Our History

The Beginning

• SPH Limited was incorporated in Singapore under the Companies Act as a public company in August 1984.
• At the point of incorporation, SPH Limited published seven newspapers in three languages – The Straits Times, Berita Harian, The Business Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min Daily News and Singapore Monitor.

Rolling Out An Additional News Print

• The first edition of The New Paper rolled off the press into the hands of Dr Yeo Ning Hong, who launched the paper in July 1988.

Becoming Singapore’s Trusted News Source

• SPH Limited was converted to a newspaper company in July 1989 as defined in the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act, Cap. 206.

Digital Trailblazer For Business News In Asia

• The Business Times – Singapore’s only financial newspaper, was the first English newspaper in Asia to go online (Business Times Online) in January 1994.

Going Digital With English and Chinese News

• Lianhe Zaobao became the first Chinese newspaper in the world to go online in August 1995.
• The Multimedia Division was formed in November 1995 to position SPH Limited for the multimedia age.
• The Straits Times Interactive and The Electric New Paper – electronic versions of our print publications made their debut on the internet in December 1995.

Engaging Malay Readers Online

• CyBerita, the digital version of Berita Harian – Singapore’s only Malay-language newspaper was launched in March 1996.

Engaging and Enriching Students

• Thumbs Up, a Chinese weekly tabloid aimed at Primary 4 and 5 students, was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in January 2000.
• In October 2000, The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund was launched to help families with financial difficulties provide for their children’s education.
• In January 2005, two weekly English student publications – Little Red Dot for upper primary students, and IN for secondary school students – were launched.

Bolstering Reach To The Local Indian Community

• tabla!, a tabloid-sized English language paper targeted at the Indian community in Singapore, was launched in October 2008.

Modernising Print Operations

• In April 2010, SPH Limited upgraded its printing assets, converting the current file-based plate-making system into a digitised computer-to-plate system.

Breaking News Delivered On Apps

• In August 2011, The Straits Times launched its new iPad app and an enhanced iPhone app, extending the paper’s presence across all digital platforms.
• Lianhe Zaobao launched its app on iPad and Android tablets in December 2011.

Singapore’s First Radio Station For The Ladies

• Kiss92, Singapore’s first radio station for the modern, driven and savvy woman, was launched in September 2012. It was a fresh injection to the local radio scene which had not seen a new entrant in almost 20 years.

Growing Listenership

• In January 2018, 96.3 Hao FM went on air. It was the first Chinese radio station to be launched after more than 2 decades.

• Singapore’s first business radio station, MONEY FM 89.3, went live in Febuary 2018

Your Trusted News On One Device

• The innovative SPH News Tablet was launched in March 2019 for a seamless digital reading experiences across our news brands.

Charting A New Path

• From 1 December 2021, SPH Media Trust, a Company Limited by Guarantee, began operating SPH Media under a not-for-profit structure.

Expanding the horizons

• On 3 Jan 2024, SPH Media acquired Tech in Asia Pte. Ltd. (TIA), a well-established technology media company to increase value of businesses and readers in the region, accelerating its goal of becoming a regional player for business and tech news.

A refreshed but consistent voice

• On 14 Mar 2024, SPH Media announced a refreshed brand. The new SPH Media logo speaks to our brand promise while paying tribute to our rich heritage. The bold curves, open ended design evokes a sense of vibrancy and adaptability, a nod to our pursuit of innovation and knowledge as we step into the future.