Singapore launches S$48 million scheme to help media firms create digital content and adopt AI

SINGAPORE: Media professionals will be given support to create digital content under a new S$48 million (US$37.3 million) programme, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said on Thursday (Jun 18).

The Digital Content and Capability Development (DCCD) programme, announced by Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How, will span four years.

More than 87 per cent of people in Singapore aged 15 and above access top social media sites like TikTok, YouTube and Facebook weekly, marking a shift in local audience behaviour towards digital platforms, IMDA said.

The programme aims to support media professionals in responding to this shift through two main pillars: Digital content development and capability development.

Digital content development supports the creation and distribution of content that reflects how local audiences discover and connect with stories across social platforms, digital channels and mobile-first formats.

"This includes supporting Singapore stories that can resonate with youth, adults and seniors through relevant formats and narratives," IMDA said.

Capability development targets innovation in digital storytelling, emerging formats and technologies, and production approaches, including artificial-intelligence-generated content and short-form live action and animated episodic content.

"It will also foster experimentation with and adoption of AI-assisted workflows for content development, production and localisation," IMDA said.

"This will enable media professionals to focus more time on the creative aspects such as creative direction, storytelling and narrative crafting, as well as business development and pitching."

To join the DCCD programme, media companies will participate in an accreditation exercise, which will assess their current content development capabilities and track record.

Accreditation exercises will be held twice yearly, and accredited companies will be eligible to participate in calls for proposals.

In the first exercise, 117 companies were accredited, with the first call for proposals launching on Jun 18 and running until Jul 31.

Media professionals can also develop their AI skills under the National AI Impact Programme, unveiled earlier this year, to enhance content creation and streamline repetitive parts of the production process, IMDA said.

The authority aims to train 100,000 non-tech professionals across various industries to be "AI bilingual" over the next three years.

Eligible professionals can use their SkillsFuture credit for courses under the programme. National Trades Union Congress members can also tap on the union training assistance programme for additional support.

The DCCD programme builds on IMDA's S$200 million talent accelerator programme, which was launched in December 2025 and is also aimed at strengthening Singapore's media talent.

"IMDA is committed to supporting Singapore's media ecosystem in developing new digital content formats and building digital capabilities to remain innovative and competitive," IMDA said.

"Collectively, these efforts also help create opportunities to better connect with Singapore audiences across various platforms, with the potential for selected stories and formats to travel beyond Singapore."