Media of Bhutan
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According National Assembly Rule no. 11, drafted in 1953, every member of the legislature shall have the full right and privilege to express his thought in the Assembly. No rule or law can interfere with the member's freedom of expression.
The Kuensel, a newspaper of a government-owned corporation, circulates biweekly in Dzongkha, English and Nepali. Beginning in April 2006, it competes with The Bhutan Times, Bhutan's only privately owned newspaper (although several samizdat periodicals may be found on the internet).
Bhutan has about 15,000 Internet users, 25,200 landline subscribers, and 23,000 mobile phone subscribers. The Bhutan Broadcasting Service was established in 1973 as a radio service, broadcasting in short wave nationally, and on the FM band in Thimphu. The service started television broadcasts in 1999, making Bhutan the last country in the world to introduce television. As part of the King's modernization program, cable television was introduced shortly after. By 2002, however, the crime rate had increased appreciably, and the introduction of cable television is alleged to be responsible for the spurt in crime.
Bhutanese lama Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche is a well-known filmmaker, who produced and directed The Cup as well as Travellers and Magicians. While The Cup was shot in a Tibetan monastery in northern India, Travellers and Magicians was the first feature film to be filmed entirely in Bhutan, with a cast comprised entirely of Bhutanese people. No professional actors were used in either film.
People working in media in Bhutan receive short term journalism training from Britain, The Netherlands, India and Singapore.
[edit] Electronic Media
As of April 2004, BBS FM radio service is available in 15 dzongkhags. Installation of FM transmitter in the rest of the 5 dzongkhags will be completed by the end of the current five year plan. Radio service (NYAB radio) in Bhutan started in November 1973 in the initiation of youths who formed National Youth Association of Bhutan (NYAB) led by a Royal female member. The station was operational only on Sundays with 30 minutes of news in English and music. The NYAB club office was transformed to announcing studio on weekends and increased to an hour a week after a few trial weeks. The 400-watt transmitter was rented from a local telegraph office. The station was called Radio NYAB. In 1979, the Royal Government recognizing the importance of the radio for development communication, embraced the station under the Ministry of Communications. Then it started three-hour programme on every Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday: 1.5 hours in Dzongkha, and 30 minutes each in Nepali (Lhotsamkha), Sarchopkha (Tshangla), and English. In 1986 Development Support Communication Division (later changed to Development Communication Corporation) was set up to help in the development of media. With the commissioning of a 10kw short-wave transmitter and a small broadcast studio, Radio NYAB was renamed as Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) in the same year. Daily broadcasting was introduced with three hours of programming that reflected the national character. Radio was then controlled by BBS. BBS/DSCD worked jointly under MoC until 1992 when they were transformed to corporation. In the same year UNESCO also provided BBS 10W SW transmitter. The radio transmission reached to most part of the country. In 1991 radio station relocated to India sponsored new complex with 50w SW transmitter. Since then, its programmes reached 30 hours per week. To strengthen the radio service to al parts of the country, government initiated the establishment of FM station merely means for relay of national broadcast. In 1987 local FM stations were set up in Thimphu with the aid of UNESCO. (96 and 98 MHz). In 1989-92 period DANIDA and UNESCO provided 1.14 million assistance for development of media in Bhutan. In March 1991 that BBS acquired a permanent seat and a professional look with the commissioning of a 50kw short-wave transmitter station and a studio complex-cum-office block. In June 2000, BBS introduced FM radio service for Western Bhutan as well with the inauguration of the main FM station at Dobchula and yet another one at Takti in the south. The FM service was extended to central Bhutan in January 2001 and plans are underway to cover the whole country by the end of the ninth five-year plan. At present broadcast, the radio has 12 hours broadcast service including 1.5 hours traditional music only; 4.5 hours in Dzongkha, and 2 hours each in Nepali (Lhotsamkha), Sarchhopkha and English.
