BARELY three weeks after it was launched on Aug 8, Singapore's first live and interactive TV service, The Straits Times RazorTV, has proven to be a hit with netizens.
The service, which broadcasts live from Singapore Press Holdings' Multimedia Centre web studio, sees the convergence of web TV and social networking.
One of its unique qualities is that it allows for real-time interactivity between those in the web studio, live studio guests and the audience tuning in.
All live programmes are immediately converted to videoon- demand, so that people will never miss a programme. You can't say the same for traditional TV.
RazorTV has also developed a range of engaging and innovative programmes. Take, for example, Point Blank, the provocative current affairs show with a hyper-local spin. RazorTV reporters go to ground zero, at the grassroots level, to suss out the issues that affect Singaporeans.
In one Point Blank episode, a studio guest, psychologist Yam Keng Mun, discussed the typical Singaporean commuter behaviour with presenters and the online audience. The behaviour - more like misbehaviour - was captured by special spy cams.
Said Alkiefish, a regular Razorite: "After this whole point-by-point discussion, I think I'm satisfied with the good doctor's critique that Singaporeans are not the only people susceptible to selfish behaviour. The only solution to anti-social behaviour is to create a culture where courtesy is the norm."
Another programme that got Razorites buzzing was R.age, which captures the latest lifestyle trends in Singapore.
Said one Razorite on the website's comments box: "I like it that R.age gets down and dirty and finds out what all the rage is with our citizenry."
In one episode, R.age invited Ms Vihari Sheth, a jeweller who has a chain of stores opened under her name, bring into the studio (fondly nicknamed the Living Room) a 21-carat brilliant round-cut diamond to explain why women go crazy over diamonds.
Supertern had this to say about Razor Pop, an entertainment programme: "This is so cool! The programme gives me insights to global pop-culture, and my fave band, Jack and Rai, also performed live in the studio."
In another daily show, Net Noise, RazorTV's presenters work hard to trawl the online world, including SPH websites like Stomp and AsiaOne, to update the audience on latest trends and viral videos.
In Paper Cut, presenters sift through local and regional newspapers in various languages to find the meatiest issues resonating with Singaporeans.
Said Moonshine, a self-confessed information junkie: "I've got a very busy schedule, so Paper Cut provides me with a choice selection of the most hard-hitting headline news and views."
The live broadcasts are screened from Mondays to Fridays from 2pm to 11pm. The webisodes are then converted to videos-on-demand, so that users can view what they want, when they want it.
Said Mr Eugene Leow, editor for RazorTV: "We do not want to lose Singapore eyeballs to foreign websites like YouTube, although, currently, there's no local news video site to rival RazorTV.
"We aim to retain not only existing eyeballs in Singapore, but also garner new ones through our innovative programming."
