HONG KONG -- The Media Development Authority of Singapore has issued a 'niche TV license' to Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). Company plans to launch Razor TV, an interactive Web TV service with an emphasis on local content. The MDA is also funding Razor's technology through a grant.

The license allows Razor a five year opportunity to operate Internet Protocol TV services that mix live web studio streaming and real time audience interactivity. First niche license was awarded in March 2008 to educational service VeeV Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sky Media Pte (Variety, March 6, 2008.) Company is in a start up phase and not yet operating commercially.

Niche licenses allow broadcast of programming including scheduled and on-demand services over any delivery platform to minority auds, defined as being less than 100,000 subscribers in Singapore. There are no must-carry obligations and no ownership conditions, nor a cap on revenue.

"MDA encourages traditional media players such as SPH to reach out and engage our increasingly Internet and technology savvy viewers in Singapore with exciting and interactive content through new media broadcasting platforms such as IPTV and participative web 2.0 technologies," Ling Pek Ling, the MDA's director of media policy, said.

Razor is the second channel to be awarded a niche license, though the MDA says there are several other companies currently in trial stages that it could foresee moving up to licensee status.

© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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