Technical Information Short wave Radio: Transmitter Power: 50 KW SW Broadcast Transmitter: SK 45 F3 Broadcast Frequency: 49 meter band 6035 KHZ
FM Network Dobchula Main Station: Standby Reserve Configuration 1+1 KW Frequency: 88.1 MHz Areas served: Punakha, Gasa, Wangdi Phodrang Frequency: 96 MHz: Areas served: Thimphu Takti Relay Station: 1 KW Frequency: 98 MHz Areas served: Chukha and Mongar Yotula Relay Station: 1 KW Frequency: 93 MHz Frequency: 90 MHz Areas served: for parts of Trashigang & Mongar Areas served: Bumthang, Trongsa Jabji Relay Station: 20 W Frequency: 92 MHz Areas served: Paro valley, Phuentsholing, Tsirang, Samtse and Trashigang Kharbandi Relay Station: 20W And 49 mband 6035 KHz Shortwave(SW)v
Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) has seven-member National Editorial Board with 130 employees, 1/3 of them in administration section. It controls radio, television and FMs. It was corporatized in 1992. Government provides all most all funds for its functioning. In 2004 sources, it generated 3% revenue from advertisement. There are very rare ads from private sectors, that also appear dung king’s birthday, coronation anniversary, or the national day.
Apart from giving the daily news bulletin in four languages (Dzongkha, Sharchop, Lhotsamkha and English) in radio and in Dzongkha and English on television, BBS devotes 75% of its programming on development issues such as new farming methods, health and hygiene, environment preservation, distance education, rural development, women and child care.
Bhutan Broadcasting Service, established in 1973 and given its current name in 1986, operated under the auspices of the Department of Information; it offered thirty hours a week of shortwave radio programming in Dzongkha, Sharchopkha, Nepali, and English. There was daily FM programming in Thimphu and shortwave reception throughout the rest of the nation in the early 1990s. In 1991 there were thirty-nine public radio stations for internal communications. There were also two stations used exclusively for communications with Bhutan's embassies in New Delhi and Dhaka and thirteen stations used by hydrologists and meteorologists. There were no television stations in Bhutan in the early 1990s, and a 1989 royal decree ended the viewing of foreign television by mandating the dismantling of antennas. The government wanted to prevent Indian and Bangladeshi broadcasts from reaching Bhutan's citizens.
Television Television was banned in Bhutan, and still foreign cable lines are not permitted, government advocates the free access of foreign television would spoil the national identity and culture. In 1989 king banned private satellite dishes and dismantled 28 privately owned dishes. At that time people mostly looked Indian and Bangladeshi channels.
Audio-visual programme started in 1981 with DSCD. It made films and documentaries on life, culture and religion (development oriented). But the programme was stopped in 1996. In 1998, a large screen was fixed at the Thimphu stadium to watch world cup through Indian televisions.
The national television service in Bhutan was started in June 2, 1999, that was announced to be established in April 1998. In the initial days, it telecasted one hour a day. The telecast increased to two hours per day from June 2002. The television was established to commemorate the Silver Jubilee reign of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Presently, the television service is available for the residents of Thimphu, but there are plans to extend it to the whole country. The two-hour broadcast from 7pm to 9 pm contains 30 minutes of news and announcements in Dzongkha and English, followed by various programs and documentaries in both languages. Beginning 21st February 2004, the BBS has started broadcasting three hours on Television [7:00PM - 10:00PM] and fifteen hours on radio. The Television programs of the previous night is also rebroadcast every morning from 7:00AM to 10:00AM
Print media Bhutan’s only National Newspaper, Kuensel, is published every Saturday from Thimphu by the Kuensel Corporation. It is distributed throughout the country by a string of sales agents appointed in all the Dzongkhags, Dungkhags and towns, while subscribers overseas are fed through mail service/e-mail.
In 1974 press machine bought from India and installed in Thimphu. Started publishing from the capital. Soon Dzongkha letter blocks were prepared by the Japanese technicians and started in Dzongkha as well. Kuensel Corporation was set up in 1992.
In 1986 Kuensel was reformatted under the same title and also published weekly as Bhutan's only newspaper. Published by the Ministry of Communications' Department of Information, Kuensel had a total circulation in 1988 of 12,500 and was published in Dzongkha, Nepali, and English. Indian and other foreign newspapers also were available. Bhutan's low literacy rate, however, means that the majority of the population is not affected by the print media. Oral tradition is very strong, however, and radio broadcasts are widely listened to.
The corporation has seven-member editorial team chaired by secretary at the Ministry of Communication; including, one chief editor, one each language editor, one news editor, one each reporter in Trashigang and Phuentsholing and five reporters in the capital, Thimphu.
Most of the reporters have basic training with Strait Times of Singapore. Two of the present staffs have received international postgraduate in journalism.
Most of the fund for publication is supported by government as subsidy. For instance, the government provided 18 % fund in 1997.
