National 4 (Spotlight Weekly)

Metro Channel In The Offing

Under the grant assistance of Chinese government, Nepal Television gets a brand new and modern station

By A CORRESPONDENT

Both the Nepal’s two neighbors – India and China - have secured reputation in the world market on information technology. Nepal’s northern neighbor People’s Republic China is well-known for making hardware whereas southern neighbor India is equally known for making software.

Minister Thapa (middle and envoy Wu Congyong inspecting the metro station : State-of-the-art facility

At a time when the state-owned Nepal Television (NTV) had to compete with a number of private channels, which have started airing their programs, China came to its rescue to improve its technical as well as the infrastructure capability.

With the financial support of about Rs. 552 million, Nepal Television is now equipped with the capability to have a separate metro channel with modern station and studio.

Built and supervised by the Chinese technical experts, the studio is said to be one of the largest with a huge capacity to run many programs. At a time when Nepal Television had to book halls for holding different programs, the new facility will now allow it to shoot programs in studios within its premises in Singha Durbar.

Nepal Television will start the broadcasting of the metro channel from the newly built station within a month in UHF band frequency. Spread in 3,862 meter square area, the metro channel has two studios, 8 editing equipments, two master control and sound dubbing facility.

In presence of Minister of Information and Communication Kamal Thapa, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Congyong handed over the television station last week to the secretary of Information and Communication Mukunda Sharma Poudel. Chinese Ambassador and secretary of Information and Communication also signed an agreement to pave the way for training and other maintenance of NTV metro station.

“This television cannel will help to improve the quality of Nepal Television programs and enhance the professional expertise,” said secretary Poudel addressing the ceremony.

Chinese ambassador expressed happiness to support Nepal’s development efforts. “Bound by rivers and high Himalayas, China and Nepal has centuries old friendly relations. As a good neighbor, China has been supporting Nepal in over all development of Nepal for long time,” he said.

Officials of the Nepal Television have expressed that the new metro station will increase the quality of Nepal’ television’s program. “Equipped with ultra-modern technology, the new station will support Nepal Television’s effort to offer quality program,” said Mukunda Acharya, chairman of Nepal Television.

Completed within just 15 months period, this is the largest Chinese project completed in the valley after the completion of sports complex to host the South Asian games in Nepal in 1999.

“We are happy that the project was completed on record time of 15 months. We are happy that this station will supplement NTV to compete in the market,” said Tapanath Shukla, general manager of Nepal Television.

The hardware provided by the Chinese government will ultimately air the software borrowed form the southern neighbor India as Nepal still does not have adequate television software like serials, films, documentaries and so on.

Chinese economic assistance to Nepal is basically targeted at making Nepal self sustainable. In the last 30 years, China supported Nepal in the areas of infrastructures including roads and industries.

Whether it is road or industries, Chinese have helped to improve Nepalese technology. By building Bansbari leather factory, China helped to improve the skills of local cobblers in making shoes professionally. Brick and Tile factory helped Nepal to improve the quality of construction bricks in the country.

Although Nepal and China have signed an agreement to construct the road through Rasuwa-Kerung to link Tibet in 2001, they have yet to start constructing it. Signed during the tenure of prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the road is expected to reduce the cost of transport and distance between Lhasa and Kathmandu.

Despite Nepal’s geographical location between two Asian giants, Nepal is yet to reap benefit from the successes achieved by them.