987 is an English-language radio station in Singapore. Owned by the state-owned broadcaster Mediacorp, it broadcasts a contemporary hit radio format. The station launched on 1 January 1989 as Perfect 10 98.7 FM.
 | |
| Broadcast area | Singapore Johor Bahru/Johor Bahru District (Malaysia) Batam/Batam Islands, Riau Islands (Indonesia) |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 98.7 MHz |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English (Singlish) |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Mediacorp |
| History | |
First air date | 1 January 1989 |
| Links | |
| Webcast | |
| Website | 987FM |
History
editPerfect 10 (1989–2005)
editThe station launched at midnight on 1 January 1989 as Perfect 10 98.7 FM (or, formally, Radio 10); the station was aimed towards youth, and would broadcast a mix of current and classic pop music. Its on-air branding referred to a format of broadcasting "top 10" music from the past decade. The Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) surveyed students of local post-secondary institutions to help tailor the station to the preferences of youth audiences. Perfect 10 would emphasize music and DJ-led programmes, with fewer interruptions for news and commercials.[1]
The station would compete at launch with Batam, Indonesia's Zoo 106.1;[2][3] the station had a sizable audience in Singapore and had attracted advertisers from there, with advertising rates double than those of SBC.[4][5]
An SBC survey in September 1989 revealed that 40% of listeners tuned to Perfect 10 compared to Radio 3 (Mandarin) with 33% and Radio 2 (Malay) with 25%.[6] With the launch of adult contemporary station Class 95 in April 1990,[7] Perfect 10 dropped its "oldies" skew and segued to a straight contemporary hit radio format.[8]
In 1994, the station began hosting the Perfect 10 Music Awards, a presentation honouring achievements in Singaporean and international popular music.[9]
987 (2005–present)
editOn 27 June 2005, the station rebranded as 987. 987's studio moved out of Caldecott Broadcast Centre on 19 July 2010 and it broadcast from *SCAPE along Orchard Road at 2 Orchard Link for three years. 987 moved back to Caldecott Broadcast Centre on 20 May 2013 after its tenancy with *SCAPE expired.
In March 2010, it was announced that former beauty queen, Ris Low, would be joining the co-hosting the Shan and Rozz show.[10] There was some outrage among listeners over the employment of her as DJ due to her poor command and diction of English.[10] On the first day of co-hosting the show, Low arrived late and left early for the show and Rozz stormed off the studio after an argument.[11] On 1 April, It was later revealed that it was an April Fools' Day joke by the show and Burger King in an advertising campaign for the Angry Whopper.[11]
In March 2012, Shan Wee left 987 in February 2012, a 'ManHunt' was conducted to find a replacement for Rozz's co-host on the morning show. Listeners were invited to audition for the spot from 12 to 16 March 2012 and were told that they stood a chance of getting a spot on 987. However, it turned out that Rozz's new co-host is Bobby Tonelli from neighbour radio station, Class 95. It was speculated that the auditions were a waste of time and effort and simply just an advertising strategy to gain more listenership.[12][13]
On 17 January 2017, 987 studio moved out of Caldecott Broadcast Centre and into new Mediacorp Campus at one-north.
Incidents
editIn May 2007, The Muttons were suspended for a while due to their participation in No Bra Day, an activity that was sponsored by FHM Singapore and featured young models competing to see who could remove their bras in the fastest time possible. A video taken in the studio was posted on YouTube and the resulting uproar from viewers forced the station to pay S$9,800 to the Media Development Authority for 'inappropriate and offensive content'. Muttons in the Morning was then replaced with The Dan and Young Show. They soon came back to 987 in July 2007 for the late night slot show, now called Muttons To Midnight.[14]
In July 2009, Chew Soo Wei, was sacked by the programming director, Daniel Ong, over alleged claims of failing to put on an American accent and issues with proficiency of the English language. Listeners expressed disdain that it was unfair for DJs with local accents to be discriminated while DJs who speak with an American accent receive preferential treatment.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Effendy, Albert (31 December 1988). "Singapore's first 24-hours CHR/Pop and Top 40 youth teen". The New Paper. Archived from the original on 2 December 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ "SBC goes for that perfect 10". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 21 December 1988. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Round-the-clock music from midnight today". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 31 December 1988. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "SBC Radio Ten to duel with FM Zoo". Business Times. 21 December 1988. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "New rock station named Radio 10". The New Paper. 20 December 1988. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "Perfect 10 the top radio station — survey". The Straits Times. 21 October 1989. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ "'Classy' SBC radio station goes on air today". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 1 April 1990. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "As the dial turns". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 4 March 1990. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Singapore presenters jazz up Perfect 10 Music Awards". The Straits Times. 20 February 1995. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ a b "盗卡世姐当DJ 听众纷喊杯葛 猛轰：英语这么烂怎能胜任" [Credit card fraud beauty queen becomes DJ, listeners calling for a boycott of the station : How can she be qualified if her English is so poor?]. Lianhe Wanbao (in Chinese (Singapore)). 24 March 2010. p. 4.
刘依¤将在下星期成为新传媒英语电台98.7的兼职DJ
[Ris Low will become a part-time DJ on MediaCorp English radio station 98.7 next week] - ^ a b "盗卡世姐耍了听众 愚人节笑话 听众炮轰无聊" [The credit card fraud beauty queen fooled the audience with an April Fool’s Day joke. Listeners criticized the joke as stupid.]. 4 April 2010. p. 5.
由节目广播员Shan and Rozz在4月1日揭晓，而笑话源头是为配合汉堡包王（Burger King）所推出的"火爆皇堡"（Angry Whopper）做宣传。
[Announced by DJ Shan and Rozz on 1 April, the April's Fool joke was coordinated as a promotional campaign with Burger King's new Angry Whooper.] - ^ Facebook - Rozz's Man Hunt
- ^ "REVIEW: Battle of Singapore Radio Morning Shows | Spin or Bin Music Blog". Archived from the original on 2013-04-07. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- ^ "MediaCorp Radio fined for bra stunt". Archived from the original on 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- ^ "AsiaOne.com - Was 987 DJ asked to leave because she didn't sound 'American' enough?". Archived from the original on 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2012-08-08.