Saturday, 1 March 2008

Group: National TV Coverage Skewed to CPP

By Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
29 February 2008

Chiep Mony reports in Khmer (0.99 MB) - Listen (MP3)

The independent monitoring group Comfrel said Friday that national television had spent an excessive amount of time covering the activities of ruling party politicians and not enough on the business of government.

TVK, which is owned by the government, spent 90 percent of its political coverage showing beneficial activities run by members of the Cambodian People's Party, Comfrel said, following observation of TKV from October 2007 to January 2008.

The national station spent only 10 percent of that coverage on the business of the National Assembly and Senate.

Koy Chandarith, media coordinator for Comfrel, called the coverage "biased."

"I ask TVK to give a chance to other parties so that they can be known and their activities shown," Koy Chandarith said.

Kim Kunawath, director-general of TVK, told VOA Khmer Friday that Comfrel's observations were not accurate.

He said if Comfrel approaches TVK, the work of the independent monitoring body would improve.

Muth Chantha, spokesman for the Norodom Ranariddh Party, said in recent months he has not heard of the NRP on TVK, "not even one second."

"TVK should broadcast news on education for the people, to encourage people to go to vote, to let them know the voting station sites and know all the political parties. These are important factors," Muth Chantha said.

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