MCI response to PQ on subtitles for all news broadcast on free to air TV channels

02 NOV 2020

Parliament Sitting on 2 November 2020

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

24. Ms Poh Li San: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information whether subtitles will be included for all news broadcast on free-to-air TV channels and, if so, when can this be introduced.

Answer:

  1. All prime-time news bulletins on Mediacorp’s free-to-air TV Channels 5, 8, Suria and Vasantham are subtitled. These news bulletins are broadcast daily in the four official languages and enjoy the highest viewership. News is thus readily accessible to viewers in Singapore in their language of choice through free-to-air TV.  

  2. The Government recognises the importance of subtitles in enabling access to news and information for the elderly and hard-of-hearing. Together with Mediacorp, we will continue to explore options and assess technological solutions to build on our current efforts, and will progressively expand subtitling as practical solutions emerge.