Press Release
The Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) last week applied for radio and TV licenses for its VOD programming through the Ministry of Information (MOI) in a move that, if successful, could mark a turning point for independent media in Cambodia.
“For more than 11 years, VOD has made it our mission to provide the Cambodian people with access to high-quality, Khmer-language news and information,” said CCIM Executive Director Pa Ngoun Teang. “These are goals that are consistent with the mission of the Ministry of Information and with the progress of democracy in Cambodia, and we therefore urge the government to consider and grant our request in a fair and transparent manner.”
The licensing application, submitted to the MOI on Sept. 8, requests that the government grant CCIM licenses for radio stations in Phnom Penh and 15 other provinces, as well as for a national TV station. This marks the fourth time that VOD has applied for a radio license, having made previous attempts in 2003, 2004 and 2007. This is the organization’s first request for a TV license. CCIM currently cooperates with license holders in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to broadcast its VOD radio programs and airs its video programming via the VOD website (www.vodhotnews.com/tv). For CCIM to be granted its own licenses for radio and TV would prove a boon for independent media in Cambodia, Teang said.
“Were the MOI to grant these licensing requests, VOD would own and operate the first truly independent and politically neutral Khmer-language radio and television stations in the country,” Teang said. “This would mark a vital first step in the development of a pluralistic and independent broadcast media sector in Cambodia.”
At its founding in 2007, CCIM took over operations for VOD, which had previously been managed by the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights since 2003. VOD is broadcast via Sarika FM radio stations in Phnom Penh (106.5 FM) and Siem Reap (95.5 FM) as well as through partner provincial stations. The VOD Hot News website, launched in 2011, publishes breaking news in real-time alongside in-depth investigative reports and features. VOD Online TV, introduced in May 2014, features daily video news wrap-ups and investigative documentaries.
For more information, please contact: Mr. Pa Ngoun TEANG, Executive Director Tel: +855 (0)60 409 999
Email: pnteang@vodhotnews.com
