Singapore Radio Headlines: FM 99.5MHz is empty in Singapore. Will it become next Malay radio station by SPH Radio?

Previously IMDA Singapore awarded FM 89.3MHz and FM 96.3MHz to Singapore Press Holdings Radio.

- FM 89.3MHz: Money FM, Singapore's first English business radio station
- FM 96.3MHz: Hao (好) FM, Singapore's Chinese classic music radio station to compete with Mediacorp Love 97.2FM.

After Lush FM 99.5MHz was closed down on 1st September 2017, the frequency is vacant until today. What's the future of FM 99.5MHz in Singapore?

Currently Singapore has 19 radio stations, I will list by group.

==MediaCorp==
- Ria 897FM: Malay language Hot Contemporary Radio to target Malay young listners
- Gold 905FM: English language classic radio stations
- Symphony FM 92.4MHz: English language classic opera radio stations
- YES 933: Chinese language Hot Contemporary Radio
- 938NOW: English language talk radio station
- Warna 942: Malay language adult contemporary radio
- Class 95FM: English adult contemporary radio
- Capital 958FM: Chinese talk radio station
- Oli 968FM: Tamil general entertainment radio station
- Love 972FM: Chinese adult contemporary radio station
- 987FM: English Hot Contemporary Radio

==SPH Radio==
- One FM 91.3: English classic and rock radio station
- Kiss 92FM: English adult contemporary radio station (from 1990s till today)
- UFM 1003: Chinese Hot Contemporary radio station
- Money FM 89.3: English business radio station
- 96.3 Hao FM: Chinese classic radio station

==So Drama! Entertainment (SAFRA)==
- 883 Jia FM: Chinese contemporary radio station
- Power 98FM: English hot contemporary radio station

88.9MHz: BBC World Service

For SPH radio, there is no Malay language radio station yet. In Singapore, besides local Malay language radio stations Ria 897FM and Warna 942FM, Singaporean Malays still can access Malay language radio stations by tuning from Malaysia where is transmitted from Gunung Pulai (Johor Bahru) such as:

- 87.8MHz: Sinar
- 90.1MHz: Hot FM
- 92.8MHz: Zayan
- 101.4MHz: Suria FM
- 101.9MHz: Johor FM
- 104.1MHz: Best FM
- 104.5MHz: Era (not clear in southern areas of Singapore due to adjacent interference from Batam radio 104.3 and 104.7)
- 105.7MHz: Nasional FM
- 106.2MHz: IKIM FM
- 106.7MHz: Radio Klasik
- 107.5MHz: Bernama Radio

Imagine if Singapore Press Holdings launches its Malay language radio station on FM 99.5MHz, Singapore will get its 3rd Malay language radio station. In addition, SPH does not only compete with MediaCorp radio stations, even Malaysia Malay language radio station too.

In my opinion, if SPH launches Malay language radio stations FM 99.5MHz, I think it can become Malay version of Kiss 92FM in Singapore. Plays Malay and Indonesian songs from 1980s and beyond.

Within 2010's, MediaCorp had ceased three radio stations, such as TV Mobile 893, Expat Radio XFM 963 and Lush 995FM. Two out of three MediaCorp defunct radio station 89.3 and 96.3 were fallen to Singapore Press Holdings. In the future, will FM 99.5MHz to be fallen to SPH Radio?

If 99.5MHz is fallen to SPH Radio again during IMDA tender, I think there can be higher chance to launch Malay language radio stations to compete with Warna 942 and Ria 897. Besides that, this SPH Malay language radio station can compete with Sinar FM, Era FM, Zayan, Best FM, Nasional FM, Johor FM, Hot FM and Suria FM around Johor. Moreover, Malaysia Media Prima Kool FM is not available in Johor Bahru, currently its listeners need to listen to Kool FM via mobile app, but when SPH Malay radio station (likely 99.5) plays 1980s and 1990s, this radio can provide another alternative to Malay listeners in Johor.

==Radio war between SPH and MediaCorp==
- UFM 1003 vs. YES 933
- Money FM 893 vs. 938NOW
- 96.3 Hao FM vs. Love 972FM
- Kiss 92FM vs. Class 95FM
- One FM 91.3 vs. Gold 905FM
- (Malay radio 995) vs. Ria 897/Warna 942??