Media of Vietnam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Media of Vietnam are tightly regulated by the government, which views the media as "the voice of the party and of the masses" and sees its main function as being "to propagate the party's lines and policies". First and foremost, the media are a tool for government information and propaganda. Though market competition has caused the Vietnamese media to embrace popular culture, newspapers, radio and television are still compelled to reflect on the fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism and the ideals of Ho Chi Minh.[citations needed]
Contents |
[edit] Television
[edit] Vietnam Television
The first television broadcasts in Vietnam were in the 1960s when the United States set up two channels (one Vietnamese language and one in English in Saigon. The national broadcaster Vietnam Television, or VTV, was established in Hanoi with technical assistance and training from Cuba in September 1970. It now has five domestic networks, also available internationally via satellite.
VTV also operates a cable and a DTH satellite service. These carry the five FTA VTV channels, between five to seven Vietnamese subscription channels, and international channels. These international channels include news channels from the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia and the Peoples Republic of China.
[edit] Vietnam Multimedia Corporation (VTC)
VTC is a company wholly owned by the Vietnamese government, but operates as an independent commercial entity. It has a FTA channel VTC1, and a number of subscription channels.
[edit] Local stations
These include Hanoi TV and Ha Tay TV and Hồ Chí Minh City Television Station (HTV). The latter is available over most of the Mekong Delta. These local stations were largely established by US forces.
[edit] Other Subscription TV
Since 1991, hotels, restaurants, clubs, government offices and diplomatic organizations in Vietnam have been permitted under license to install and operate satellite dishes to bring in foreign programming from such cable-television providers as Hong Kong's Star TV and Thailand's UBC.
From 2006, VTC Mobile TV, one of the world's first subscription TV services for mobile phones became available using DVB-H. It is operated by Vietnam Multimedia Corporation, owners of VTC.
[edit] Radio
The first Vietnamese-language radio transmission was made on September 2, 1945 when Ho Chi Minh read out the Declaration of Independence.
Prior to 1945, Vietnamese people were banned from owning radio receivers, and broadcasting was under control of the French colonial government, which established the first radio station in Vietnam, Radio Saigon, in the late 1920s.
Vietnam's national radio station, now called the Voice of Vietnam, started broadcasting from Hanoi the just a week after declaration of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, Radio Hanoi operated as a propaganda tool of the North Vietnamese Army.
South Vietnam set up its own network in Saigon in 1955.
Following Reunification, all of the radio stations were combined into the Voice of Vietnam, which became the national radio station in 1978.
Today, VOV strives to offer diverse, high-quality programming. It broadcasts on six channels, repeated on AM, FM and shortwave bands throughout Vietnam and the rest of the world:
- VOV1 (AM and shortwave) - news, current affairs and music.
- VOV2 (AM and shortwave) - offers cultural and artistic programs,
- VOV3 (FM) - News & Music
- VOV4 (AM) - Viet Nam International Radio
- VOV5 (FM) - ethnic minority language programming.
- VOV6 (shortwave) - World service broadcasts in 11 foreign languages.
As of 2004, it was estimated that VOV’s programs reached more than 90% of all households in Vietnam.
In addition, most cities and provinces has their own radio stations.
[edit] Newspapers
As Vietnam moved toward a free-market economy with its doi moi measures, the government has relied on the print media to keep the public informed about its policies. The measure has had the effect of almost doubling the numbers of newspapers and magazines since 1996.
The first Vietnamese-language newspaper was the French-sponsored Gia D/i-.nh Bao, established in Saigon in 1869. In the years that followed, both the nationalistic and the colonial sides relied on newspapers as a propaganda tool. During the final period of French colonialism many reporters were arrested and imprisoned and several newspaper offices closed by the authorities.
For Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary side, Vietnamese journalists covered the First Indochina War. After the war, presses were set up in Hanoi and the basis for the country's newspaper industry as it exists today was formed, with the main Communist Party organ, Nhan Dan (The People), established in 1951.
Current large newspapers include Tuoi Tre (Youth, published in Ho Chi Minh City, described as a "reformist" newspaper), Thanh Nien (Youth), Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon), and Tien Phong (Vanguard).
[edit] See also
[edit] Reference
- Việt Nam Cultural Profile - More information about broadcasting and Internet in Việt Nam
[edit] External links
- Voice of Vietnam: State radio broadcaster
- VTV: State television broadcaster
- Vietnam News Agency: Official state news agency
- Tuoi Tre (Youth): daily newspaper with highest circulation (in Vietnamese)
- Vietnam Net: Largest Vietnamese portal
- Viva Vietnam: Vietnam News and Global News in Vietnamese
- VnExpress: Popular online newspaper
- Nhan Dan (The People): Official Communist Party newspaper
- Television stations in Vietnam
- Annual report 2006 by Reporters Without Borders
- 2005 Freedom of the Press Country Report by Freedom House
- VTC Live feeds of various VTC and VTV TV channels, plus two channels of VOV radio.
- East&West - Vietnam - English Luxury Lifestyle Magazine: Launched March 2007 www.east-westmag.com
