Channel U (Singaporean TV channel)
Channel U (marketed as U頻道, formerly named 优频道) is a Mandarin-language free-to-air terrestrial television channel in Singapore, owned by state media conglomerate Mediacorp.
| Country | Singapore |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Singapore Malaysia (Johor, Sarawak) Indonesia (Riau Islands) |
| Headquarters | Mediacorp Campus, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore 138507 |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | Chinese dialects (e.g. Mandarin) Korean Thai English (subtitles) |
| Picture format | 1080i 16:9 HDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Mediacorp |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | 6 May 2001 |
| Links | |
| Website | Official Site |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Digital terrestrial television | UHF CH 33 570MHz DVB-T2 Channel 7 (HD) |
| Streaming media | |
| meWATCH | Available on meWATCH website or mobile app (Singapore only) |
The channel was first established in 2001 by SPH MediaWorks—a subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings—as one of two new FTA channels launched by the company (alongside the English-language TVWorks, later renamed Channel i). While it eventually became competitive with MediaCorp's Channel 8 in viewership, the company operated at a loss, and Channel i was struggling to compete with MediaCorp's Channel 5.
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. As a result, MediaCorp took over Channel U on 1 January 2005, positioning it as a counterpart to Channel 8 targeting a youth and young adult audience.