PUTRAJAYA will not grant political parties a licence to run their own television stations, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Eddin Syazlee Shith said this in answer to Oscar Ling (Sibu-PH) who asked if the government would approve television and radio licences for political parties, during question time in the House this morning.

The lawmaker from Sarawak cited recent news that the state’s ruling pact Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has plans to set up its own television channel to deliver information and news, as well as local programmes.

“So far, there is no such plan,” Eddin replied.

The government owns RTM’s TV1 and TV2, which are free-to-air television channels. 

It also owns the Bernama News Channel and TV Alhijrah.

Conglomerate Media Prima owns TV3, NTV7, 8TV and TV9. Private satellite pay TV service provider Astro broadcasts over a hundred other local and international television channels.

It is well known that Malaysians prefer privately run television channels to RTM’s, but Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo recently said he wanted to make RTM the people’s choice for news and information.

To Ling’s other question on whether the government would reform RTM’s content to compete with private television channels, Eddin said many improvements had been introduced in recent months, adding that more plans to reform the government channel were in the pipeline.

He also said the government welcomed input and feedback on how to improve RTM.

Eddin meanwhile told Ismail Mohamed Said (Kuala Krau-BN) that the government was “correcting” RTM’s current practice of prioritising internally developed content.

Ismail had remarked that RTM gave preference to content, such as dramas and films, produced in by its own staff.

“It is true that most of the programmes are produced by RTM staff. That is being looked into. I assure   that it is being corrected.

“We don’t want to just give priority to our own staff and little opportunity to talents out there,” Eddin said. – April 3, 2019.