Newly-appointed executive chairman of Nepal Television (NTV) Dr Mahendra Bista has said that Nepal Television would be converted into a public service broadcasting institution soon.
Speaking in the welcome program after assuming office at NTV on Singha Durbar Monday, he said he was one of those calling for PSB in the past and now has been given responsibility to implement it. He said the challenge of developing the state-owned TV broadcaster as a public service broadcasting institution would be met with.
The government has been preparing to formulate legislation for merging NTV and Radio Nepal to form public service broadcasting.
Urging the NTV employees to work with a sense of autonomy, the newly-appointed chairman said, "You can ask questions without any inhibitions. However, you should work and move ahead to provide quality service based on the true characteristic of the media in a proper way."
General manager Govinda Rokka said they were in the phase of taking the PSB concept into a concrete conclusion.
He said there was no truth in the saying that the 'Sidha Prasna' program, a talk show aired in NTV, was closed for asking question to a minister was not true.
Member of the NTV board of directors Tanka Panta said the management was trying to curb impunity seen in the institution and urged the employees to lend support to it.
NTV Employees Union president Surendra Basnet said the new leadership should work for ending what he called the monopoly and irregularities in the institution.
NTV Employees Association vice-president Hem Ghimire, Federation of Nepali Journalists NTV Chapter secretary Rabi Chandra Parajuli, among other speakers wished the newly-appointed chairman a successful term in office.
General manager Rokka, deputy general manager Deepak Mani Dhital among other officials welcomed chairman Bista in the NTV premises. Dr Bista also planted a sapling in the NTV premises after assuming office.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers on June 14 appointed Dr Bista the executive chair of NTV for a four-year term. Bista is the former president of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), the umbrella organisation of journalists across the country.
