TV9 (Malaysian TV network)

Ch-9 Media Sdn. Bhd., operating as TV9 (spelled as tivi sembilan) is a Malaysian free-to-air television network owned and operated by Media Prima Berhad. It airs programming that tends mostly towards the Malay demographic. The channel formerly existed as Channel 9 from 9 September 2003 until 3 February 2005 due to financial difficulties faced by the operator and relaunched as TV9 on 22 April 2006. It started broadcasting 24 hours a day on 6 May 2019.

History

As Channel 9

In 1997, TV3 had plans to start a second channel by the name of "TV9", unrelated to the present-day television network of the same name. The application had yet to be received by the Information Ministry. The plan was later scrapped.

In 2003, a third private TV station began its test transmission in Klang Valley by early August, revealing the Channel 9 name to the public. It was expected to launch in early September. The channel was owned and operated by Medanmas Sdn. Bhd., a company owned by Datuk Zainal Osman Mohd. with Datin Anita Rafar and expected to turn a profit by September 2004. A new corporate logo and web portal of Channel 9 was launched on 12 August 2003 and officiated by the then-Minister of Energy, Communications and Multimedia, Leo Moggie. The TV channel catered to young audiences and offered programmes in various genres such as drama and variety shows.

Many non-governmental organisations, including the Malaysian Youth Council, demanded that Channel 9 give opportunities to younger Malaysians to produce more TV programmes and films. Channel 9 would spend RM35 million in total out of its RM50 million investment in ICT as part of its preparation to move into digital broadcasting.

Channel 9 delayed its tune-in exercise, which slated to start on 16 August, and resumed on 2 September, prior to its official launch. The delay was made to ensure "viewers receive the satisfying services".

Channel 9 (often simply known as Nine or shortened to C9, stylised in lowercase title) was launched on 9 September 2003, broadcasting daily from 8:00 am to 3:00 am daily. Channel 9 was conceived and launched by media entrepreneur, Jamal Hassim. At the time it was a rare feat for a national free-to-air television network to be established by a private individual. Its headquarters was located at Temasya Industrial Park in Shah Alam, Selangor.

In late October 2003, the National Cancer Council of Malaysia (MAKNA) partnered with Channel 9 to launch an annual cancer fundraising campaign named Telekanser 2003. The channel became the media partner and official broadcaster of the campaign.

The channel began upgrading its broadcast transmission in November 2003.

In January 2004, Channel 9 was in talks with pay television provider Astro to allow the channel to be included on its platforms. It also expanded its broadcast transmission coverage to the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia.

In May 2004, Channel 9 entered a strategic partnership with THR.fm (short for "TIME Highway Radio") following the acquisition of its operating company, Medanmas, which eventually renamed into Ch-9 Media, by Anaza Sdn. Bhd., which owned and controlled by Tan Sri Rashid Manaf.

In June 2004, Channel 9 introduced its affordable advertisement broadcast payment rate, which was 80 percent lower.

Starting 1 July 2004, Channel 9 underwent a major rebranding exercise with an up-to-date branding image and launch a new slogan, "Malaysia…lah!". Following the rebranding, the channel installed a transmitter in Bukit Besi to allow viewers to receive good wide coverage of its transmission. Channel 9 launched its own news bulletin called Seputar Malaysia. It also signed a memorandum with public broadcaster, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (abbreviated by RTM) where its English news began broadcasting on the channel.

Due to financial difficulties faced by its owner and operator, Channel 9 ceased broadcasting on 3 February 2005. Prior to its shutdown, Tan Sri Rashid Manaf, the channel's owner, denied accusations that the channel is being sold, saying that it was "purely speculation". The channel was ordered by the Government to postpone its broadcasting license and took a year hiatus from broadcast.

In June 2005, Channel 9 was acquired by Malaysia's largest media corporation, Media Prima Berhad. At the same time, the company planned to relaunch Channel 9 by early 2006.

In September 2005, Media Prima confirmed that it would relaunch the channel in the first quarter of 2006 after receiving approval from its minority shareholders. It also had completed the acquisition of 100% equity stake in Ch-9 Media Sdn. Bhd. (formerly known as Medanmas) and almost completed the company's ownership of all commercial free-to-air television network in Malaysia.

Renamed as TV9 and early history

Channel 9 was renamed and rebranded into TV9 on 17 March 2006, with test transmission commenced on Saturday, 1 April 2006 with 4-hour broadcasts from 8:00 pm to midnight daily and airing music videos mostly in Malay. Full launch of the channel began at noon of 22 April 2006 with 13-hour broadcasts from 12:00 pm to 1:00 am daily and a new slogan: Dekat di Hati (Malay for Close at heart).

