Singapore Press : Media Release - The Business Times: New Newspaper, Website And Mobile Apps

Media Release

Singapore, 7 October 2014 - The Business Times, the financial daily of Singapore Press Holdings, will be launching a major refresh of its newspaper, website and mobile apps tomorrow, Wednesday, October 8.
The new BT is designed to provide readers with a better reading experience and a more enjoyable interaction with the paper. Its new masthead reinforces the paper's identity as a credible source of business news, insights and analysis. Wider columns and more distinct fonts give the paper a crisp feel, and make for clearer reading.
The biggest change in the new BT, in print and online, will be how the news is reported. The news will now be categorised by industry sectors - rather than geographical markets - underlining the paper's sharpened focus on business.
The new business sectors are:

 Real Estate

 Banking & Finance

 Energy & Commodities

 Technology

 Consumer

 Transport

 Life & Culture

A new "Government & Economy" section will cover major global political and economic news events, and their implications. And an enhanced Opinion section provides a greater breadth and depth of insights and analysis on key trending issues.
Some editorial highlights include:

 Daily Digest - a quick front page summary of the most important stories of the day.

 Top Stories - highlights the most important stories of the day across markets and countries, with more infographics to explain the news and trends.

 Companies & Markets - focuses on Singapore-listed companies and market news. This will have two new pages of charts and tables providing a concise summary of the market day - in Singapore, as well as regional and global markets.

Weekly sections such as "Views from the Top", "SME", "Executive Money" and
"Lifestyle" will remain as mainstay content of the new BT.

The Business Times Weekend edition, which marks its sixth anniversary this year, will reflect the new business sector sections of the weekday paper. It retains its compact format and a Weekend Living pullout.

The New BT Digital

The new BT website (businesstimes.com.sg) will carry breaking news as well as all stories from the print edition. With the website's new responsive design, the BusinessTimes.com.sg will be readable and easy to navigate on all screen sizes. Readers can enjoy the same browsing experience on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
New features online include:

 A new Lifestyle portal, with its own distinct look and feel. This will feature all stories on luxury living from BT's Friday and Saturday editions, as well as breaking news through the week.

 A new SME section. This will feature all stories from the weekly SME page, the

SME Magazine and other SME-related news stories.

 Three new blogs by BT journalists. Views on the Singapore stock market, discussions from a data-driven perspective, and observations on the lighter side of life.

Readers will be able to share their views on our stories, via a new comments section, and share the stories easily via Facebook, Twitter or email, with more convenient sharing buttons.
All readers will be able to read in full BT's non-exclusive breaking news, blogs and three "Editor's Choice" stories from each day's print edition. Readers can subscribe to gain access to richer content from both the print and online versions: exclusive scoops, opinion and analysis pieces, infographics, and special feature packages.
As some readers still prefer to use apps tailored to their choice of tablet or smartphone, BT's iPad, iPhone and Android smartphone apps have also been refreshed. The new apps offer readers a consistent user experience with the website, with improved navigation and a new search feature.
Mr Alvin Tay, Editor of The Business Times, said: "The reader is at the core of the latest relaunch of The Business Times. The new BT, in print and digital, will provide readers with both enhanced content and a better reading experience. For advertisers, the new format will also offer more focused opportunities. The Business Times will continue to
be the leading voice on business and financial news in Singapore, and a must-read for decision makers, business leaders and investors."

Subscription plans

BT's subscription plans remain the same. Subscribers can visit btsubscribe.com.sg to sign up for any of the following:

In line with the launch of the new BT, new BT subscribers will be entitled to a range of gifts when they sign up.
The BT All-in-One package offers subscribers access to all editions of BT (print, website, iPad and smartphone apps) and allows them to read BT apps on up to four mobile devices, concurrently. Subscribers will have full access to daily premium content, both
the native website and PDF editions, and will be able to read from a 7-day archive of
BT's news.
The first 500 first-time subscribers to any one-year BT subscription plan will get an exclusive Ermenegildo Zegna tie worth $310.
All new subscribers to any one-year BT subscription plan will also receive:

 Raffles Conversations (2014 edition)

 A 1-year subscription to The Peak Digital

 A pair of S.E.A. Aquarium tickets

For subscription-related enquiries, readers may call (65) 6538 3838 or email btocs@sph.com.sg. The customer service hotline is manned from 8.30am to 6.30pm on Mondays to Fridays.

