October 21^st, 2011- About 58 people consisting of members of parliament, broadcasters, representatives from the private sector, journalists, students and the public gathered to discuss an issue of vital interest to media development- the potential of broadcasting in Bhutan in a public forum on 21^st October at WWF conference hall.

The forum comes at a time when the liberalized media industry is seeing rapid expansion in print and radio. There is, however, just one TV station -- Bhutan Broadcasting Service, and the media regulator has invited expressions of interest for those interested in setting up a TV and broadcasting facility.

Will opening of the TV industry to the private sector be a positive step toward the promotion and development of media in the country? The forum saw lively discussions on the following: What is the potential of Broadcasting for small countries with limited resources?

• What kind of audiovisual content does Bhutan need?
• What are the challenges of broadcasting in a 24/7 world?
• How can broadcasting and the web enhance democracy? What is the future of broadcasting in Bhutan?
• How can media promote a shared national consciousness? How many stations do we need, or can Bhutan sustain?

There were five members on the panel list:

1. 1.Kinaly T wangchuk from DOIM, Ministry of Information and Communication
2. 2.Kaka Tshering from BBS
3. 3.Wangay Dorji, Head of Telecom, from BICMA
4. 4.Kinley Wangchuk, Executive Manager of Radio Valley
5. 5.Elizabeth Smith, awarded the OBE (Oder of British Empire) committed to the support of Public Service. She is the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Broadcaster’s Association and head of the BBC World Service.

Elizabeth talked about the importance of having Public Service Broadcaster and having quality programmes and that this was more important than having many TV stations with poor quality programme. She said: “Bhutan has already got so much of its broadcasting policy right. In the years ahead it will have to focus on preserving and developing the essentials, and on avoiding the worst excesses of consumer TV.”

Michael Rutland, speaking from the floor, agreed that there is need for the quality programme and the government should restrict the numbers of private television. He said: “I would be against vast number of channel, radios, news papers, for small country like Bhutan. There will be difficulty in regulatory and how many channels can Bhutan sustain.?”

Wangay Dorji, Head of Telecom, from Bhutan Infocomm and Media Authority (BICMA) said that when it comes to licensing, starting one channel at a time is not a good idea. He said if we need a good quality of content then it is not only the job of regulators but citizens and the audience must also give feedback.

There was continued discussion on the content quality and the decision to weather to allow unrestricted number of private television channels.

Dasho Sangay Khandu, National Council Member of Parliament, said that we are not able to regulate foreign channels so the idea of regulating our own channels might backfire. He explained that local channels can fill up the gaps by focusing on local governance, and to provide coverage of rural areas and people. He said “We need a broadcaster that will sensitise people on local governance issues to enhance transparency.”

Before Bhutan opens up to commercial TV, we need to look if we can sustain or make profits in a country with limited resources. Elizabeth Smith pointed out the possibility of ensuring public service programming even for private channels, and there is potential to create a vibrant private sector production capacity to provide relevant programming.

Kincho of Kuzoo Fm said that “Bhutan needs to prioritise what type of model the country needs to follow because we are now looking at the Europen, American, Indian model and we are going haywire.”

The forum provided an opportunity for the private sector, government and to the public to come together to discuss the pro and cons, the challenges and to share ideas on the potential of broadcasting in Bhutan.

Details of the presentations will soon be available on our website.