SINGAPORE: Sunday was a beautiful day for TV junkies in Singapore.

That’s because it saw the launch of not one but two brand new MediaCorp channels: Okto and Vasantham.

At the Launch Extravaganza held at the MediaCorp TV Theatre on Sunday, the new Vasantham was unveiled in a show that celebrated the history and evolution of Indian broadcasting in Singapore together with more than 100 local artistes and award-winning Kollywood playback singers Krish and Neha Bhasin.

Vasantham is Singapore’s first full-fledged free-to-air Indian channel.

Viewers can now enjoy nine hours of programming daily instead of the previous two-and-a-half hours’ worth.

What’s more, the number of locally produced and acquired programmes has also doubled. There will be food programmes, infotainment series, daily long-form drama serials, four live programmes a week and five movies a week.

Okto is the bigger, better, newly improved Kids and Arts Central rolled into one dynamic channel.

Its new features include interactive programmes catered to all demographics, such as oktoLIVE! at 8.30pm every Tuesday. This is a youth magazine programme produced, scripted and run by the students of Singapore Polytechnic, and gives viewers their say on live television.

For the first time, kids’ programmes will be on prime time (7pm to 9pm). Kids can also look forward to watching the “oktoriginals” (locally-produced programmes) My Classmate, Dad (starring Mark Lee) and Cosmo & George (starring Gurmit Singh and Andrea De Cruz).

Connoisseurs of art here will appreciate that FilmArt is now shown on Saturdays as well as Sundays, at 10pm.

Oktoriginal film art productions include Pulau Hantu, which stars Adrian Pang and Hong Kong father-and-son team Richard and Carl Ng, and Squirks, a magazine programme hosted by Hossan Leong.

There’s more jolly good news: On Mondays at 11pm, okto has a “Retro Belt” featuring favourites such as Mind Your Language and ‘Allo ‘Allo.

“It’s an exciting moment for many of us”, said Lim Suat Jien, Managing Director of TV12, of the launch of the two new channels. “Our viewers can look forward to more choices and variety.”

She added: “These channels will strengthen our connections with the Indian, kids and arts communities.”

For more information about tuning into okto, visit

Channel News Asia

SINGAPORE : If you thought the first Formula 1 night race ever, to be held here this Sunday, was about fair competition, teamwork, and the spirit of sportsmanship, then you’re obviously a guy.

For most girls, this is one of the best chances to ogle some of the finest male specimens ever to floor the accelerator.

Our female celebrities are already getting hot under the collar at the prospect of having this smorgasbord of man-candy in town. They picked out their favourite Formula 1 drivers and revealed their primal drives during TODAY’s racey interviews - specially for the season.

FYI: Amanda Ling likes it fast and furious, Vernetta Lopez’s mating call can still be heard resonating around the island and Andrea De Cruz is hoping hubby Pierre Png isn’t reading this.

Hello, Pierre, and how was your day?

Channel News Asia

Five is a significant number for Andrea De Cruz. After all, it was about five years ago that the 32-year-old actress’ liver failed after she took the slimming pill Slim 10, and her then-fiance-now-husband Pierre Png donated part of his liver to her.

It was a gesture that touched many Singaporeans, even as her decision to file a suit against fellow MediaCorp actor Rayson Tan - who had sold her the pills - divided people.

Hitting the five-year mark is also significant for her, because it’s only after that length of time that she can get the all-clear from her doctors. And five years after the whole Slim 10 saga, she appears in her first MediaCorp TV Channel 8 drama, “My Dear Kins”, which stars Hong Huifang, Huang Yiliang and Joey Swee and debuts next Thursday.

In a candid interview, an affable Andrea, who showed no signs of being the difficult person that the media made her out to be previously, talked about new challenges and, shockingly enough, the time limit on her life.

Channel News Asia