Kuensel
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Kuensel was the sole newspaper in Bhutan up until April 2006 when it was joined by the Bhutan Times and Bhutan Observer in June 2006. Founded in 1967 as an internal government bulletin and transformed in 1986 into a weekly newspaper, Kuensel is published in three language editions: Dzongkha (the national language), English, and Nepali.
In 1992 it was made an autonomous corporation, but continued to receive a government subsidy. In 1996 the size of the paper was expanded from 12 to 16 pages in Dzongkha and English and from 8 to 12 in Nepali.
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.
