Okto channel will be merged with Channel 5 on May 1, broadcaster Mediacorp said yesterday.

The move will see okto, a channel for children's and sports programming, removed from the television network. Mediacorp is due to return the channel's frequency to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) but the brand will remain online on Toggle, the broadcaster's digital entertainment service.

Mediacorp said the move would combine the best of both channels and make Channel 5 the "definitive English-language channel for families in Singapore".

Its chief customer officer Irene Lim said: "These changes are reflective of our continuous commitment to understand the needs of our audiences and serve them better."

The broadcaster said it will continue to have a strong focus on children's content and sports programming. Okto's content for children will be broadcast on Channel 5, where it will enjoy a wider reach, it said.

Meanwhile, sports programming will be carried across Mediacorp's platforms. Coverage of major sporting events like the Olympics will be provided both on television and Toggle. For school sports, selected finals of national school games will continue to be streamed on Toggle.

Mediacorp said it seeks to deliver content digitally and on television, as its audiences "straddle between the online and offline worlds".

Mr Raymond Lye, chairman of the Programme Advisory Committee for English Programmes (Pace), said the changes made sense given the change in viewership habits. Pace advises IMDA on the range and quality of English TV and radio programmes, and offers suggestions for improvement.

"Pace has been given the assurance that the quality and quantity of kids' programmes we get on okto will remain unchanged when they move to Channel 5 and Toggle," he said. "As for sports coverage, we are assured of major sporting event coverage, especially where Team Singapore is involved."