Radio & Tv

Tibetan Tourism Info > Facts For The Visitor > Radio & TV

Tibet Radio is the official Chinese station is Lhasa. Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA) are both broadcast out of Tibet and are operated by the US. RFA was started in 1996 and advocates a free press to authoritarian governments and can be heard in Thailand, Indochina, Indonesia and China. There is both a Mandarin segment and a Tibetan service, neither which are liked by the Chinese. Voice of Tibet (VOT) broadcasts in Tibetan and is produced by Tibetan journalists in India and other countries. VOT can not be heard outside India, Tibet and neighboring countries but can be listened to online at external link: http://www.vot.org. Around Lhasa, authorities try to jam outside signals but there is excellent radio reception on the plateau and with a shortwave radio, you are sometimes able to pick up BBC World Service, which is broadcast in English.

Television

Lhasa TV and Xizang TV are Lhasa’s two broadcasting television stations. Some other stations or transmitters that are actively producing programs are located in Shigatse, Tsedang, Gyantse Qinghai, Kandze and Ngawa . Some broadcast in Tibetan or are subtitled, others are broadcast in Chinese.

In addition to the channels on these stations, there are mainland CCTV (China Central TV) Chinese channels which are broadcast out of Beijing on four or five different channels. CCTV-9 usually broadcasts in English or with English subtitles. Some other channels come from Phoenix TV stations and Star TV which is broadcast from Hong Kong and has channels such as the Star Movie Channel, Star Sports and a Chinese movie channel.

China Entertainment Television (CETV) is owned by AOL Time Warner and broadcasts “no sex, no violence and no news.” Dramas, game shows and situation comedies from Taiwan and Hong Kong are the only things shown on CETV.

The plateau allows for great satellite TV reception but all dishes must be licensed and are constantly monitored. Some of the better tourist hotels in Lhasa may be able to pick up VTV (like an Indian MTV) or CNN via satellite. BBC is not easy to acquire as it has come under much scrutiny from the Chinese government but some hotels might provide BBC World.

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Pamela Riis