The Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) was established in the first quarter of 2007 and duly registered with the Ministry of Interior on June 15, 2007 as a non-governmental organization (NGO). CCIM was organized to work for the promotion of independent media, press freedom, freedom of expression, access to information and internet freedom.
CCIM began its operation by continuing the production and broadcast of radio programs dubbed Voice of Democracy (VOD), which was started by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights in 2003 until 2007.
In 2009, CCIM completely managed two radio stations in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in collaboration with the respective broadcasting partners. Under the name of Radio Sarika FM, it broadcasted radio programs produced by VOD, such talk shows, call-in shows and hourly radio news reports. It also broadcasted other contents such as entertainment programs and popular Cambodian music.
CCIM opened another two radio frequencies in the second half of 2016 broadcasting in Battambang and Banteay Meanchey provinces, and a new frequency in Phnom Penh, bringing to a total of five radio stations — approximately covering 30 districts with a potential listeners of 11,038,611 individuals aged 18 years old above (voting population per district based on National Election Committee census).
In 2011, CCIM established its own online news website named VOD (www.vodkhmer.news) to engage in a new platform for its news and information as the country embraces quickly the online technology. In three-year time, VOD has grown significantly and attracted up to 10,000 visitors per day. Using Google Analytics, it has recorded a total of 502,000 visits and 1.3 million page views in the six month period in 2013.
Aside from its radio and online news reporting, CCIM has conducted the following activities:
- Organized the Cambodian journalists and come up with a common standard ethics for Cambodian journalists and trained them on independent journalism.
- Trained more than 200 citizen journalists providing information to VOD reporters.
- Organized advocacy activities on the press freedom, freedom of information and freedom of expression such as the holding of an exhibit of photos and posters calling for justice of journalists who became victims of abuses in the course of performing their duties, of which one of VOD reporters was a victim.
- Actively collaborate with civil society in Cambodia in advocating for internet law that respect human rights. CCIM is a member of a government initiated working group drafting the access to information law in Cambodia.
- Organized a network of provincial radio stations to promote independent media. Some of these provincial radio stations are now broadcasting some of VOD Radio talk shows and news programs.
- Collaborated with NGOs in the promotion of the access to information law; participated in the Ministry of Information’s technical working group on the drafting of the access to information law;
- Mobilizing citizen journalists in reporting gender violence issues, public delivery services, and corruption issues.
In August 2017, the Cambodian government ordered the stoppage of broadcast of Radio Free Asia (RFA), Voice of America (VOA), radio programs of political opposition parties, and including the VOD radio programs. Almost all radio stations broadcasting these radio programs were also ordered closed. CCIM’s radio broadcasting partners also terminated their partnership with CCIM, thus Radio Sarika FM broadcasts also discontinued.
Currently, CCIM continue to produce radio thematic programs in collaboration with partner NGOs and aired on a daily one-hour airtime on around 14 radio stations all over the country partnering with CCIM.
Since its establishment, CCIM has been funded by a number of donors, among others, the International Republican Institute (IRI), Delegation of European Union in Cambodia, British Embassy, Australian Embassy, Deusche Welle Academie, Transparency International, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), IFEX International, Reporters Without Borders, Action Aid Cambodia, Freedom House, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Cambodia Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Canada Fund.
CCIM is currently supported by a number of partners, such as the Open Society Foundations (OSF), Diakonia, Dan Church Aid (DCA), Bread for the World, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS), Transparency International Cambodia (TIC), Internews, International Media Support (IMS), etc.