Mediacorp Names Editor-in-Chief, Walter Fernandez, as Chief Sustainability Officer in concurrent appointment
Singapore, 21 April 2021 – In a move that signals a long-term commitment to sustainability, Mediacorp has named Editor-in-Chief, Walter Fernandez, as Chief Sustainability Officer in a concurrent appointment, with effect from 1 May 2021.
As part of Mediacorp’s senior management team since 2013, Mr Fernandez oversees the news and current affairs operations of Mediacorp, shaping editorial strategy, policies and content. Under his leadership, CNA was named Channel of the Year by the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) in 2020, a feather in the cap among the many international awards that CNA has clinched.
In his 20-year career with Mediacorp, Mr Fernandez has served the company in several leadership positions, including heading TODAY and CNA, as well as driving the digital transformation of the newsrooms. He also currently oversees AI strategy and solutions for the newsrooms and broadcast engineering for Mediacorp.
The Chief Sustainability Officer will drive Mediacorp’s sustainability initiatives and action plans across its business and among its staff.
As a company, Mediacorp already proactively adopts sustainable practices across its premises and sustainability is a key pillar in its corporate social responsibility efforts. As the national media network, Mediacorp has increased its focus on sustainability, aligned with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, and stepped up efforts in promoting awareness and action through its content across multiple platforms.
Since August last year, CNA has produced more than 30 hours of documentaries and news features as well as 30 episodes of the Climate Conversations podcasts which have been streamed and downloaded 55,000 times, to raise awareness and drive conversations on climate change and sustainability. CNA has also garnered more than 10 million page views for digital content on its dedicated Climate Change page.
CNA will also be hosting the CNA Leadership Summit 2021 – Green Recovery tomorrow (22 April). The event brings together political, corporate and community leaders to discuss how sustainable practices can both boost and transform the economy. The event at Shangri-la Hotel will be streamed live on CNA’s YouTube Channel from 1.30pm to 5pm.
Mediacorp CEO Tham Loke Kheng said: “Mediacorp is committed to making sustainability an integral part of our DNA. Walter has been a valuable member of our senior management team, with his strong leadership capabilities and deep editorial experience. Given his passion and deep understanding of the issues, he is well placed to lead the whole of Mediacorp on our sustainability journey.”
On his new appointment, Mr Fernandez said: “As a newsroom, we have done well with our significant and sustained coverage of climate change and sustainability issues across all of CNA’s platforms. As a company, we must also walk the talk. The next step will be to adapt our business practices to be more sustainable and to persuade our staff to make sustainability part of our corporate DNA and hopefully their daily lives.”
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Media contact
Rebecca Lim
Head, Corporate Marketing and Communications
Mediacorp Pte Ltd
rebecca.lim@mediacorp.com.sg
About Mediacorp
Mediacorp is Singapore’s largest content creator and national media network, operating six TV channels, 11 radio stations and multiple digital platforms including CNA, Singapore's most used news app, and meWATCH, its digital video platform. Its mission is to engage, entertain and enrich audiences by harnessing the power of creativity.
Mediacorp pioneered the development of Singapore’s broadcasting industry, with radio broadcast in 1936 and television broadcast in 1963. Today, it reaches 98% of Singaporeans in four languages weekly and has a growing Asian audience base through CNA as well as entertainment content that is distributed across markets in the region.
The Mediacorp Partner Network brings Mediacorp together with industry-leading brands like ESPN, 99.co and VICE to deliver rich content for consumers and effective solutions for advertisers.
Mediacorp is the recipient of industry accolades including New York Festivals, World Media Festivals, PromaxBDA (World and Asia) and Asian Academy Creative Awards.
For more information, please visit mediacorp.sg.
