Best FM is both Malaysia's first private radio station (not the first commercial station, Time Highway Radio is the first), and the first to be based outside of Kuala Lumpur, in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Its studios are located in the royal town of Pasir Pelangi.
| Broadcast area | Kuala Lumpur,/Johor Bahru District, Johor Bahru, (Malaysia) (Singapore) and Batam, Batam Islands, Riau, Riau Island, (Indonesia) |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Varies depending on its region |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | Malay |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Suara Johor Sdn Bhd |
| History | |
First air date | 1989 |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Best FM Webcast |
| Website | bestfm |
Best FM began transmission as Best 104 in 1989, primarily as a music-oriented station and acts as an alternative to its competitors – Batam's Zoo FM and Singapore's Perfect 10. The owner of the station at launch was Syarikat Mados, a local company specialising in timber and aviation business closely connected to the royal family of Johor. The launch was set for September.[1]
It used to broadcast in both English and Malay, but fierce competition with other private stations broadcasting in English forced it to focus on the Malay speaking audience.
Azmil Mustapha, an actor, became the station manager in April 1991.[2] The station had a staff of 17 people in 1992.[2]
Also known as Suara Johor, it was regarded as "the best FM broadcast in the country".[3]
Best FM was suffering from losses in 1993 as it was unable to sustain the operating costs. [4]
Best FM began broadcasting 24 hours a day on 1 January 1996.[5]
On 9 March 1996, Best FM became a commercial station, with the launch officiated by the then-Crown Prince Ibrahim. [6]
Its commercialisation began when it extended its broadcast area to outside its native Johor state and the commencement of round-the-clock broadcast in 1996. Best 104 was at one time one of the more popular bilingual stations with listeners in Singapore and the national capital Kuala Lumpur; stiff competition for the English speaking audience caused the station to stop its English broadcast in 2001.
DJ Burhan Mohtaruddin, also known as BBD, held the world record of the longest on-air announcer after conducting the radio station non-stop for 104 hours,[7] from midnight of 2 October 2000 until 8.00 a.m., 6 October 2000.[8]
Julie Diana Omar Shariff, a deejay with Best FM, was almost kidnapped and killed by eleven men in October 2012.[9]
In February 2014, Best 104 has changed its name to Best FM.
Frequency edit
References edit
- ^ "Sept start for KL's private radio station". The Straits Times. 18 April 1989. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Off the stage and on the air". The New Paper. 13 February 1992. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "Major radio channels to go FM by end of year". The Straits Times. 29 July 1992. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ "Lesen 'Suara Johor' tak boleh dipindah milik". Berita Harian (Singapore). 16 June 1993. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "24-HOUR RADIO". The Straits Times. 29 December 1995. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "Royal station goes commercial". The Straits Times. 11 March 1996. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "DJ goes on a long spin to break record". The Straits Times. 7 October 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ Communications, Maxis; Danny Ooi (2000). Malaysian Book of Records, Millennium Edition. Cheras, Kuala Lumpur: MBR Publications. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
- ^ "Deejay hampir dibunuh dan dibakar". Berita Harian (Singapore). 2 October 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
External links edit
1°29′13″N 103°46′53″E / 1.48705°N 103.78151°E
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