Part 4: Affirming the strengths of television

One of the strengths of the cultural industry in Vinh Long is tourism. Accordingly, sustainable tourism is the goal being pursued, not only contributing to economic development but also preserving nature and culture and ensuring long-term development for future generations.

Unlocking potential - developing the cultural industry.

Part 2: Developing tourism while preserving local identity

Part 3: Traditional craft villages "awaken" along the rivers.

Television and radio are among the ten key pillars of the cultural industry. For many years, Vinh Long Newspaper and Radio and Television (THVL) has gradually demonstrated its role as a center for content creation, human resource training, and the development of modern television services. Thanks to breakthroughs in digital technology , the television industry now lays the groundwork for the development of diverse, creative, and high-value cultural products.

The film on THVL is set in a brick-making village, promoting the beauty of Vinh Long province. Photo: From the film crew of "Beside the Co Chien River"

The role of television

Attending a forum on cultural industries in the province, Mr. Le Quang Tu Do, Director of the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), said: Both the strategy for developing cultural industries until 2030 and the National Target Program on cultural development emphasize the role of television in preserving and promoting national identity, while simultaneously enhancing national competitiveness in the digital integration environment. Among the 10 cultural industries that Vietnam prioritizes for development until 2030, television is a creative industry with the potential to create a value chain linked to content, technology, and copyright.

Mr. Le Quang Tu Do commented: “THVL has experienced strong growth in scale, quality, and revenue. With 5 television channels, 1 radio channel, and a diverse media system on social media platforms, the unit has built a modern and effective television ecosystem. For many years, THVL has consistently been among the top-earning broadcasters nationwide, with revenue from its services often reaching 1-2 trillion VND. THVL is one of the pioneering units in digital transformation, successfully applying digital transformation to the radio and television broadcasting sector in Vietnam.”

Associate Professor Bui Hoai Son, Standing Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education, stated that THVL's programs have contributed to restoring, honoring, and "inspiring love for the homeland" among both locals and expatriates. This is an important contribution to strengthening local identity in the context of globalization. It should also be emphasized that television is an effective means for the province to build its local brand: the image of Vinh Long becomes a media symbol, associated with cultural values, innovation, and content production capabilities.

Journalist Huynh Tan Phat, Deputy Director of Vinh Long Newspaper, Radio and Television, shared: "The unique identity of our unit is to produce programs with the goal of creating a sense of closeness, authenticity, and always showcasing the cultural identity of the Southwestern region of Vietnam. This is reflected in each program, from political commentary to entertainment."

The unit has always focused on purely Vietnamese entertainment programs, and its most notable achievement in recent times has been its success in producing Vietnamese films. THVL has produced over 100 Vietnamese television series, with many works winning national awards. Through these films, the cultural life, spirit, and unique cultural characteristics of the people in the Mekong Delta are vividly reflected.

Like adaptations of literary works by Ho Bieu Chanh and adaptations of Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) such as: "Sister Hang's Daughter," "Motherly Love," "Thunderstorm in the Rain"... Most recently, the film "The Ghost of Happiness" is a vivid testament to the power of THVL's digital transformation: content broadcast on television continues to spread and grow steadily on digital platforms. With over 6.7 million users during the film season, it reached 2 billion viewers across digital platforms.

THVL effectively maintains and implements social humanitarian programs, spreading humanistic values. Some programs have stood the test of time, such as: "Humanitarian Address," "God of Fortune Knocks on the Door," "Lighting Up Hope," "Giving Wings to Dreams," etc., connecting people with love and compassion within the community.

Creating breakthroughs through the power of technology.

In the digital age, the challenge is how to expand digital channels and increase viewer accessibility. Recognizing this trend, THVL has digitized all its data, production processes, storage, and automated broadcasting.

By December 2025, Vinh Long's newspapers and radio and television broadcasters will have a nearly complete presence on the digital platform ecosystem, including an online newspaper; a website; and the THVLi OTT application, allowing viewers to watch free online television on mobile devices.

In addition, THVL has launched the THVLaudio online radio streaming application. On social media, THVL has 57 YouTube channels (8 with gold buttons, 36 with silver buttons); 72 Facebook pages; 9 TikTok channels; and 4 Zalo video channels.

THVL has made its mark with programs that are rich in Southern Vietnamese cultural identity.

According to the Press Department (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), in the three years from 2023-2025, THVL will be among the Top 10 domestic media outlets achieving excellent results in digital transformation in journalism. Its widespread presence across platforms helps reach diverse audiences, especially young viewers, mobile users, and on-demand viewers, effectively promoting content online and serving audiences across multiple devices and geographical regions. Notably, THVL has successfully delivered Vietnamese films to international audiences through digital platforms, including Filipino and English translations for the Indian market and other countries worldwide.

According to journalist Huynh Tan Phat, in the new context, THVL continues to develop a high-quality workforce and promote the application of science and technology in its production processes. The station focuses on building a Digital Data Center to serve its professional tasks while also aiming for commercialization in the market. It applies technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to develop a digital ecosystem for media and entertainment, combining e-commerce and digital advertising to increase revenue and promote content exploitation on social media and OTT platforms in the broadcasting and television sector.

Alongside technological development, human resources are a top priority. “We are orienting our development towards each journalist being a ‘multitalented journalist’ who knows how to tell stories through various forms, from radio and television to online newspapers and social media. We consider quality content and humanistic values ​​as core principles. AI can help us do journalism faster and smarter, but only the heart and genuine experience of a journalist will make viewers and readers stop and listen. Technology can create content, but the emotions and kindness of a journalist create memorable works,” said journalist Huynh Tan Phat.

Alongside technological development, human resources are a top priority.

According to Associate Professor Bui Hoai Son, provinces and cities nationwide are restructuring their administrative apparatus towards streamlining, efficiency, and regional linkages. This is also the time when Vinh Long can proactively propose "repositioning THVL as a public-industrial institution," with an open governance model, creating conditions for public-private cooperation, increasing financial autonomy, innovation, and digital transformation. Developing the television industry cannot be the responsibility of a single agency; it requires inter-sectoral, inter-level, and inter-regional coordination. It needs guiding policies from the State, dynamism from media businesses, involvement from the education and training system, and above all, the trust and support of the community. When all links operate together, when management thinking precedes action, and when television is recognized as a strategic platform, Vinh Long can absolutely become a model province in the development of the television industry in the Mekong Delta region and the whole country.

Regarding the future development direction of the television industry, Mr. Le Quang Tu Do stated that with the restructuring of local media agencies to ensure efficiency and effectiveness, local press and broadcasting agencies will develop in a focused manner, utilizing resources to grow on a larger and stronger scale. This will leverage existing human and material resources, invest in depth, develop technology, and receive increased support from the State through commissioned policy communication programs and national target programs on cultural development. It is necessary to promote the application of digital technology to achieve comprehensive digital transformation from management and production to content distribution, with the support of technology to save manpower and costs and improve efficiency.

Mr. Le Quang Tu Do emphasized that television is a cultural industry with the potential to create significant added value, contributing to building the national image, developing human resources, and fostering a creative economy. In the future, within the framework of the Strategy for the Development of Cultural Industries and the National Target Program on Cultural Development, the television industry will certainly have more opportunities and resources to develop more strongly, not only within Vietnam but also with a focus on reaching international levels.

(To be continued)

Text and photos: PHUONG THU

Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/202605/khai-mo-tiem-nang-phat-trien-cong-nghiep-van-hoa-ky-4-khang-dinh-the-manh-cua-truyen-hinh-5d04b61/