Channel i (Singaporean TV channel)
Channel i was a Singaporean English language free-to-air terrestrial television channel owned by SPH MediaWorks, a broadcasting subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings.
| Country | Singapore |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 82 Genting Lane Singapore 349567 |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 4:3 576i SDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | SPH MediaWorks |
| Sister channels | Channel U |
| History | |
| Launched | 20 May 2001 (as TVWorks) 3 March 2002 (as Channel i) |
| Closed | 1 January 2005 |
| Former names | TVWorks (2001-2002) |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| UHF | Channel 30 |
The channel was launched on 20 May 2001 as TVWorks, accompanying the Mandarin-language Channel U. It was initially poised to be a serious alternative to its competition—MediaCorp's Channel 5—by placing an emphasis on local productions rather than imported programming. However, this strategy proved to be unsuccessful, causing the channel to frequently change its schedule and positioning. It eventually settled on a format emphasizing action series, films, and sports.
In 2004, SPH announced an agreement to divest its television stations and free newspaper business to MediaCorp in exchange for a stake in its television and publishing businesses. While MediaCorp would take over Channel U as a sister to its Mandarin channel Channel 8, the broadcaster considered Channel i to be unviable due to low viewership and a lack of advertiser support, and it was shut down on 1 January 2005. Its channel space was briefly reused by Okto from 19 October 2008 to 1 May 2019.