A Broadcasting History of Malaysia: Progress and Shifts

This paper aims to delve into the history of broadcasting in Malaysia since the 1980s. We will go down memory lane and see the inception of the first private television station in the country- Sistem Television Malaysia Berhad (STMB) or better known as TV3 which received its licensed in 1983. This paper also looks at the question of ownership as there are strong political and economic ties between the government and the media. While privatization is a goal in the business sector, a free press without government restrictions is not. The government controls the presses and the publishing enterprises throughout Malaysia. Privatization of this television station was one of the initial efforts to transfer media ownership from the government to the private sector. That was in the initial stages of development. Now TV3 sits under Media Prima Berhad, a company listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia and is Malaysia’s leading integrated media investment group. It currently owns 100 per cent equity interest in TV3, 8TV, NTV7 and TV9. In addition, Media Prima now owns more than 96.85 per cent equity interest in The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) (NSTP) Berhad, one of Malaysia’s largest publisher which publishes three national newspapers; the New Straits Times, BeritaHarian and Harian Metro. It also owns three radio networks, Fly FM, Hot FM and One FM. This paper also looks at Malaysia’s first cable network popularly known as ASTRO. ASTRO is the brand name of the Malaysian direct broadcast satellit