Hong Kong – A CASBAA spokesman says that following a period of confusion after new pay-TV regulations came into force on May 15, most international TV channels (including major global news channels) have been restored to all pay-TV platforms in Vietnam (subject to appropriate commercial contracts and operational arrangements). 

John Medeiros, CASBAA’s Chief Policy Officer, observed that “after the initial period of confusion, the Vietnamese government made clear that it did not want to see foreign TV channels (and specifically not the international news channels) dropped from the country’s pay-TV systems. This positive and welcome intervention from the top levels of the government has made a real difference. The translation requirement for live news channels has been removed; we further understand that the remaining difficulties affecting the news channels are now being ironed out in negotiations between them and their distribution partners, and also that a substantial number of additional international channel licenses for entertainment channels have been issued since May 15^th, with more on the way.”   

Medeiros noted that a number of provisions of the pay-TV regulations remain to be implemented, and said “going forward, it will be important to make sure that the government’s positive policy is consistently carried out by all ministries and agencies (and is not reversed in the future), especially since a number of core international channels are still awaiting licenses. Vietnam has made it clear that it continues to be open to trade and investment, and that it intends to be an active and constructive player in the Southeast Asian economic area, and this is a very good thing.”