Enhancing public service media in Lao PDR
To improve the accessibility to quality public programs in Lao PDR
Lao PDR has a national strategy to move from analogue to digital by 2025. In line with this, the technology used in the media sector is being upgraded through both national resources and international support. These measures are complemented by exchange of media personnel with other countries.
Lao citizens will have received more updated and quality media content, available in Lao, ethnic minorities’ and foreign languages.
State budget together with private sector investment
The evaluation was done as part of the review of the 7th Socio-Economic Development Plan which ended in 2015. The transition to digital technology (currently 50% realized) has led to the improvement of the communication sector and expanded the mass media system quantitatively and qualitatively. The land-based transmission includes 63 radio stations, covering 95 percent of the country and delivering to the public a total of 700 hours per day, in the languages of Lao, Hmong, Khamou, French, English, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese. Programs in ethnic languages - Khamou and Hmong are broadcasted 3 times a day (in total 2 hours for each language) on frequencies AM 6130 KHz and on FM 94.3 MHz; 95 MHz ; 97.3 MHz and 103.7 MHz, delivering programs on news, information and success stories, music and other types of entertainment such as dramas.
The TV media have also developed its quality and improved the broadcast content. Currently there are 37 TV stations (29 of which are public), both video and audio broadcasting covers 80 percent of the country’s area, while satellite covers 100 percent of the country’s area. Local stations are also active and broadcast at least 2-3 hours a day of locally produced programs. The print media have expanded quantitatively and qualitatively. At present, there are 127 media publication, including 27 newspapers (11 of which are daily). Radio broadcast speakers have been installed in various villages across the country, including 4,635 targeted villages, accounting for over 50 percent of the total villages.