Han Chiang College (HCC) held its annual Host Idol competition last weekend, giving secondary school students a chance to explore their media skills as hosts, broadcasters, Youtubers and journalists.

The 15 students were judged by famous newscasters and hosts like Tan Ley Teng from ntv7, Owen Yap from 8TV and Ivan Toh from TV1.

From left: Judges Tan Ley Teng of ntv7, Owen Yap of 8tV and Ivan Toh of TV1

The students took to the stage at Queensbay Mall to screen their self-produced Youtube videos, covering topics such as Penang’s culture and heritage to hawker food stalls.

Filmed using a GoPro, the students’ videos were judged on their content creativity and personality as Youtubers before a further nine were shortlisted for the final round, where students competed by giving a 2-minute impromptu talk based on drawn topics.

HCC Principal Dr Beh Kok Hooi said that Host Idol has developed into a strong brand with many looking forward to enter the competition every year, as it is not often that students get the chance to learn from the media industry’s top names.

“The Host Idol judge, Tan Ley Teng is one of our College’s alumni and she has been a judge with us for years, way back when we first introduced Anchor Idol, which was then revamped to Host Idol.

“She is a newscaster, a journalist and a host, and because of her wide range of talents, she inspires many of our students and today’s younger generation.

“I hope that the students have been inspired by her success and strong character after having gone through this process, and will follow in her footsteps,” Beh said adding that students should follow Ivan Toh and Owen Yap on social media in order to learn how they can continue building their brands if they wish to pursue a career in broadcasting.

The Host Idol competition first kicked off in March as students from secondary schools took part in the first round of auditions before 45 were narrowed down to become deejays as they garnered support through Facebook voting and were judged by the three judges.

The competition challenged students to be news attentive, creative and technologically innovative to help push students to take advantage of the many opportunities available in both the media and creative industries.

The students competed in three categories; English, Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia. The winners are:

Bahasa Malaysia:

English:

Mandarin: