Saturday, 18 June 2022

(HOT TOPIC) What are the impacts given to Malaysia TV and radio broadcasters if Johor leaves Malaysia?


Johor is a state in Southern Region of Peninsular Malaysia where located next to Singapore, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang (clockwise). Recently a news report that The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar warned Putrajaya (Federal Government of Malaysia) that Johor could secedes from Malaysia if the state is still being discriminated by the Federal Government of Malaysia in terms of state development and the funds.

 

Actually it is just a warning and reminder to Putrajaya from The Sultan of Johor.


It is a very sensitive topic to be discussed by the public because it could be seditious as if somebody protests it, they could be arrested by the police for making seditious statement.


Talk about if Johor secedes from Malaysia, it will definitely give many impacts to everything between Malaysia, Johor and Singapore.


However, I'm not talking about this so much, but the main topic is to focus on the impacts to the current Malaysia TV and radio broadcasters if Johor quits from Malaysia and establishes as an independent country.

 

In Johor, there are three TV and radio broadcast transmitter towers, such as Gunung Ledang (for North Johor and Melaka), Gunung Pulai (South Johor) and Bukit Tinggi (Mersing).

 

If Johor leaves Malaysia, it will definitely bring many impacts to Malaysia TV and radio broadcasters, especially transmission coverage. The Malaysia TV and radio broadcasters have to shut down all the transmitters in Johor state in respect to the secession.


==Radio (transmission)==

1. For Melaka area, all radio stations are transmitted from Gunung Ledang actually. If Malaysia radio broadcasters switch off Gunung Ledang FM transmitters as Johor leaves Malaysia, they have to shift their transmission site to Bukit Tampin where located in Negeri Sembilan in order to cover Melaka state for FM broadcast transmission. Especially for commercial broadcasters who may have no interested to launch Bukit Tampin transmitters due to commercial reasons, the radio stations have to increase transmission power of Gunung Telapak Burok transmitter to cover Melaka.

2. For the listeners in Melaka, if Gunung Ledang transmitters are switched off for Malaysia radio stations, the listeners have to tune to Malaysia radio stations in Melaka by switching to Seremban frequency from Gunung Telapak Burok, however the reception is not clear.

3. In Negeri Sembilan, there are some areas relying on Gunung Ledang radio transmission, such as Lui areas of Jempol (Lui Barat, Lui Muda, Lui Timur, Felda Sungai Lui). It is impossible to receive Bukit Tampin signal in these areas, meanwhile Gunung Telapak Burok signal is poor there. RTM may need to add gap filler transmitter to cover those areas, meanwhile I don't think Malaysia commercial broadcasters have the interest to launch transmitter to cover there due to commercial value reason.

4. In Pahang, Keratong and Muadzam Shah are the areas to rely Gunung Ledang radio transmission. If Gunung Ledang transmitters are switched off, listeners in these locations need to receive radio stations signal from Gunung Telapak Burok, however it is less clear. For RTM, the Malaysia public broadcasters may need to add a transmitter in Bukit Sembilan to cover "former" Gunung Ledang coverage areas in Pahang. 

5. In Negeri Sembilan locations like Gemas, Gemencheh, Rompin and Felda Palong, the switch off of Gunung Ledang transmitter by Malaysia radio broadcasters give zero impact because these locations can still receive signal from Gunung Telapak Burok, but radio broadcasters have to widen the transmission in order to reach these locations better.

6. Malaysia radio stations may be no longer accessed in Singapore, Indonesia's Batam and Karimun as Gunung Pulai transmitters are switched off.

7. Switching off Gunung Ledang transmitters by Malaysia radio stations. Johor could be going to re-stake the frequencies allocation for FM radio, meanwhile Melaka based radio stations who move to Bukit Tampin has to reallocate the frequencies. 

8. RTM Melaka FM 102.3MHz is currently transmitted from Gunung Ledang in Johor. If the Johor's secession from Malaysia happens, Melaka FM has to move its transmitter site to Bukit Tampin to cover Melaka state, but the broadcast coverage will be smaller.

9. RTM Negeri FM has a transmitter in Gunung Ledang on FM 107.7MHz. If Gunung Ledang transmitter is switched off due to secession, RTM Negeri FM has to launch a gap filler transmitter to cover blind spot areas of Gunung Telapak Burok transmitter in Jempol, meanwhile Bukit Tampin FM 95.7MHz transmission coverage has to be widened by increasing the transmitter power to cover Tampin, Gemencheh, Gemas and Johol where FM 92.6MHz Gunung Telapak Burok signal is less clear there.


