Decision No. 1287/2003/QD-TTg On approving the Development Plan for Vietnam Radio to 2010

 

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the approval of the development plan for Vietnam Radio until 2010

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to Decree No. 83/2003/NĐ-CP dated July 18, 2003 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of Vietnam Radio;

Pursuant to the proposal of the General Director of Vietnam Radio in Document No. 276/ĐPT dated June 6, 2003 and Document No. 637/ĐPT dated November 14, 2003; and the proposal of the Minister of Planning and Investment in Document No. 2398 BKH/VPTĐ dated April 22, 2003,

Pursuant to …;

Article 1. Approve the Development Plan for Vietnam Radio until 2010 with the following main contents:

I. DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE AND GENERAL OBJECTIVES

1. Viewpoints on Development:

- Rapid, efficient, sustainable development combined with good management; selective absorption of world, regional experiences, and adaptation to Vietnam's conditions, customs, and traditions, gradually integrating into the region and internationally.

- Gradually modernize broadcasting technology, modernize the program production system, broadcasting transmission system, ensuring that Vietnam Radio maintains its leading role in the national broadcasting system.

- Develop the broadcasting industry in conjunction with improving the political quality, professional competence, and gradually improving the living standards of Vietnam Radio staff; closely coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the overall development plan of the national broadcasting system.

2. General objectives:

- Build Vietnam Radio into a strong national station with high prestige in the region and internationally; effectively fulfill the mission of providing information, promoting the Party's guidelines, State policies, and laws, serving as a democratic forum for the people, contributing to enhancing the cultural and spiritual life of the people; strengthen external information, ensure information integration in the region and internationally, serving the cause of renewal, industrialization, and modernization of the country.

- Continue to innovate and improve the quality of radio programs, focusing on ethnic minority language programs; enhance the quality of radio coverage, continue to cover areas with weak signals, especially remote, border, and island regions.

- Closely cooperate with local radio stations in developing listening devices, grassroots broadcasting systems, public stations, and in producing programs, transmitting, and covering, making significant contributions to the comprehensive development of the modern broadcasting system, closely linked to training and developing high-quality human resources in the broadcasting system.

II. DIRECTION AND SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

1. Program Content:

- Provide truthful, accurate, objective, timely, and dynamic information; continuously improve the effectiveness of radio information in social life, ensuring its role in guiding public opinion.

- Improve and increase radio program systems, focusing on enhancing the quality of program content, delving deeply and comprehensively, meeting the information needs of all listener groups.

- Increase program duration and improve content quality, meeting information needs and community education goals, particularly for ethnic minority regions.

- Strengthen international broadcasting, focusing on promoting Vietnam's foreign policy, reflecting the construction and development efforts of the Vietnamese people; enhance international cooperation, develop key overseas bureaus, ensuring rapid, accurate, and attractive international information.

- Ensure that by 2010, Vietnam Radio has six radio program systems (four domestic and two international), with a total daily broadcast time of 159 hours and 30 minutes (domestic 112 hours and 30 minutes, international 47 hours), including: The Current Affairs - Political Comprehensive System (VOV1): 19-24 hours/day; Cultural and Social Life System (VOV2): 18-24 hours/day; Music - Information - Entertainment System (VOV3): 34 hours/day; Ethnic Minority Language System (VOV4): 15-29 hours and 30 minutes/day; International System for Foreigners in Vietnam (VOV5): 10 hours/day; International System for Regions and Countries Worldwide (VOV6 - consisting of multiple subsystems): total time is 37 hours/day.

2. Program Production:

- Vigorously promote research and application of digital technology and computer audio network technology in program production; establish a production model suitable for the new program system organization; unify technology, scale, and implement digitization of the sound storage system.

- Establish a Broadcasting Editing - Technical Production Center according to modern broadcasting technology in Hanoi; gradually invest in building program production systems with appropriate scales at the permanent offices of Vietnam Radio; build a wide-area network connecting the Hanoi center with permanent offices and local stations; develop the Vietnam Radio Theater.

- Enhance the ability to exchange information and programs with local stations and foreign stations; increase direct broadcast time from studios and event locations through mobile recording vehicles and telecommunications infrastructure to 30% by 2005 and 50% by 2010.

3. Transmission and Broadcasting:

- Combine various transmission and broadcasting methods to expand and improve domestic coverage quality; invest in upgrading and expanding the international shortwave broadcasting system combined with satellite direct broadcasting; increase online and offline Internet and electronic newspaper content time and number of languages developed.