Yeo Siew Chi (Mr) Manager
Corporate Communications & CSR Division
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
DID: 6319 1586
HP: 9749 5105
Email: mailto:yeosc@sph.com.sgyeosc@sph.com.sg

About The Business Times

The Business Times, a member of the Singapore Press Holdings group, is South-east Asia's leading financial daily. BT brings to its readers daily corporate, financial, economic and political news, analysis and commentary on print and digital platforms. It provides readers with in-depth coverage of Singapore and Asian business and economic developments, as well as global trends that impact Singapore business. BT's lifestyle journalists bring busy executives the latest in recreation, entertainment, the arts, design, food and shopping.

For more information, please visit http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/businesstimes.com.sg. Facebook: facebook.com/TheBusinessTimes

Twitter: @BTbreakingnews

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-business-times

Google+: plus.google.com/+BusinessTimesSgBT

About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Incorporated in 1984, main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is Asia's leading media organisation, engaging minds and enriching lives across multiple languages and platforms.

Newspapers, Magazines and Book Publishing

SPH has 19 titles licensed under the Newspaper Printing and Presses Act, of which nine are daily newspapers across four languages. On an average day, 2.8 million individuals or 69 per cent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH's news publications. SPH also publishes and produces more than

100 magazine titles in Singapore and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to information technology. SPH's subsidiaries, Straits Times Press and Focus Publishing, produce quality books and periodicals in English and Chinese.

Internet and Mobile

Beyond print, SPH's suite of digital products includes online editions of newspapers and magazines, as well as mobile applications. Our online products enjoy 360 million page views with 23 million unique browsers every month. Apart from AsiaOne, SPH's online and new media initiatives include ST701, the leading online marketplace for jobs (STJobs), property (STProperty), cars (STCars) and general classifieds (STClassifieds); Stomp, http://omy.sg/omy.sgand SPH Razor. Besides print, SPH newspapers are also available on online, smartphone and tablet platforms.

Broadcasting

In the radio business, SPH Radio Pte Ltd operates entertainment stations UFM 100.3 in Mandarin, as well as Kiss92 and HOT FM91.3 in English. SPH has a 20 per cent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8 and U, and a 40 per cent stake in MediaCorp Press Limited, which publishes the free newspaper, Today.

Events and Out-of-Home Advertising

SPH's events arm Sphere Exhibits organises innovative consumer and trade events and exhibitions as well as large scale conferences in Singapore and the region. In addition, SPH has ventured into out-of- home (OOH) advertising through its digital out-of-home platform SPHMBO.

Properties

SPH REIT is a Singapore-based REIT established principally to invest, directly or indirectly, in a portfolio of income-producing real estate which is used primarily for retail purposes in Asia-Pacific, as well as real estate-related assets. SPH REIT is managed by SPH REIT Management Pte Ltd, which is a wholly- owned subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings Limited.

The initial portfolio of SPH REIT comprises the following two high quality and well located commercial properties in Singapore:

• Paragon, a premier upscale retail mall and medical suite/office property, well known for its upscale mall housing many luxury brands, located in the heart of Orchard Road; and

• The Clementi Mall, a mid-market suburban mall located in the centre of Clementi town, an established residential estate in the west of Singapore.

The Seletar Mall is SPH's latest retail development and is expected to open at the end of 2014. This property is a potential asset to be injected into SPH REIT. SPH's wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, also developed a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson Road.

For more information, please visit http://www.sph.com.sg/www.sph.com.sg.

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