Gold 905
 | |
| Broadcast area | Singapore Johor Bahru/Johor Bahru District (Malaysia) Batam/Batam Islands, Riau Islands (Indonesia) |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 90.5 MHz |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English (Singlish) |
| Format | Oldies (until 30 November 2015) Classic hits (1 December 2015 - present) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Mediacorp |
| History | |
First air date |
|
Former names |
|
Former frequencies | 630 kHz (since 1 March 1937) |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | IMDA |
| Links | |
| Webcast | |
| Website | Gold 90.5 |
GOLD 905 (also known as ZHL, Radio Singapore, English Service and Radio 1) (officially call sign as ZHL, Radio Singapore and English Service) is an English radio station of Mediacorp in Singapore. It broadcasts classic hits from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Their DJs include Brian Richmond, who has more than 40 years of experience in the radio industry. It is one of the nation's oldest stations, tracing its origins back to the beginning of regulated radio broadcasting in Singapore/Straits Settlements along with Warna 942, Capital 958 and Oli 968 on 1 March 1937.[1] Gold 905 was officially similar and related to BBC Radio 2 after BBC Empire Service (now BBC World Service).
History[edit]
The station was awarded a licence in 1935[2] under the auspices of the British Malaya Broadcasting Corporation. Initially set for a 1936 launch target, the station eventually delayed its launch to 1 March 1937, roughly two months after the expiry of the previous radio station in Singapore, ZHI. The new station carried the callsign ZHL, and broadcast on an AM medium wave frequency of 630 kHz[3][4] (which remained unchanged even after the Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975), until all AM broadcasting ceased in the country in 1994. The station (then called Radio Singapore) began FM transmissions in 1967.
Until late-1945, the station, as the country's then-sole extant radio station, broadcast language-based block programming aimed at the local population in English, Chinese dialects, Malay and Tamil. In the 1940s and 1950s, separate AM radio stations were gradually created for the Chinese dialects as well as the Malay and Indian (Tamil) languages, which are now considered the predecessors to Capital 95.8FM, Warna 942 and Oli 968 respectively.
On 28 October 1989, Radio 1 began airing "mellow, middle-of-the-road music" on weekday afternoons through a seven-hour programme block.[5]
One FM became Gold 90 on 2 July 1998, playing music from the 1970s, golden oldies and country, with plans to include contemporary jazz and Latin American pop. News-heavy content would move to NewsRadio 93.8.[6]
Content[edit]
Music[edit]
GOLD 905 adopts the classic hits radio format with the majority of the playlist consisting of music from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The station has both general daytime programmes and specialist programmes of particular types or eras of music.
On weekday nights, Nite Flight features ballads, soft rock and easy listening hits. On Saturday evenings, Rock of Ages features classic rock, and Solid Gold features disco and dance music. This specialist programming previously ran from 6pm to 2am in February 2016, but was changed to run only from 8pm to midnight in November 2017.[7] On Sunday mornings, The Vintage Showcase features Oldies music from the 1960s and 1970s.
News and current affairs[edit]
From August 2018 to August 2023, the news, sports, weather, and traffic bulletins on Gold 905 generally aired at 53–57 minutes past the hour. In late August 2023, the news, sports, weather, and traffic bulletins are moved slightly later to around 57–59 minutes past the hour, just before the top of the hour.
The traffic updates are aired at 15-minute intervals in the mornings (6-10am), and 30-minute intervals for the rest of the day (12-8pm).
The news bulletin is provided by CNA938. Prior to November 2017, the news bulletin was only aired during primetime hours (6am-12pm, 5-8pm). In November 2017, Mediacorp mandated the news bulletin to be aired every hour. On weekdays, the news is aired hourly from 6:57am to 8:57pm, while on weekends the news is aired hourly from 10:54am to 7:54pm.
The commercial breaks are at :12, :24, :42, :54 minutes past the hour, and the news bulletin is aired at the :54 break.
Simulcasts[edit]
This radio is also broadcast through Okto from the end time until the broadcast starts during the end broadcast until 30 April 2019.
Frequencies[edit]
| Frequencies | TRP (kW) | Broadcast area | Transmitter site |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90.5 FM | 6 | Singapore | Bukit Batok Transmission Centre |
| Johor Bahru/Johor Bahru District, Johor, Malaysia | |||
| Batam/Batam Islands, Riau Islands, Indonesia |
National anthem[edit]
The National anthem plays at 06:00 SGT daily at the start of the broadcasting day. The National anthem is played in full with the lyrics being sung.
| Nation | National Anthem | Start Broadcast | Final Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Anthem | |||
| Straits Settlements (Singapore) | God Save the King | 1 March 1937 | 14 February 1942 |
| Syonan | Kimigayo | 15 February 1942 | 15 August 1945 |
| Straits Settlements (Singapore) | God Save the King[8] | 12 September 1945 | 31 March 1946 |
| Singapore | 1 April 1946 | 5 February 1952 | |
| God Save the Queen | 6 February 1952 | 2 December 1959 | |
| Majulah Singapura | 3 December 1959 | 15 September 1963 | |
| Singapore | Negaraku | 16 September 1963 | 8 August 1965 |
| Singapore | Majulah Singapura | 9 August 1965 | now |
| State Anthem | |||
| Singapore | Majulah Singapura | 16 September 1963 | 8 August 1965 |
Similar classic hits radio [edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "NewspaperSG - A brief look at 75 years of radio (History of Singapore Radio) - Today Online".
- ^ "BROADCASTING STATION IN SINGAPORE". The Straits Times. 12 April 1935. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "OPENING BY GOVERNOR ON MARCH 1". The Straits Times. 21 February 1937. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "SIR SHENTON THOMAS OPENS SINGAPORE'S NEW BROADCASTER". The Straits Times. 2 March 1937. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "Perfect 10 the top radio station — survey". The Straits Times. 21 October 1989. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ "One FM goes for news and gold". The Straits Times. 22 April 1998. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ Refreshed DJ line-up at Mediacorp GOLD 905
- ^ "RADIO MALAYA FADES OUT OF CATHAY". The Straits Times. 1 November 1951. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
External links[edit]