This report analyses current media legislation and regulation in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam and examines the opportunities for the development of public service and community broadcasting. The report also includes useful references to Singapore.

The aim of this publication is to provide an updated reference for current initiatives in different media-related fields, as it maps current media legislation and regulation in the region and identifies the place of public service broadcasting and community media in each national media landscape. It also formulates the key challenges in this field and addresses a set of general recommendations to international and regional organizations, donors, governments, advocacy groups, NGOs, training institutions and the broadcast industry in general.

This work is undertaken in the context of the aspirations of the UNESCO Media Development Indicators (MDI). It will be a useful tool for the implementation of UNESCO’s Communication and Information Programme in the region in 2014-2017, and will be widely disseminated to media development stakeholders in the region.