19 October 2008; 15 years ago (2008-10-19)(as a standalone channel) 1 May 2019; 4 years ago (2019-05-01)(as a children's block on Channel 5) 6 February 2021; 3 years ago (2021-02-06)(as a children's block on Channel 8)
Closed
30 April 2019; 4 years ago (2019-04-30) (as a standalone channel)
The brand originally operated as a standalone free-to-air channel from 19 October 2008 to 1 May 2019 having been spun off from the Arts Central and Kids Central strands aired by Central (whose Tamil language programming had been concurrently spun off as channel Vasantham). The channel also occasionally aired sports programming. Okto take over the channel allotments formerly used by Channel i.
On 30 April 2019 at 11:59pm SGT, the channel was discontinued and Okto transitioned to becoming a children's programme block on Channel 5. The brand was later extended to Channel 8 in Chinese.
History
Predecessors (1995-2008)
On 26 August 1994, the Minister for Information and the ArtsGeorge Yeo announced the plan for the creation of a fourth free-to-air television channel in Singapore, offering a predominantly cultural lineup, during the bill to privatise the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. Under this plan, Channel 8 would switch to an entirely-Chinese format, causing the Tamil shows there to move to Channel 12, using its new format to concentrate primarily on Malay and Indian content, whereas the cultural output that was on the former Channel 12 would move to a new UHF channel, due to the lack of VHF slots available.[1]
TV12 (later renamed Singapore Television Twelve) received the greenlight from the Singapore Broadcasting Authority to broadcast a UHF channel on 27 July 1995. Under this plan, Tamil programming was set to move to Channel 12.[2]
Premiere 12 was officially formal full launched took place on 1 September 1995 at 8:00pm SGT following the split of Channel 12 into it and Prime 12. The channel broadcast on a separate UHF frequency (Channel 12's frequency and channel space was occupied by Prime 12). Premiere 12 also included children's TV series (mainly for a preschooler audience) and sports coverage. Premiere 12 later included Tamil language programme and was rebranded as Central on 30 January 2000.
Central's programming schedule was composed of three timeshared channels:
On 30 April 2019 at 11:59pm SGT, the entire channel's final shutdown sequence commenced during the last sport programme, station ident of OktoSports, closedown ident of concluding with "Good Night!". Was followed by the national anthem music video being played and afterwards a slide claiming the channel's officially shutdown was officially this channel merged into programmes block on Channel 5 as Okto on 5 and all sports programmes officially moved back return from OktoSports was officially closing transmission on same day to Toggle and Channel 5 on 1 May 2019 at stroke of midnight SGT.
The closure of the channel, Okto officially change from free-to-air terrestrial channel to becomes programmes block on Channel 5 as Okto on 5 on 1 May 2019 and Channel 8 weekend children's programming block '乐乐窝' (Lè Lè Wō) was officially relaunched as Okto尽在8' (Okto on 8) on 6 February 2021.
As a programming block
Okto officially become a children's and family programming block on Channel 5 as well as a content hub on Mediacorp's video on demand platform Toggle. Okto's sports programming was also moved to Toggle and Channel 5 with coverage of major events airing on Channel 5 proper.[5][6] Okto's channel license was subsequently surrendered to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).[5]
On 6 February 2021, Channel 8's weekend children's programming block '乐乐窝' (Lè Lè Wō) was officially relaunched as Okto尽在8' (Okto on 8).
Programming
Since its standalone channel era, Okto mostly aired English language-produced series with selected shows being broadcast in their original language. The channel aired mostly children's programmes, as well as some arts and sports programmes. The channel's target audiences were children aged 2–13, and adults aged 18–39.[7]
From June 2014 to 30 April 2019, Sports on Okto (later renamed as OktoSports) was introduced which showed sporting events live as well as recorded and delayed coverage.
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