Rediffusion, Singapore’s First Radio Station, is launched

On 1 August 1949, Singapore’s first commercial and cable-transmitted radio station, Rediffusion (丽的呼声), was officially launched. From engaging traditional tales to recordings of outdoor stage performances, Rediffusion broadcasted a diverse range of programmes and was often heard in coffeeshops and households. During the 1950s to 1980s, Rediffusion regularly held singing competitions, which attracted thousands of enthusiasts and sparked a cultural phenomenon. From 1953 to 1965, the competitions featured Chinese art songs (艺术歌曲, from the classical art music tradition), while the pop genre took centre stage from 1965. Many local talents such as Chang Siao Ying (张小英) were discovered through Rediffusion’s singing competitions. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sources: Barbara Quek. "Rediffusion’s Golden Years." BiblioAsia, 21 January 2020.;Leong Hui Chuan. "重温‘丽的呼声’昔日多姿多彩的时光." BiblioAsia, October-December 2012.