary, and available exclusively through myFreeview DTT service on channel 101.