KOH Sock May @ Si Di 许淑梅@思狄
History of Broadcasting,
Accession Number 003527
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 5
Total Reels
- Lye Soo Choon 赖素春
Interviewer
- 04:21:56
Total Running Time
- Hokkien
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 5
Metadata
- 2 Jun 2010
Recording Date
- 00:59:07
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*How she got her stage name Si Di思狄. Born 1938 in Singapore. Family background, father was a merchant dealing with Indonesia local products. Education background. Talk about her aunt’s husband Hong Si Si洪丝丝, Chief Editor of Nan Chiew Daily《南侨日报》who went back to China when New China was established. Father decided to move the whole family to China in 1953. Reasons for moving to China. Life in Xiamen, China in early 1950s. Her education in Xiamen which was affected by the political situation. How various campaigns since 1956 had affected their life. Interviewee decided to return to Singapore. Talk about what happened to her family members who were left in China. Recall meeting her aunt and Hong Si Si in Beijing in 1985 and her family members in Hong Kong in 1970s. Life after she returned to Singapore in 1958. How her friend Zhang Wei Min 张维民 and her uncle had helped her to return. Talk about her husband Zhang Wei Min who joined Rediffusion in 1962. Recall the process of recruiting radio play actor in 1960s. Rediffusion’s programme in early 1950s.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 5
Metadata
- 2 Jun 2010
Recording Date
- 00:56:46
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Recalled taking part in running competition during her school days. Talked about a guy who wrote letters to her and went to China to look for her. How she felt about China, unable to forget what her family members had experienced there. Her involvement in drama activities. Joined Rediffusion Hokkien Radio Play Group 厦语话剧组 in 1965. Talk about Rediffusion’s programme in 1960s. No formal training in Hokkien Radio Play Group. Described the recording process. Rehearsal and practice before recording. Needed to amend the scripts, cited example. Strictly using Xiamen dialect for the radio play. How they managed to find out correct pronunciation for unfamiliar words. How she dealt with scripts which were not written in Hokkien dialect. Had to use non-Hokkien scripts as the demand for scripts were high in 1970s.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 5
Metadata
- 2 Jun 2010
Recording Date
- 00:57:00
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
No training for new members in Rediffusion Hokkien Radio Play Group 厦语话剧组. Members learnt by observation and performed by emulation. Producer would analysis the scripts for members. Types of roles that interviewee acted in radio plays. Elaborate with examples on how to express the scripts by using different types of voices. Elaborate on the recording process and atmosphere in recording studio. Mistakes that new members might make. Talked about some members who specialized in some types of roles. Recall radio plays that she acted. Started to write radio play scripts when there was high demand since 1969. How she selected novels and converted them into radio plays. Recall popular radio play Duan Chang Ren 《断肠人》. Elaborate and cite examples of original scripts that she wrote.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 5
Metadata
- 9 Jun 2010
Recording Date
- 00:57:10
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Talked about areas to note when composing radio play scripts. Why interviewee liked to write love story radio play. How she became Rediffusion’s full time broadcaster in 1976. Compare the differences between part-time and full-time staff. What were the job scopes for full-time staff. How she prepared for a programme, how she arranged and selected songs for programme at different broadcast time slot. Talk about Speak Mandarin Campaign, decreased in Hokkien programme in Rediffusion. Elaborate on programme “大家说华语” made for the Campaign. Rediffusion Hokkien Radio Play Group members not keen in learning Mandarin. Interviewee changed her job scope after Hokkien programme was terminated. Rediffusion declined after its dialect programmes were terminated. Why interviewee did not leave Rediffusion till her retirement age. Still did freelance jobs for Rediffusion after her retirement.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 5
Metadata
- 9 Jun 2010
Recording Date
- 00:31:53
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Demonstrate how she read Hokkien news for live broadcast. Changes in Rediffusion since 1983, including decreased in staff to cut cost, changed to smaller office and reduced staff benefits. Size of Rediffusion reduced from more than three hundred staff to about ten staff. Being with Rediffusion for about fifty years, how she felt. Felt that in order to survive, Rediffusion should go wireless. Her feelings for Rediffusion. Now working part-time for Rediffusion. Recall the first Hokkien singing competition organised by Rediffusion, describe the process. Talk about fund raising programme for Bukit Ho Swee Fire in 1961. Other charity events held by Rediffusion.
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