Presenting the State of Media report, the National Council’s Social and Cultural Affairs Committee pointed out that the Bhutan Broadcasting Service is struggling to achieve public service broadcaster status while Dzongkha newspapers are fading from the market. The committee also highlighted other critical issues facing the country’s media landscape.
Bhutan Broadcasting Service, currently operating as a State-Owned Enterprise, has been working to become a public service broadcaster, PSB, for a long time.
A roadmap was drawn in 2008 to align PSB mandates with financial sustainability through commercial operations.
However, the national TV and radio broadcaster continues to struggle to become PSB even to this day.
“Even the InfoComm Media Act 2018 states that BBS shall be designated as the Public Service Broadcaster and governed by an approved by law or charter,” said Kesang Chuki Dorjee, chairperson, Social and Cultural Affairs Committee, National Council.
Access to BBS TV and radio signals remains a challenge in some rural areas.
Meanwhile, media’s challenges extend to the print sector. Kuensel, with 49 per cent private ownership, is under immense pressure to generate profits amidst reduced circulation, shrinking advertising revenues, and growing competition.
Private newspapers rely heavily on government funding, which constitutes 90 per cent of their income.
Yet, austerity measures and the rise of e-procurement have significantly cut government advertisements, threatening their sustainability.
The House also discussed the decline of Dzongkha news publication, with only three newspapers still featuring Dzongkha content.
“Meanwhile, journalists face their own battles. A staggering 84 per cent journalists reported that they practice self-censorship due to name-dropping and insufficient management support. This has discouraged reporters from pursuing investigative journalism and in-depth reporting,” added Kesang Chuki Dorjee, chairperson, Social and Cultural Affairs Committee, National Council.
According to the committee, delays in accessing information from government agencies and constitutional bodies further intensify journalists’ struggles.
The committee’s findings call for urgent reforms to empower BBS, ensure the survival of private newspapers, and modernise the country’s legal frameworks for both traditional and digital platforms.
The committee has proposed 10 recommendations to tackle the challenges. Of it, only one was submitted back to the committee for refinement and review.
The House passed the remaining recommendations, which will be adopted next week.
Samten Dolkar
Edited by Phub Gyem
