Government is preparing to transform Radio Nepal and NTV into public service broadcasting modality: PM

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda says the government is preparing to endorse the bill under consideration in the parliament regarding making Nepal Television and Radio Nepal a public service broadcasting institution with timely amendments.

Addressing a programme organized to mark Nepal Television’s 39th anniversary today, Prime Minister Prachanda asked Nepal Television and Radio Nepal to prepare a plan to create a public service broadcasting institution with a positive impact and accurate analysis in the future.

The Prime Minister stated that the government was working on drafting a bill related to mass media with the participation of stakeholders and clarified that some of the new policy arrangements made by the government were not for control but for regulation and management.

He opined that Nepal Television should adapt itself according to the changes in the technology of information and communication sector and emphasised that Nepal Television should not delay in establishing its production and broadcasting in the next digital era.

Prime Minister Prachanda also emphasized on the need to focus on the content according to the future needs of television and the interests of the general audience and move forward with a new and long-term plan and a clear vision for the development of the organisation.

He also said that the government was committed to building the necessary structures and infrastructure and ensuring legal and practical guarantees of freedom of thought and expression, right to information and freedom of the press.

Also speaking on the occasion, Minister of Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that the government was working to make policies and laws in the mass media sector to strengthen the provincial and local levels as per the federal structure.

Communication Minister Sharma also said that preparation was being made to introduce the Media Council Bill and the Mass Communication Bill to restructure the mass media sector.

She added that Nepal Television and Radio Nepal were going to be developed as public service broadcasters to make them more independent, autonomous and responsive to the people.

Minister Sharma said that in addition to conveying the official information of the state to the citizens and to address the changing interests of the society, it is necessary to establish that everyone’s feelings could be respected through Nepal Television.

Likewise, Secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology Ramkrishna Subedi opined that Nepal Television should keep the general audience free from the negative effects of misinformation and disinformation that can be spread through various media, and to promote journalism that rises above the problem of no information, less and little information.

Chairperson of Nepal Television Samirjang Shah said that Nepal Television was moving ahead through digitisation to bring its broadcast to everyone in the changing context.