The local media covers various newspapers, magazines, satellite TV stations and radios. The main local newspapers are: The Straits Times is a huge newspaper covering most of the current Asian and international affairs. The newspaper has a lot of facts and you will surely like it if you prefer this type of fact driven journalistic.

An advertisement often seen in Singapore
Photo by drcorneilus Some rights reserved

Another major Singapore newspaper is the Business Times. It was launched in October 1976 and now it is a firmly established media leader in the Southeast Asia region. The newspaper focuses on daily news from the business, financial, corporate, economic and political world. Moreover there are comprehensive analysis and comments. The emphasis is on Singapore and Asian news and trends, but developments elsewhere in the world are also covered in considerable depth as Singapore's business interests are global.

If you prefer a tabloid type newspaper than The New Paper is the right choice. It covers everything from business, social, entertainment and crime news. There is also an array of Chinese local newspapers - Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min Daily News.

Some outdoor advertisements in Singapore
Photo by timparkinson Some rights reserved

The Singapore media also covers a variety of international press. Most of them are distributed through the same media network and you should be able to find foreign press media easily. Some of the international newspapers, magazines and journals available in Singapore are Asia Week, Forbes, National Geographic, Newsweek, Reader's Digest and US News & World Reports.

The women and fashion issues feature the Esquire, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, Vogue and Women's Weekly. If you find it difficult to get the issues you are interested in, than arrange a subscription for their online versions. It might not be the same as to get the magazine itself but will still do. For a complete listing of the foreign media in Singapore, visit the media guide website. There is not only a full list of the foreign newspapers and magazines, but of the foreign radio and TV stations.

Speaking of TV broadcasting in Singapore, it is worth mentioning that there are two local television stations - the Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) and Television Twelve (TV12).

TCS delivers Channel 5, featuring English news and entertainment programs. Another channel brought by TCs is Channel 8, which is dedicated to Chinese programs.

TV12 has 2 programs Prime and Premiere 12, dedicated to arts, culture, sports, and documentaries. Premiere 12 also features various language channels in Malay, Tamil, Japanese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Some ads you'll see in Singapore bus stops
Photo by LiveU4 Some rights reserved

The bad news is that if you are not quite happy with the TV stations broadcasted in Singapore there are not much more other choices. Private satellite dishes are not allowed in Singapore. The international satellite broadcasters such as MTV, Discovery Asia, and HBO are only using Singapore as an uplink to the other markets.

There's also rich radio media in Singapore makes it up for the insufficient TV programs. There are four stations: the Radio Corporation of Singapore (RCS), NTUC Radio Heart, SAFRA Radio and Rediffusion, offering a spread of 19 channels.

Having said all of the above makes it clear that the media in Singapore might not be like the media in your home country but still it covers the main local and international news. Another serious advantage is that the Singapore government invests a lot of money to develop the sector further as this is part of the strategic plan for establishing Singapore as the main media centre in the Asia pacific region.