- Continue to implement the approved broadcasting transmission and broadcasting plan, with adjustments and supplements in line with reality. Strengthen the transmission and broadcasting system corresponding to the number of radio program systems, meeting the requirements of transmitting and exchanging radio programs.

- Domestic coverage: by 2010, cover 97% of the national population with stable service day and night, aiming for 100% coverage of the national population; focus on expanding and improving coverage quality in mountainous areas in the North, Central region, the Central Highlands, the Spratly Islands area, and establishing a single-frequency FM network along National Highway 1A and the Ho Chi Minh Highway; invest in upgrading and expanding the domestic broadcasting system corresponding to programs VOV1, VOV2, VOV3, and VOV4.

- International coverage: strengthen the FM broadcasting network for program VOV5 in key areas for foreigners in Vietnam; continue leasing third-party shortwave broadcasting services to countries and remote regions, expanding the direct broadcast coverage from Vietnam via satellite; improve existing coverage quality by replacing appropriate equipment to ensure that by 2010, international coverage (VOV6) reaches most important regions worldwide.

4. Human resource training:

- Train and build a professional staff team following the "shortcut" approach; retrain officials, civil servants, and employees to meet the requirements of modern broadcasting.

- By 2010: 10% of managers, reporters, editors, and technicians should have postgraduate qualifications, 75-80% should have university-level expertise, 30-40% should be proficient in foreign languages (of which 10-15% should be fluent in listening, speaking, and communication), 90% should have computer skills; all managers should have mid-to-senior political qualifications; recruit additional personnel to replace 25-30% of the total number of officials, civil servants, and employees at the Radio Voice of Vietnam, and implement effective staff rotation.

5. Financial planning:

- Establish a self-financing mechanism, complete the organizational structure for financial management, gradually implement decentralized financial management within the Radio Voice of Vietnam.

- Develop a set of financial performance indicators and standards as tools to measure and monitor the implementation of long-term planning and annual plans.

- Increase revenue from operations, ensuring that a portion of broadcasting expenses is covered by expanding broadcasting time, enhancing the quality of advertising programs, and developing other service activities consistent with the functions and responsibilities of the station.

6. Scientific research and technological development:

- Strengthen scientific research and technological development, focusing on solving urgent issues of the station and participating in resolving common issues of the national broadcasting system; paying particular attention to issues such as improving the quality of program content, applying and effectively utilizing modern technology in program production, transmission, and reception devices to meet the growing information needs of the people, and gradually integrating broadcasting into regional and international contexts.

- Ensure mastery of modern program production technology by 2005, independently produce audio editing software after 2005; master digital sound recording machine manufacturing technology by 2010, and master digital radio broadcasting technology after 2010.

7. Service development:

- Consolidate and enhance the capacity of the Advertising Service Center; expand and improve the quality of advertising activities in accordance with the law, moving towards building a flexible advertising strategy suitable for a market economy; increase revenue from cultural, technical, and training services.

- Develop and expand the "music-information-entertainment" system by leveraging and mobilizing economic components in society to participate in funding, supporting, and advertising on the radio broadcast, in line with the content, nature, and scope of the program.

8. Reception devices:

- From now until 2005, concentrate on producing analog radio receivers to meet the public's demand for reception equipment. After 2005, invest in researching and importing production lines for digital radio receivers suitable for Vietnam's actual conditions, to expand the digital radio receiver market after 2010.

- By 2010, 100% of households will have at least one radio to listen to Radio Voice of Vietnam programs.

III. IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES

1. Building and perfecting mechanisms and policies:

- Reform and supplement mechanisms and policies related to the development of Radio Voice of Vietnam in line with laws and the development of the Vietnamese broadcasting system; regulations and policies for broadcasting professionals; socialization policies for broadcasting and international cooperation in broadcasting.

- Develop regulations on organization, staff standards, and relationships between Radio Voice of Vietnam and ministries, sectors, and international broadcasting organizations.

- Coordinate with state management agencies to develop Statutes, moving towards developing a Broadcasting Ordinance; closely coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to develop and implement a nationwide broadcasting plan.

2. Organizational reform:

- Build and perfect the organizational structure of Radio Voice of Vietnam according to assigned functions and tasks; consolidate and stabilize the technical sector, reform the organization and management of the editorial, training, and business sectors to suit Vietnam's actual conditions and the development trends of modern broadcasting.

