Era (radio station)

Radio station in Kuala Lumpur

Era

* Kuala Lumpur

Broadcast area| Penang Island (Era Penang only)
Johor Bahru and Johor Bahru District (Era Johor only)
Singapore (Era Johor only)
Batam City/Batam Island (Era Johor only)
Brunei (Era Sarawak only)
Thailand (Era Kedah only)
RDS| ERA
Programming
Language(s)| Malay
Format| Top 40 (CHR)
Affiliations| Astro Radio
Ownership
Owner| Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad

Sister stations

List

*     * Sinar
* Zayan
* Gegar
* Raaga
* My
* Melody
* GoXuan
* Hitz
* Mix
* Lite

History

First air date

| 1996; 28 years ago (1996) (Astro-only audio channel)
1998; 26 years ago (1998) (FM broadcasting)

Former names

| Era FM
(01.08.1998 - 31.12.2017)
Links
Webcast| Syok
TuneIn (Klang Valley and Kelantan)
Website| ERA

Era (stylized ERA on radio, formerly Era FM until 2017)[1] is a Malaysian Malay-language radio station operated by Astro Radio. The radio station broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The radio station went on air on 1 August 1998. In the past few years, this station played a wider mixture of music from the 1980s to current-day, but now it plays Malaysian and international hit songs, including Korean songs. Radio stations in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching will be moved back to Kuala Lumpur following Astro Radio closure of operations in Sabah and Sarawak since 30 September 2023.[2] In 2015, as according to Nielsen RAM Survey Wave #1, Era FM maintained its position as Malaysia's leading Malay-language station with over 4.8 million listeners.[3]

## History

[edit]

The frequency slot, which is 103.3 FM in Klang Valley was originally known as Classic Rock and was one of the five radio stations first introduced by AMP Radio Networks along with Hitz FM, Mix FM, Light & Easy and TalkRadio (frequency taken over by My FM, which also began broadcasting on 1 August of that year). It launched on the Malaysian FM airwaves in January 1997 after being one of Astro's audio-only channels since the launch of the satellite network in October the year before. Over the one-year period, demand grew for radio content in Bahasa Malaysia, as listeners who were exposed to AMP's English brands wanted the same formats but in other major local languages. This compelled AMP to make changes to its line-up, swapping Classic Rock to Era FM, leaving Classic Rock as an Astro-only radio station.[4]

On 1 August 1998, Era FM went on air as the first private radio station to be broadcast completely in the Malay language, with "Hijau" by Zainal Abidin, which is a trademark for the radio station, being the first song to be played on the radio station, ending the monopoly of Malay-language radio stations run by state-run Radio RTM.

Era FM was once the leader in Malay-language FM radio stations, but has lost its popularity to its sister station, Sinar FM. In 2012, Era FM regained the top spot as the most popular radio station in Malaysia with close to 5 million listeners. Era FM is the first radio station in Malaysia to hold three records in the Malaysia Book Of Records since 1998.

On 2 January 2018, Era FM was rebranded to ERA in a move by Astro Radio to integrate multiple platforms beyond traditional radio.[1] At the same time, a new logo was also unveiled with the rebranding.

### Era in East Malaysia

[edit]

Prior to 2000, like its main sister stations, Era FM did not have any stations in Sabah and Sarawak.

In 2010, Era FM began opt-out programming for Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia, with their own studio and on-the-ground team in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, respectively; as well as local announcers and DJs conversing in Malay and different East Malaysian languages.

Between 2017 and 2018, Sabah and Sarawak opt-outs were upgraded to full-fledged local outlets, with all content originating from their respective capital cities 24 hours a day, and ending reliance with its Kuala Lumpur flagship during off-peak hours. Era FM Sabah became fully-local on 24 April 2017;[5] Era Sarawak followed suit on 22 January 2018.

### Astro Radio stopped operations in Sabah and Sarawak and moved to Bukit Jalil

[edit]

Source:[6]

On 1 October 2023, Astro Radio has stopped its operations in Sabah and Sarawak. Despite this move, radio broadcasts for ERA Sarawak and ERA Sabah will continue as usual but operations will be moved back to Kuala Lumpur from 1 January 2024.

As a result, the English and Chinese radio channels, Hitz Sarawak, Hitz Sabah, My Sarawak and My Sabah will return their broadcasts to Kuala Lumpur.

On 8 January 2024, ERA Sarawak and ERA Sabah will start operating from the Asia Broadcasting Center, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.

