HOUSE OF THE WEEK
Warm single-storey house in Thingangyun
UNCOMPLICATED suburban living sums up this single-level house in Thingangyun township. The house is not overly spacious but there is a nice garden and lawn as compensation. more
State-run broadcaster set for makeover
(Volume 26, No. 510)
STATE-OWNED television network MRTV-3 is to be relaunched from March 27, with a Singapore company providing professional assistance to bring programming up to an international standard.
The channel will be rebranded as Myanmar International and will broadcast in English 24 hours a day. Myanmar International will be run by MRTV-3, under Myanma Radio and Television (MRTV), and the Shwe Than Lwin group of companies, MRTV-3 director U Win Kyi said.
Shwe Than Lwin is recruiting a production team and experts from Singapore to take care of the programming and is receiving professional assistance from Singapore-based Green Orange Private, owned by Mr Woon Tai Ho, who has launched TV channels including Channel NewsAsia and Malay channel Suria.
“International presenters from abroad will be presenting the news programs on Myanmar International,” U Win Kyi told The Myanmar Times.
“All the news presentation will be carried out in accordance with international norms and standards. All the interviews or talk show programs will feature different perspectives, unlike our former programs,” he said.
Senior Ministry of Information officials are negotiating with foreign news agencies for content to broadcast on the Myanmar International channel, he said.
“[Myanmar International will be] a 24-hour channel, free of charge for everyone, not only in Myanmar but also in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and America, “ he said.
Local presenters, as well as producers and cameramen will be trained by experienced foreign television journalists and experts in Tatkon, Nay Pyi Taw.
“We have to take some time to change and upgrade from MRTV-3 to Myanmar International. We understand that all the programs cannot be changed overnight.”
MRTV-3 is a non-profit English-language channel created in 2001.
“So far, we have made no any decision on whether Myanmar International will accept TV adver-tising or not. Previously, on MRTV-3, no commercials were accepted.”
One of the first documentary projects in the pipeline is a series on Myanmar’s former capitals, including Bagan, Mandalay and Amarapura, he said.
All the programs will be broad-cast from MRTV studios in Tatkon.