Upon its relaunch, TV9 allocated RM20 million for the first year of its operations to provide better contents for viewers. At the same time, it partnered with Senheng where the latter would supply its electrical equipment, including installing antennas for TV9. By the end of June 2006, TV9 completed the installation of permanent transmitters on several locations in the East Coast region.

By August 2006, TV9 reached 11% of Malay viewership market after 4 months of operations.

TV9 is available via terrestrial television in Peninsular Malaysia. Since 28 December 2006, it expanded its coverage to Sabah, Sarawak through Malaysian satellite TV provider, Astro.

For the first months of broadcast, TV9 did not have an in-house news bulletin, except for Edisi 7 simulcasts from its sister channel, NTV7. After two months, it set up its news division and held an audition looking for news anchors. TV9 began to produce news bulletins on New Year's Day 2007, under the Berita TV9 (literally: TV9 News) brand. It is currently broadcasting two half-hour editions: a midday edition at 1:00 pm Saturday to Thursday, and its flagship nightly edition at 8:00 pm.

Between 2007 and 2008, TV9 shared time with TV Pendidikan, the national public educational TV channel. However, this was cancelled in 2009 as TV9 began broadcasting in the morning while all TV Pendidikan's content moved to EduwebTV.

In May 2007, in conjunction with its first anniversary, TV9 extended its broadcasting hours from 75 hours to 85 hours a week.

On 6 September 2007, TV9, along with its sister channels TV3, NTV7, and 8TV, were made available for online viewing via Media Prima's newly-launched streaming service, Catch-Up TV, which later rebranded as Tonton.

On New Year's Day 2010, the channel launched a new tagline, Di Hatiku (At your heart in Malay), which has been used since its 3rd anniversary along 2009.

In September 2021, TV9 underwent a rebranding exercise, which saws its primetime slot moved to 6 pm onwards while its news bulletin shifted to 7 pm.

Inclusion of home shopping blocks

Since 1 April 2016, Media Prima included home shopping block Wow Shop (formerly known as CJ Wow Shop), a collaboration between them and Korean conglomerate CJ Group, in all of its channels' lineups, including TV9. It currently airs on this channel from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm (with buffer periods at 1:00 pm from Saturday to Thursday to accommodate Berita TV9 Tengah Hari). Such long periods of teleshopping blocks have made this channel known as a part-time TV shopping channel. This block, however, attracted huge criticism by viewers through social media due to overtaking a large part of daytime schedule, previously running mostly reruns, religious programming and children's programming. On 4 March 2018, Friday to Sunday breakfast show Nasi Lemak Kopi O (which formerly occupied the first two-hour block of CJ Wow Shop) ended its 10-year run and gave the home shopping block a weekend extension.

On 5 March 2018, TV9 revamped its programming lineup to solely focus on rural Malay communities in order to reduce viewership. Media Prima did so as part of its television revamp which saw its channels aligning with a specific core audience. Korean and English programmes aired on the channel were then transferred to the NTV7, which also revamped on the same day to serve the "Modern Malaysia" audience.

From 31 December 2018, Media Prima made a major restructuring overhaul among all of its channels, as well as few rumoured job losses. Tanyalah Ustaz and Indonesian dramas were moved to the main TV3 to extend Wow Shop's airtime starting at 6:00 AM to before afternoon news (excluding Friday) and 1:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Reruns of axed TV3 and NTV7 shows were also aired TV9 as NTV7 extended the Mandarin variant of Wow Shop's airtime. The teleshopping block became a fully owned subsidiary on 1 November 2020 after the group bought CJ's remaining 49% stake and was rebranded as simply "Wow Shop".

Discontinuation of news afternoon slot

The afternoon slot of TV9 News aired its final edition on 31 October 2020 and begin to simultaneously broadcast afternoon news from TV3 on the following day.

From 15 to 30 September 2021, according to the viewership statistics from Media Prima Omnia, the viewership share for TV9 has increased from 2% to 15%, making the channel become the second most-watched television station in Malaysia after TV3 (which the viewership share for TV3 is about 17%), together with NTV7, which has the same viewership share of 15%.

Discontinuation of Kool 101 simulcast segment

In December 2023, TV9 ended the Kool 101 simulcast segment due to lack of listenership, replaced by Hot FM at the same scheduled time.

Programming

TV9 programming comprises of news, local dramas and soap operas, animated series, variety and musical shows, children's shows, talk shows, reality programs, sports, and film presentations. Before Astro Oasis and TV Alhijrah came into existence, TV9 was the first TV station in the country to produce and air entirely Islamic-themed programming during its early years, where it is still continued to this day.

Logo history

See also

• List of television stations in Malaysia

References

External links

• Official website