On May 10, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang signed a decision to issue Decree 49/2024 regulating grassroots information activities.

This is a decree regulating grassroots information activities; state management responsibilities; rights and obligations of agencies, organizations and individuals participating in grassroots information activities.

In Article 40 of the Decree, the Government has clearly stipulated the grassroots information activities at the district level. This includes the production of radio programs in Vietnamese and local ethnic minority languages ​​to be broadcast on commune-level radio stations, the production of news, articles, photos, video clips, information graphics and other appropriate forms to provide and disseminate to people on multimedia and multi-platforms.

Grassroots information activities at the district level also include collaboration and coordination in the production of news, articles, photos, video clips, radio and television programs for publication and broadcast on provincial and central newspapers and radio stations. Operate public bulletin boards at the district level and provide information on the provincial grassroots information source information system.

The district-level information team is also responsible for implementing periodic and ad hoc reporting as required by competent state management agencies.

Chinh Phu District Radio and Television Station.jpg
A basic broadcasting system. Photo: Chinhphu.vn

According to Article 41 on transitional provisions, district-level radio and television stations, cultural, information and sports centers, media and cultural centers or other names with broadcasting activities will continue to operate the existing transmission and broadcasting technical systems to broadcast and rebroadcast radio programs but will not invest in or upgrade the transmission and broadcasting technical systems.

These units are required to cease broadcasting and rebroadcasting radio programs before December 31, 2025.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tao, Director of the Department of Grassroots Information, said that the Government will reorganize the activities of district-level radio stations. After Decree 49/2024 on grassroots information activities takes effect, the district-level radio station system will shift from mainly producing, broadcasting, and broadcasting to multimedia and multi-platform communications.

“ Press agencies must transform digitally, media must converge, and so must district-level media activities. Previously, with old technology, each district and commune station had a broadcasting transmission system. Later, we will move towards eliminating all these systems and switching to IT applications so that there is only one infrastructure, which is telecommunications infrastructure ,” Mr. Tao shared.

According to statistics from the Department of Grassroots Information (Ministry of Information and Communications), the whole country has 666 districts, towns, provincial cities with radio and television stations or cultural, information and sports centers, media and cultural centers with radio and television activities, reaching a rate of 94.5%. The number of personnel working in radio and television activities at the district level is about 7,000 officials and employees.

New regulations on grassroots information activities Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has just signed a decision to issue Decree 49/2024 regulating grassroots information activities.