SingTel gets into TV production

SingTel’s Mio TV division is diving in with its first original content production. The show titled “Are You Hokkien?” hits screens this Lunar New Year, targeting those of Hokkien speaking heritage.SingTel in a statement to Marketing said the show brings viewers a special insider look into everything Hokkien in Singapore. The eight-week programme also hopes to grow the Mio TV audience as well as reinforce our Singapore grassroots. SingTel did not comment on its brand partners or cost of production for the series.“Over 40% of Singaporean Chinese are Hokkien, making it the largest dialect group. This series aims to help audiences rediscover what it means to be Hokkien, and find a deeper connection with their roots,” Goh Seow Eng, managing director of TV, SingTel said.However, is SingTel a little late to the game, and can it keep up with rival Starhub?StarHub made a move into content production nearly three years ago with its first foray being the programme Academy Fantasia in 2011. Soon after in 2012, StarHub also commissioned the making of the show such as Lady First – Singapore, which is said to make a comeback this year with a second season.Some brands that StarHub worked with include Sunsilk, HadaLabo (Lady first SG), Watsons and Clariancy.Lee Soo Hui, head of media business unit, StarHub said the company saw “many benefits to original productions.”“Original productions give content that we can truly own, which allows us to differentiate ourselves from the  competition,” Lee said.“Through original productions, we can deepen our engagement with Singapore viewers by tailoring the content to something which they can identify with. Original productions also give us the flexibility to offer an immersive viewing experience to our viewers through multiscreen and second screen options.”