By Kher Sonorng
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch for KI-Media
Click here to read the article in Khmer
On Thursday 07 April, officials at the audiovisual department of the ministry of Information (MoI) issued an order to Mam Sonando, the chairman of the Beehive FM105 station to stop selling broadcast time to the Khmer Post radio.
In a communiqué issued by the MoI to Mam Sonando on 07 April, it indicated that the department recently noted that Beehive station rented broadcast time to the Khmer Post (AM 9960) during its 10 to 11AM time slot. This is a violation of government edict 550 which consists of the MoI’s directives.
San Putheary, the director of the audiovisual department of the MoI, added about the issuing of the letter ordering the shutdown of the Khmer Post broadcast: “The authority’s directive indicated that all broadcast time slot sold must receive authorization from the MoI.”
Leng Kiri, an administrator for the Beehive station, indicated that his station has not made a decision on this issue yet and that this issue is being discussed. He added: “The MoI threatened Beehive, they told us to shut down the broadcasting of The Khmer Post radio. If Beehive dares broadcasting The Khmer Post again, the MoI will cancel our license, i.e. they will shut us down completely.”
Regarding this issue also, Ith Sokha, a representative for the Khmer Post, replied that the MoI’s order to shut down the Khmer Post seems to be issued in haste even though he already fulfilled all the legal paperwork. Ith Sokha added: “On the Khmer Post side, we are puzzled as to why this order was issued without prior directive first? If the Khmer Post broadcasted something that needs correction, then it would be done according to democracy, according to the information law. But, if we are shut down without prior information, this is very regrettable.”
A source indicated that the Khmer Post was broadcasted on the Internet for almost 2 years already, however, recently, it bought time from the Beehive station and it was operating for almost 1 week now. The Khmer Post program includes: local news, analyses, social issues related to development and human benefits, as well as the destruction of forest.
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