Information & Media in Bhutan
Media in Bhutan is fairly a young development. The concept of the media, as a player in the growth of modern society began in the mid 1980s, with the establishment of first Bhutanese newspaper, Kuensel and the Bhutan Broadcasting Station. In the late 1990s ICT was introduced and electronic media was added to the list followed by television few years later. Today, Bhutanese media has growth considerably in all its forms- paint, broadcast, film, music and internet.
Until recently, Kuensel was the only available print media. However, with increasing literacy and changing social needs, two private newspapers, Bhutan Times and Bhutan Observer were licensed in 2006 and another English daily, Bhutan Today, in 2008. All papers all published in English and Dzongkha. Kuensel and Bhutan Times, is biweekly while Bhutan Observer is a weekly edition.
Radio is the most effective media in the country and reaches by far the largest audience. Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) is the national public service broadcaster. BBS radio (then known as Radio NYAB) was started in November 1973 by young volunteers belonging to the National Youth Association of Bhutan. In 1986 with the commissioning of a 10 KW short-wave transmitter and a small broadcast studio, Radio NYAB was renamed as Bhutan Broadcasting Service. BBS radio broadcasts for 15 hours daily from 6 am to 9 pm in 4 languages (Dzongkha, Sharchop, Lhotshamkha and English), on both shortwave and FM frequency.
Recently three private FM Radio Stations i.e. Kuzoo FM, Radio Valley and Centennial Radio, were established. While, the FM services and short- wave services of BBS reach the entire country, Kuzoo FM radio services are available in 12 Dzongkhags while Radio Valley and Centennial Radio services is currently available only in Thimphu. These new radio services have created a platform for people voice their concerns and are already addressing a range of social issues.
Television has only been introduced since 1999. BBS TV is the only television channel that caters local news and programmes in Bhutan. BBS TV was launched on 2 June 1999. Described as the most important event in the history of electronic media in Bhutan, the BBS launched its satellite television service in February 2006. BBS TV is now available in almost 40 Asian countries from Turkey in the West to Indonesia in South East Asia.
BBS TV broadcasts for five hours daily in Dzongkha and English. The same is rebroadcast the next morning. Three additional hours of entertainment programmes and live music request shows are broadcast on weekend afternoons. On 18 September 1992, the fourth Druk Gyalpo issued a Royal Edict delinking the BBS from the Ministry of Communications to give it the flexibility to grow in professionalism and to enable it to be more effective in fulfilling its important responsibility towards the society.
Cable television services are available in 19 of the 20 Dzongkhags and about 40 different channels are provided by the cable TV operators. While the film industry is still in its infancy, the number of Bhutanese films has been increasing with more people venturing into the industry.
As of June 2008, Bhutan has about 15,000 Internet users, 29, 299 landline subscribers, and more than 206,068 mobile phone subscribers.
As the Constitution of Bhutan provides for establishment of freedom media, Bhutan’s media policy is the sable press in a competitive environment. The government emphasizes that the media must continue to grow in professionalism to fulfill its role to; Inform, Educate and Entertain’.