## Frequencies and availability

[edit]

ERA Frequencies

Frequencies  | Area  | Transmitter

|
|

103.3 MHz  | Klang Valley | Gunung Ulu Kali
Kota Bahru, Kelantan | Bukit Panau
103.6 MHz  | Perlis, Alor Setar, Kedah and Penang | Mount Jerai
Seremban, Negeri Sembilan | Gunung Telapak Buruk
90.7 MHz  | Langkawi, Kedah | Gunung Raya
95.2 MHz  | Taiping, Perak | Bukit Larut
103.7 MHz  | Ipoh, Perak | Gunung Kledang
90.3 MHz  | Malacca | Mount Ledang
104.5 MHz  | Johor Bahru, Johor and Singapore | Mount Pulai
98.0 MHz  | Kuantan, Pahang | Bukit Pelindung
102.8 MHz  | Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu | Bukit Jerung

ERA Sarawak & ERA Sabah Frequencies

Frequencies  | Area  | Transmitter

|
|

96.1 MHz  | Kuching, Sarawak | Bukit Djin
96.3 MHz  | Sibu, Sarawak | Bukit Lima
101.3 MHz  | Miri, Sarawak and Belait District, Brunei | Bukit Lambir
102.4 MHz  | Kota Kinabalu, Sabah | Bukit Karatong
103.0 MHz  | Sandakan, Sabah | Bukit Trig

### Internet radio

[edit]

Broadcast online on SYOK website and APP

* Era Nusantera
* Era Flow
* Era Cintan
* Era K-Hit
* Era Throwbaek
* Era Lagu Baru Nak Up
* Era Nurock
* Era Indie

### Television

[edit]

Platform TV  | Channel

|

Astro/Astro NJOI | 856

## Azan

[edit]

On 1 January 2018, this channel had no Azan (except Subuh for Ramadan and Maghrib), but in January 2022, this channel brought back Azan for all obligatory prayer time due to the new tagline "Muzik Hit Terkini" replacing "Muzik Hit Terbaik".

## In popular culture

[edit]

Era was parodised as Erron in Afdlin Shauki's 2004 film, Buli.

## Similar radios

[edit]

* Trax FM/I-Radio in Indonesia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Astro Radio refreshes 11 brands to deliver better value to fans". Astro. 2 January 2018. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
2. ^ Astro Radio Ceases Operation In Sabah & Sarawak, All Staff Given Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS)
3. ^ "71% of Malaysians Listen to Astro Radio". Astro. 19 June 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
4. ^ "About AMP". Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
5. ^ "Era fm: Full local content from April 24". Daily Express (Malaysia). 15 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
6. ^ Astro Radio Ceases Operation In Sabah & Sarawak, All Staff Given Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS)

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Astro Radio

* Astro All Asia Networks plc

Radio stations|

| Malay|

* Era
* Sinar
* Gegar
* Zayan

|

English|

* Hitz
* Mix
* Lite

Mandarin|

* My
* Melody
* goXuan

Tamil|

* Raaga

* v
* t
* e

Radio stations of Malaysia by availability and languages

Public

| Availability|

| National|

| English|

* TraXX FM

|

Malay|

* Radio Klasik
* Nasional FM

Chinese|

* Ai FM

Tamil|

* Minnal FM

Various|

* Asyik FM

Regional|

| Various|

* Bintulu FM
* Johor FM
* Kedah FM
* Kelantan FM
* Keningau FM
* KL FM
* Labuan FM
* Langkawi FM
* Limbang FM
* Melaka FM
* Miri FM
* Mutiara FM
* Negeri FM
* Pahang FM
* Perak FM
* Perlis FM
* Putra FM
* Red FM
* Sabah FM
* Sabah Vfm
* Sandakan FM
* Sarawak FM
* Selangor FM
* Sibu FM
* Sri Aman FM
* Tawau FM
* Terengganu FM
* UFM
* Wai FM
* Bernama Radio
* IKIM.fm

|

Commercial

| Availability|

| National|

| English|

* Fly FM
* Hitz
* Lite
* Mix

|

Malay|

* Era
* Kool 101
* Hot FM
* Sinar
* Suria
* Zayan

Chinese|

* goXuan
* Melody
* My
* 8FM
* 988 FM

Regional|

| English|

* BFM 89.9

|

Malay|

* Best FM
* Gegar
* Manis FM
* Molek FM

Chinese|

* City Plus FM
* TEA FM

Tamil|

* Raaga

Various|

* Bapakku.FM
* RADIOROSAK
* Cats FM
* Kupi-Kupi FM
* Rakita
* VOKFM

Defunct

* Capital FM 88.9
* FM Stereo Johor Bahru
* KK12FM
* Pi Mai FM
* Radio Free Sarawak
* Red FM
* THR.fm
* ULTRA 101.3FM
* Voice of Malaysia
* IM4U fm

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