Mongolia: Mongolian democracy 'puts pressure on broadcasters'

Thursday 01 Oct 2009

Democracy in Mongolia has put pressure on broadcasters to provide balanced, independent news and programmes, an international meeting in Ulaanbaatar heard today.
Naranbaatar Myanganbuu, General Director of Mongolia's national broadcaster, MNB, told the ABU Programme Committee that since the democratic revolution in 1989, audiences had become open-minded and interactive, and expected fair, balanced news.
"MNB used to be a government mouthpiece to some extent," he said. "Therefore our challenges are balanced reporting and editorial independence."
MNB had undergone a few years of major structural change and renewal, he said. Its current challenges were the revision of programme policies and production methods.
News and current affairs programmes had to be brought to international standards. MNB needed to build its capacity in specialised reporting and commentating, and investigative journalism.
Clara Choi of RTHK-Hong Kong chaired the meeting, which reviewed a range of radio and television activities among ABU members. Participants agreed to set up an ABU TV Documentary Working Party to look at new cooperative activities.