| BH | |
| Type: | Daily newspaper |
| Format: | Compact |
| Foundation: | 1 July 1957 |
| Publisher: | The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd |
| Group Editor: | Khaidir A Majid |
| Senior Executive Editor: | Saidon Idris |
| Executive Editors: | Azhar Abu Samah M Thilinadan Ahmad Zaini Kamaruzzaman |
| Chief Sub Editors: | Dzulkfley Zanudin Nazaruddin A Bakar |
| Language: | Malay |
| Circulation: | 106,754 (daily) 109,811 (BH Ahad) 3,766 (daily E-paper) 3,765 (BH Ahad E-paper) *Source: Audit Bureau of Circulations, Malaysia – July to December 2015[1] [2] |
| Headquarters: | Balai Berita 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Website: | [3] |
BH (renamed on 2 July 2012; formerly known as Berita Harian) is a Malay-language daily newspaper published in Malaysia. It is owned by the New Straits Times Press. BH was first published on 1 July 1957, marking its debut as a major daily newspaper in Malaysia. Its Sunday Edition, BH Ahad (renamed on 1 July 2012; previously known as Berita Minggu), was launched on 10 July 1960.
The newspaper was printed in broadsheet format until 5 July 2008 when it transitioned to a more compact format.[4] In the 2000s, it also began targeting younger readers.
On 1 July 2012, the paper underwent a significant transition, including renaming the 'Ekonomi' section to 'Bisnes', changing the pullout 'Ratu' to 'Famili', and 'Rona' to 'Kembara'. Additionally, adjustments were made to the layout, typography, and pagination.
On July 1, 1957, Berita Harian, the first romanized Malay morning newspaper, published its inaugural issue. Subsequently, on July 10, 1960, the first romanized Malay Sunday newspaper edition, Berita Minggu, was introduced. During its early stages, Berita Harian emulated the content of the Straits Times and maintained a price of RM0.15, employing a staff of eight individuals to operate the newspaper. Abdul Samad Ismail was appointed as the first editor in April 1958.
On January 1, 1966, Berita Harian underwent a revision of its masthead. In 1968, the Sunday edition of the newspaper introduced the cartoonist Lat's Keluarga Si Mamat cartoon series. In 1972, Ismail was replaced by Abdul Wahab Zain as editor. In 1974, the newspaper underwent an expansion, increasing its page count from 10 to 12. This expansion allowed for the inclusion of additional content about trade, photography, advice, foreign news, and entertainment. Subsequently, on July 1, 1975, the price of the newspaper was raised to RM0.25. Abdul Samad Said became editor in 1976 before being replaced by Salim Kajai in 1978. Edisi Bandar Berita Harian was launched on November 29, 1979.
In 1981, Berita Harian underwent a comprehensive overhaul, including a change in masthead color, the introduction of new sections, and an expansion of entertainment content. The price of the newspaper subsequently increased to RM0.35, followed by another raise to RM0.45 in 1983. Adibah Amin assumed the role of editor in the same year, and Ahmad Sebi Abu Bakar took on the position of group editor the following year.
Berita Harian and Berita Minggu were merged into Berita Harian Sdn Bhd on June 19, 1985, and on October 20, Akhbar Dalam Darjah was launched. Bakar was replaced as group editor in April 1986 by Abdul Kadir Jasin, before being replaced himself by Ahmad Nazri Abdullah on April 8, 1988. The newspaper's sports section was expanded on August 8, 1989, to include Jaguh, a 16-page special tabloid pullout. Berita Harian and Berita Minggu were overhauled in December 1991. Berita Harian gained a new tagline, "Sumber Ilmu dan Maklumat Mutakhir", while Minggu saw its format changed. Special daily supplements were added: Berita Pelajar, Berita Wanita, Berita Teknologi, Jaguh, Perspektif, and Dunia on June 1, 1992. In May 1993, a Komputer subsection was added to the technology content. The subsection would be expanded to a pullout on January 5, 1994, before Berita Komputer was launched on August 11. Later in 1993, Minda Pelajar was added, and the newspaper price was raised to RM0.70. At this point, the paper was printing 50,000 issues weekly. The newspaper was overhauled in January 1995, where fonts, images, layouts, and sections were edited. The newspaper shifted its attention from regional to national and foreign news. A weekly edition, titled Citra, was launched in February, sold at RM1.00. It was discontinued, and its last edition was published on January 31, 2000. Ahmad Rejal Arbee was appointed group editor in July 1998. Later, in November, the price was increased to RM1.20, and the sections were reorganized.
Berita Harian and Berita Minggu were both redesigned in 1999. Its educational sections were expanded in 2001. Their aesthetics were again edited in January 2003, mainly to target younger readers, adding a pullout called IKON on Saturdays in October for youth. In March, the entertainment sections were revamped as well. Hishamuddin Aun was appointed group editor on July 18. By 2004, circulation had increased to 238,000 daily, and the paper added front-page stories for each region. Malaysia Super League content was added in February on the first Thursday of every month. Zian Johari became Executive Editor of Berita Minggu on June 1, 2004. The cover price of Berita Harian was raised to RM1.50, except for in Sabah and Sarawak, where it was raised to RM2.00. Berita Minggu's price was raised to RM2.00 nationally. The two papers were again revamped in June. Come April 2006, Datuk Manja Ismail was appointed Group Editor and Director of Malay publications, and the newspaper added a cellphone service for readers to receive news digitally. In March 2008, Datuk Mustapa Omar was appointed Deputy Group Editor. In July, Berita Harian and Minggu ceased their broadsheet format after 51 years and went compact. In July 2009, Datuk Mior Kamarul Shahid and Mahfar Ali were appointed Group Editor and Deputy Group Editor at Berita Harian. After launching in 2009, Berita Harian became by October 2010 the number one online newspaper in Malaysia.