KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today officiated the opening of the new Media City building complex and announced its new name as the Angkasapuri Media City.

Also announced were the names of roads around the complex, namely Jalan Penyiaran, Jalan Lensa, Jalan Frekuensi and Bulatan Simfoni.

"In the future, the Media City will continue to be developed as the national broadcasting centre with the participation and presence of various local broadcasters just like the successfully implemented Media City in Dubai, Manchester, Singapore and Sydney," he said when opening the complex here today.

Also present were Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Deputy Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin and Communications and Multimedia Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek.

Director-general of Broadcasting Datuk Che Roslan Che Daud and Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Roslan Ariffin were also in attendance.

Ismail Sabri said the Angkasapuri Media City would become another broadcasting icon in the country, namely Malaysia's digital broadcasting icon.

"It could be moulded into a national content publishing model as done by Hollywood in the United States and the BBC in Europe, as well as the content industry in Japan and Korea which centred on local culture and lifestyle with universally shared values," he said.

The Prime Minister said the technology that comes with the development of Angkasapuri Media City must be optimally utilised in the creation of clearer content, as well as radio and television programmes, besides providing information and entertainment to the people.

He said the development of the broadcasting industry is closely related to three main components, namely the development of technology, the creative production of content, and the availability of infrastructure and facilities.

As such, he said the Angkasapuri Media City was indeed a strategic move taken by the government to provide a conducive medium and a suitable ecosystem towards stimulating the growth and development of the broadcasting industry in this country.

The development of Angkasapuri Media City involved a total cost of RM860 million, which encompasses office space and technical areas measuring 62,027 square metres and fully equipped with technological equipment, system and centralised broadcast material archives.

The project which began on Dec 12, 2016, provides a sophisticated and high-tech broadcasting infrastructure in line with the government's plan to develop digital television broadcast services.

The complex has 18 floors of office space, an auditorium with a capacity of 1,000 people, a music recording studio and a music practice studio, three TV studios (M1, M2 and M3), a multi-storey parking space and a plaza as well as an outdoor broadcast vehicle garage.

It is also equipped with the longest escalator in the country's government offices which is 34.5 metres long.

-- BERNAMA