3. Human resource development:

- Gradually standardize the cadre and civil servant team; build a human resource structure for broadcasting that aligns with the functions and tasks of Radio Voice of Vietnam and the actual development of the Vietnamese broadcasting system.

- Develop a training and capacity-building plan for human resources in line with the level of development in the broadcasting field; improve training formats and quality, combining domestic and international training methods with a reasonable ratio.

- By 2010: recruit, train, and develop theoretical knowledge, foreign language proficiency, computer skills, and professional expertise to replace 25-30% of the total number of cadres, civil servants, and employees at the station; focus on training and developing managerial cadres from department-level positions upwards.

4. Research, development, and technological innovation:

- Implement scientific research topics related to: strategic planning for the development of new technology; application and manufacturing of digital broadcasting equipment and modern radio program production technology; application of multimedia communication and information technology in the field of radio.

- Study modern measurement techniques, establish technical standards and regulations to serve state management and industry management; implement the application of digital technology and information technology in preserving national cultural heritage and historical sound materials managed by Voice of Vietnam; coordinate in researching, manufacturing, and improving some electronic devices.

- Conduct surveys on the coverage area nationwide to serve as a basis for reallocating some broadcasting equipment to meet requirements and increase efficiency.

5. Strengthen international cooperation:

- Enhance cooperation with international and regional broadcasting organizations and broadcasting organizations with traditional relations; actively participate and play a role in international broadcasting organizations.

- Promote the exchange of radio programs, external information activities, and promotion for Voice of Vietnam.

- Maximize professional, operational, and financial support from countries and international organizations to develop Voice of Vietnam and the Vietnamese radio system.

6. Organize production and business operations:

- Reorganize enterprises to improve production and business efficiency in line with new circumstances, serving political tasks well and adapting to market mechanisms.

- Focus on producing some replacement equipment such as broadcasting equipment, specialized transmission and reception equipment, base radio station equipment, digital radio equipment, etc.

7. Mobilize funds to implement the Master Plan:

- Based on the contents of the Master Plan approved by the Prime Minister, Voice of Vietnam will prioritize projects in each phase, and proceed to build, approve, and implement these projects according to current state regulations on investment and construction management.

- The main investment capital for implementing the Master Plan will be provided from the state budget and partly from business and service activities, income-generating activities, foreign aid, and international organizations.

- Depending on the ability to mobilize and balance funds in each period, annual and five-year plans will be established to achieve set goals. The funding level for implementing the Master Plan will be determined when considering specific projects and allocated according to the annual budget plan.

- Voice of Vietnam will closely cooperate with relevant ministries and sectors to propose measures to attract domestic and foreign capital to serve the implementation of the Master Plan.

8. Voice of Vietnam has the responsibility to proactively implement:

- Lead and coordinate with local stations to unify principles of division of labor, coordination, and support in producing radio programs based on maximizing the advantages of national and local stations, ensuring high quality, timeliness, comprehensiveness, diversity, and avoiding duplication of content (especially programs meeting national requirements and those in minority languages).

- Lead and coordinate with local stations to unify principles of coordination and support in utilizing local stations' broadcasting transmitters to expand the coverage of national radio programs across the country.

- Lead and coordinate with local stations in training and professional development in radio; guide local stations on radio operations and technology, ensuring consistency and synchronization in the national radio system.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and local stations to study and build organizational models and management practices suitable for district/rural town/village radio stations and policies related to the radio and broadcasting cause nationwide.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and local stations to study and propose improvements to broadcasting networks; study and apply advanced technologies in the field of radio; participate in building and implementing professional standards, procedures, norms, and advanced economic and technological standards in radio.

- Coordinate with related sectors such as television and telecommunications to maximize existing technical infrastructure in transmitting and broadcasting radio programs according to the principle: Voice of Vietnam only invests in connection components located at its headquarters and units.

- Coordinate with central and local state management agencies to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of some important projects of Voice of Vietnam in recent years as a basis for supplementing and perfecting measures to implement the development plan of Voice of Vietnam.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect fifteen days after the date of signature.

Article 3. The General Director of Voice of Vietnam, Ministers of the Ministries of Planning and Investment, Finance, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Construction, Public Security, Defense, Posts and Telecommunications, Science and Technology, Natural Resources and Environment, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, and Heads of relevant agencies are responsible for implementing this Decision.