(Photo: NST)

Malaysia now has its own media city complex, with impressive infrastructure to emulate the success of Hollywood or BBC studios, the New Straits Times reports.

Angkasapuri Kota Media in Kuala Lumpur, opened on 26 October by caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, is equipped with high-tech infrastructure, including a central archive for broadcasting material.

Mr Sabri said the project would help elevate the centre to become the hub of broadcasting.

Similar projects that house various broadcasting companies under one roof have have been carried out in Dubai, Manchester, Singapore and Sydney.

“It can be used as a model for national broadcasting which has been pioneered by the Hollywood studios in the United States and the BBC in the United Kingdom and entice the Japanese and Korean content industries that are centred around local lifestyle and cultural materials that have shared universal values,” he said.

The project kicked off in Dec 2016 with the aim of providing sophisticated broadcasting infrastructure in line with the government’s plans to develop digital television broadcasting services.

A total or RM860 million (US$182 million) was pumped into the construction of the building, which covers offices and technical space within an area of 62,027 square metres.

It contains 18 floors of office spaces, a 1,000-person capacity auditorium, music and TV studios, a multi-storey car park, a plaza and an outdoor garage.