Austrian Ambassador proposes licensing RTL TV channel in Vietnam

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to Vietnam Thomas Loidl recently discussed with Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Hong Hai about creating conditions for granting television broadcasting licenses to RTL Media and Entertainment Group.

Recently, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Deputy Minister Pham Hong Hai had a meeting and worked with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to Vietnam, and the leaders of the Austrian Media and Entertainment Group RTL.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Hong Hai (right) received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to Vietnam Thomas Loidl.

Mr. Andreas Rudas, Vice President of RTL Media and Entertainment Group, said that RTL Group has provided television services in 18 countries. RTL is currently cooperating with Vietnamese media companies to produce a number of television programs such as Vietnam Idol, Vietnam Got Talent, etc., and wishes to be licensed to provide RTL TV channels as well as cooperate in media and entertainment activities for television in Vietnam.

Mr. Jonas Engwall, Head of RTL Group Office in Hong Kong added: Since establishing the office in Asia, the Group has opened two more TV channels in the region. RTL Group has considered Vietnam as its priority broadcasting market from the very beginning. RTL's content has attracted the attention of many media units and radio and television stations in Vietnam.

The content of RTL's television programs is viewer-friendly and suitable for the culture and customs of Asian countries.

Mr. Jonas Engwall also committed to strictly censoring content before broadcasting and strictly complying with relevant regulations of Vietnamese law.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Hong Hai affirmed that the Vietnamese Government does not restrict the broadcasting of foreign programs on Vietnamese television. However, these programs must comply with the regulations on licensing, editing and translation procedures stipulated in the Government's newly issued Decree 06/2016/ND-CP regarding the management and use of radio and television broadcasting services in Vietnam.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ha Yen, Deputy Director of the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications, in October 2015, the Ministry of Information and Communications granted a license to broadcast CBS Entertainment and CBS Exchange channels to BHD (RTL's partner in Vietnam).

According to the process, RTL will select a pay TV service provider to edit, translate program content and broadcast on that system. Decree 06 clearly stipulates that the ratio of foreign channels to domestic channels of pay TV service providers is 3/7.

Mr. Nguyen Ha Yen noted that the attractiveness of RTL's TV channels is determined by the market, not dependent on administrative decisions of state management agencies.

According to Infonet