Wednesday August 16, 10:17
AM
Broadcaster
MediaCorp to move to new S$300m facility in Bukit
Batok
MediaCorp, Singapore's largest broadcaster, will be moving to new
premises in five years.
A state-of-the-art media complex, costing some S$300 million, will
be built at Bukit Batok to house all its business units, including
its TV, radio and print operations.
It is also considering acquiring some space in Fusionpolis, One
North, which is being developed as the national media hub.
Caldecott Hill has been home to MediaCorp for the past 50 years and
has witnessed many milestones in Singapore's history, says
MediaCorp CEO Lucas Chow.
Some of the buildings were built even before the war.
While many staff hold fond memories about the place, the move to
Bukit Batok is seen as timely to embrace the latest technology and
keep up with changes in the media industry.
Mr Chow says several options were explored by MediaCorp's
Management and Board before deciding on Bukit Batok.
He adds: "First and foremost, our current facilities on Caldecott
will require some upgrade both in terms of buildings, technology
and infrastructure. Now this is to keep pace of MediaCorp company
as a group as well as the development of new technology."
Four options were considered.
Redeveloping Caldecott Hill, moving to a greenfield site at Bukit
Batok, considering Fusionpolis in One North or leasing a space some
place else.
Mr Chow says: "So we have evaluated very carefully several options
and that includes redevelopment of Caldecott Hill including a new
building and retrofitting the existing buildings. We have looked at
the possibility of Bukit Batok space which is a greenfield site. We
have also evaluated Fusionpolis in One North. Should we move there,
we are close to the future media hub. The other option is find
somewhere else to lease a space for us."
"After very careful evaluation and debate within the management and
the board, the decision was made that we should move to Bukit Batok
which is a greenfield site. If we move to a greenfield site, the
current operations will be least disrupted. So we expect for the
new campus we can design and tailor-make to the specs that we
want."
Mr Chow says the move to Bukit Batok will also support the group's
future directions, which include bringing back, under one roof,
some of the business units and operations which are located outside
Caldecott Hill.
These include TV 12 which is along Prince Edward Road, MediaCorp's
magazine publishing in Ang Mo Kio and the TODAY office at Raffles
Place.
Mr Chow says: "We hope that by bringing back everybody into a
common campus, not only will we drive up the efficiency of the
operations, but we hope that it will drive up teamwork and
supporting the group to move into new directions when we have to do
things across media platforms."
MediaCorp is also considering taking up some space at Singapore's
new media hub.
He says: "By having a space in the Fusionpolis in One North also
allows us to put some of the newer research and development
activities, the IDM or interactive digital media activities, into
One North and that will be closely working some of the activities
in the new media hub in One North. I believe that that actually
fits into the group's future directions."
As for the future of the land at Caldecott Hill, MediaCorp says
details are being worked out. - CNA/ch
