PSB should emphasize prosperity and national unity: Communications Minister Gurung

Kathmandu: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung has emphasized that public service broadcasters Radio Nepal and Nepal Television should keep the public well-informed by producing their news and programs in favor of the citizen rather than in favor of any political party or government.

At a ‘Transformation Debate’ organized by Public Service Broadcasting Nepal in Kathmandu today, Minister Gurung pointed out the need for Radio Nepal and Nepal Television to focus on broadcasting to promote the country’s development and prosperity, national unity, and religious, cultural, communal, and linguistic tolerance.

Minister Gurung said that since Radio Nepal and Nepal Television have been converted into public service broadcasters, the organizations should now prioritize work and maximize the commercial use of the assets of both organizations by protecting and managing them.

Radhika Aryal, Secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, said that there is still a lot of work to be done to implement the new concept of PSB in Nepal, and the organization should pay attention to that.

She emphasized the need to make the organization financially self-reliant and to move forward in a way that would realize this in practice, even though the two organizations are now one.

Dr. Mahendra Bista, Executive Chairman of Public Service Broadcasting Nepal, informed that it has been six months since the formation of PSB and that the organization is still in a transitional phase, so the organization is working to fully implement it.

He said that PSB is gradually improving its program and news priorities to focus on the people, not just the government.

Bishnu Ram Neupane, Chief Administrative Officer of Public Service Broadcasting Nepal, said that the transformation debate program would help improve the organization’s market management and content.