Niam Chiang Meng to replace Ernest Wong as Mediacorp chairman

Mr Niam Chiang Meng (left) has been a director on the Mediacorp Board since November 2016. PHOTOS: MEDIACORP

SINGAPORE - Local broadcaster Mediacorp announced on Friday (Jan 19) it is appointing Mr Niam Chiang Meng as its new chairman.

Mr Niam, 59, will succeed Mr Ernest Wong, 72, as chairman on April 21 this year.

Mr Niam has been a director on the Mediacorp Board since November 2016.

He chairs the company's Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) Board Committee and is a member of its Executive Committee as well as its Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Other than his roles at Mediacorp, Mr Niam is chairman of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Board Member of Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.

He was previously chairman of the Media Development Authority - now known as the Info-communications Media Development Authority - from 2011 to 2016.

Mr Niam had a long career in the civil service: He was Permanent Secretary (Information, Communications and the Arts) and Permanent Secretary (National Population and Talent Division) in the Prime Minister's Office, before retiring from civil service in 2016.

Mr Niam said he was honoured and humbled to take over as chairman and looks forward to working with the Mediacorp team and its partners to ensure that "Mediacorp delivers great content to consumers and harnesses the opportunities created by digital disruption and new consumer trends".

"As we do this, Mediacorp will remain committed to its public service broadcasting responsibilities, a commitment underscored by the establishment of the new PSB Board Committee that I chair," he said.

He thanked his predecessor Mr Wong for his contributions and guidance, and said Mr Wong had drawn on his strong track record of corporate and financial management to position the company well for its next phase of growth and development in the digital age.

Mr Wong completes his two-year term with the board on April 20.

Other than his role as chairman, he had held the position of Mediacorp's Group CEO for five years.

Before that, he was United Overseas Bank's Group President from 1990 to 2000.

Among his contributions to the national broadcaster are improvements to the company's financial structure.

Mr Wong also oversaw the appointment of Ms Tham Loke Kheng as CEO in September last year.

During his term, Mediacorp assumed full ownership of Mediacorp TV Holdings - which owns Channels 5, 8 and U and Mediacorp Studios - last year, as well as Mediacorp Press, which operates the Today newspaper.

Mediacorp bought minority shareholdings held by Singapore Press Holdings in the two entities in a transaction completed last year.

Mr Wong said Mr Niam was a natural choice for chairman and said he was confident the company will continue to thrive under him.

"On my part it is gratifying to know that what needed to be done has so far been done or set in motion," he said. "It's now timely for a younger chairman to take over."

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