==Radio broadcasters in Johor==

* For RTM, if the secession happens, RTM (Radio Televisyen Malaysia) could be renamed as RTJ (Radio Televisyen Johor) like Singapore gains independence from Malaysia in 1965 where RTM Singapore renamed as RTS- Radio Television Singapore (now as Mediacorp). 

* RTM Johor FM could become the national radio station in Johor. In addition, Best FM could exit Klang Valley by switching off Gunung Ulu Kali transmitter as Best FM is based in Johor.


==Radio and TV (for people who tune to Malaysia TV and radio stations in Johor)==

1. If Malaysia TV and radio stations switch off Gunung Ledang transmission as Johor leaves Malaysia, the viewers and listeners in Muar, Segamat, Batu Pahat and Kluang need to receive Malaysia TV and radio stations signal from Gunung Telapak Burok (Seremban, Negeri Sembilan), but receiving signal will be poor. If Melaka based TV and radio stations are transmitted from Bukit Tampin, the availability areas in Johor will be limited in Tangkak, Muar and Segamat only as Bukit Tampin transmission cannot reach Batu Pahat and Kluang.

2. For Johor viewers who accessing MYTV service, the DTT coverage of MYTV may be limited in Tangkak and Muar (for Bukit Tampin), as well as Segamat (for Gunung Telapak Burok). 

 

==Radio and TV (for people who tune to Johor TV and radio stations in Malaysia)==

1. People who are staying in Melaka, Southeast Negeri Sembilan, Southwest Pahang and some Selangor areas can access Johor TV and radio stations by receiving signal from Gunung Ledang, becoming tuning neighboring country broadcast stations, unless the Federal Government of Malaysia chooses to jam the signal by making co-channel interference signal with allocating same frequency with Johor in Gunung Ulu Kali, Gunung Telapak Burok and Bukit Tampin.


==TV (transmission)==

1. As Malaysia already successfully switched the terrestrial television broadcast from analogue (PAL) to digital (DVB-T2) with backup support of DTH satellite transmission in 2019, MYTV is currently a digital terrestrial television infrastructure provider. If Johor leaves Malaysia, MYTV has to switch off DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) broadcast transmission in Johor (Gunung Ledang, Gunung Pulai, Taman Sentosa and Skudai). Hence, Johor people will be no longer accessing MYTV service.

2. The impact to Malaysia DTT in Melaka is zero because MYTV has Bukit Tampin transmitter to cover Melaka. In addition, zero impact is also given to Malaysia DTT in South Pahang because MYTV has Bukit Sembilan transmitter in Muadzam Shah, so it is sufficient to cover Keratong.

3. If MYTV in Gunung Ledang is switched off, it will affect MYTV viewers in East Negeri Sembilan as Felda Palong and Bandar Seri Jempol are relying on Gunung Ledang signal, but MYTV has to add DTT transmitter in Gunung Telapak Burok.

4. Viewers in Singapore and Batam will be no longer accessing MYTV as MYTV in Gunung Pulai is switched off if Johor declares independence from Malaysia. However, Singapore and Batam viewers could access Johor TV stations from Gunung Pulai, instead of Malaysia.


==Frequency planning and coordination for FM radio==

* If Johor becomes a country where secedes from Malaysia, it is more difficult to do frequency planning on FM radio because Gunung Telapak Burok, Bukit Sembilan, Kuala Rompin, Pulau Tioman, Gunung Ulu Kali and Bukit Tampin are involved in the international coordination between Malaysia and Johor as these transmitter sites can overspill to Johor state, causing signal interference. Or Johor's Gunung Ledang, Bukit Tinggi can overspill to Melaka, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and some Selangor areas. Hence, minimum frequency separation must be rolled out.


a. Gunung Ulu Kali vs. Gunung Ledang: 100kHz

b. Gunung Telapak Burok vs. Gunung Ledang: 200kHz

c. Bukit Tampin vs. Gunung Ledang: 400kHz

d. Bukit Sembilan vs. Gunung Ledang: 300kHz

e. Gunung Telapak Burok vs. Gunung Pulai: 100kHz

f. Bukit Tampin vs. Gunung Pulai: 200kHz

g. Kuala Rompin vs. Bukit Tinggi (Mersing): 300kHz

h. Pulau Tioman vs. Bukit Tinggi (Mersing): 300kHz

 

Meanwhile frequency coordination between Malaysia (Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang) and Johor on DVB-T2 digital terrestrial television services is not complex as FM radio.


In my opinion, Federal Government of Malaysia should have to listen the feedback and warnings from The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. As Johor is part of Malaysia, the Federal Government of Malaysia has to develop the state properly by not discriminating Johor. Moreover, the Federal Government should learn from their mistakes and correct the false.

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