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

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

Article 40 of the Decree clearly stipulates the activities of grassroots information dissemination at the district level. This includes producing radio programs in Vietnamese and local ethnic minority languages ​​for broadcast on commune-level radio stations, producing news articles, photos, video clips, infographics, and other appropriate forms to provide and disseminate information to the people through multiple media and platforms.

District-level grassroots information activities also include collaborating and coordinating the production of news articles, photos, video clips, radio programs, and television programs for publication and broadcast on provincial and national newspapers and radio stations. They also involve operating district-level public bulletin boards and providing information through the provincial-level grassroots information system.

The grassroots information team at the district level is also responsible for submitting regular and ad hoc reports as required by competent state management agencies.

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A local public address system. Photo: Chinhphu.vn

According to Article 41 of the 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 their existing transmission and broadcasting technical systems to broadcast and rebroadcast radio programs, but will not invest in or upgrade their transmission and broadcasting technical systems.

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

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tao, Director of the Department of Grassroots Information, the Government will reorganize the operations of district-level radio stations. After Decree 49/2024 on grassroots information activities comes into effect, the district-level radio station system will shift from primarily producing, broadcasting, and transmitting to multimedia and multi-platform communication.

“ Press agencies must undergo digital transformation and convergent communication, and the same applies to communication activities at the district level. Previously, with old technology, each district and commune station was a separate broadcasting transmission system. Later, we will move towards eliminating all these systems and switching to IT applications so that there is only one infrastructure: the telecommunications infrastructure ,” Mr. Tạo shared.

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

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