MDDI's response to PQ on Percentage of TV Programmes on FTA TV Shown in Chinese Dialects

Parliament Sitting on 15 October 2024

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

14. Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what percentage of movies and TV programmes on free-to-air television are shown in Chinese dialects; (b) of these, what is the percentage as further broken down by the type of Chinese dialect; and (c) how has the percentage changed over the last five years.

Answer:

Dialect content is allowed to a limited extent on free-to-air (FTA) television to support the prevailing language policy of Mandarin as one of the four official languages. This includes a dedicated two-hour belt of full dialect programmes every Friday late morning on Mediacorp’s Channel 8, which comprises over 90 hours, or 1 per cent of Channel 8’s total transmission hours per year. This has remained constant over the years. The breakdown of dialects used is not tracked as in most instances, a mix of dialects may be used during a programme.