Mediacorp slashes 93 jobs amid shifting media landscape and economic pressures

Mediacorp will be reducing its workforce by 93 positions, representing slightly over 3% of its total staff strength. The cuts are part of the media company's efforts to adapt to the fast-changing media environment and prevailing economic headwinds.

In a statement, the company said the move comes as short-form, mobile-first and social-driven formats become dominant, while traditional long-form content and platforms face growing competition for audience attention and advertising spend.

At the same time, clients are demanding more agile, platform-native campaigns with measurable performance outcomes.

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“These industry trends are set against the backdrop of an increasingly uncertain economic and commercial landscape,” Mediacorp said, pointing to pressures such as inflation, trade disruptions and market volatility.

Over recent years, the company has taken steps to rationalise its content portfolio and shift resources to growth areas, while also investing in new creative and operational capabilities.

It has also implemented cost-saving initiatives to preserve jobs, but said further restructuring is now necessary to strengthen long-term organisational sustainability.

Affected employees will have until the end of September to apply for alternative roles within the company. If no placement is secured, their last day will be 30 September.

As part of the retrenchment package, staff will receive severance pay of one month per year of service, capped at 25 months or S$250,000, as well as a training grant to support skills upgrading.

In addition, Mediacorp has also partnered with NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to provide job-matching and career guidance.

Affected staff will continue to have access to the company’s wellbeing support programme for up to one year, with the Singapore Union of Broadcasting Employees (SUBE) also engaged to provide assistance.

“This is a difficult decision and one not taken lightly,” said Tham Loke Kheng, CEO, Mediacorp.

“We are deeply grateful to our colleagues for their contributions, and our priority at this point is to ensure that those affected are supported with care, humility, and dignity during this transition," added Tham. 

Mediacorp is not the only media player in Singapore to have gone through restructuring. Back in November 2024, SPH Media group laid off 34 staff from its technology division, amounting to about 10% of that team. The layoffs were part of a restructure aimed at cost control and tech operational sustainability.

Meanwhile, in April 2024, Yahoo retrenched 17 employees, primarily from its editorial and social media teams, as it shifted to a syndicated content model.

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