DhiTV interested in commercial arrangement with public broadcaster TVM

Privately-owned television station DhiTV is among six parties to have expressed interest in a joint venture arrangement with the ailing Maldives National Broadcasting Company (MNBC), which broadcasts rival channels including Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VOM).

DhiTV CEO Yoosuf Nawaal said the station had approached MNBC and offered to buy TVM’s land for Rf100 million (US$7.78 million), “and they would pay us a monthly rent of Rf1 million (US$77,800).”

“We actually gave them quite a clean business offer; in terms of interest it was about 10 per cent,” Nawaal said, adding that DhiTV was only interested in the land not the property on it as “TVM’s equipment and staff are quite old.”

As for the broadcaster’s independence, “they would be running the show and we would not be involved.”

MNBC’s Managing Director Ibrahim Khaleel did not confirm that DhiTV was one of the interested parties but did state that one was “local” while the others were foreign interests.

“During last year six parties expressed interest, five foreign and one local company. But their interest was a commercial interest and not our interest,” Khaleel said. He added that the local company concerned was a “very established company”, and “if we do some business with them it may not be as a partner, but to share some services. That would be one way of doing it.”

He emphasised that media reports this morning suggesting that MNBC was selling its stations “are not true. We are not going to sell, and we are not looking to sell. We are looking for a partner for a joint venture [agreement].”

MNBC was currently trying to “reduce and restructure” TVM, he explained, “as at the moment it is an expensive operation.”

If the partner turned out to be another local media company, he noted, “I think we have to think about a lot of things.”

“Public service broadcasting is very important. We are trying to become a developed nation and that means developing not only buildings, but the intellectual community [as well],” he said.

“I think if someone was interested, the partner should agree that TVM and VOM would remain as public service broadcasting. We have to set standards and editorial guidelines, because it will be a problem if they are not there.”

MNBC’s other channels, including YouthTV and RaajjeFM, represented commercial opportunities for the right partner, Khaleel said.

“As well as commercialising YouthTV and RaajjeFM, they could create another channel or develop internet, mobile and cable [broadcasting],” he suggested. “If someone expresses interest we will sit down together and discuss how we can handle it.”

There were many successful models for running state media, he agreed, but Maldives was unique because of its small population.

“Everyone says the BBC model is great, but the population, technology and human resource situation is completely different here in the Maldives. We have 300,000 people, and the expenditure for a public broadcasting service is huge.”

The current program of “reducing and restructuring” would not affect the editorial quality of the state broadcaster because of the organisation’s investment in training, he insisted.

“We need to develop our staff. For 47 years of radio and broadcast there has not been a single human being with a diploma or a degree involved. We are funding 14 journalist diplomas and have sent 15 staff to study degree-level journalism abroad. Most important thing is not numbers [of staff], but quality and experience.”

President of the Maldives Journalist Association Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir said he was not in favour of foreign influence on local media, and that furthermore he felt “state TV should remain state TV, even if it was run with a much lower budget.”

“TVM’s budget is Rf100 million (US$7.78 million), they could cut that in half. I think the state would provide that,” he said.
.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

8 thoughts on “DhiTV interested in commercial arrangement with public broadcaster TVM”

  1. DhiTV is like america's Fox News - a load of bias rubbish. please don't let them get their dirty hands on TVM

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  2. the old saying comes to mind
    "aus vikiyas lagan nuvikaake..."

    something like that

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  3. dhitv, are you intrested in buying afgantistan TV ?, so that if a bomb explodes in capital kabul, with your remarkable live coverage you can encourage more suicide bombings, by getting interviews of suicide bombers and would call it freedom of journalism, and also kutti nasheed will give legal advice on suicide bombing..., what a shame in the name of journalism cause that's what you guys did when these DRP hooligans blocked MNDF headquarters and presidential palace in the middle of the night, i think this country is now a great example in democracy cause all the criminals get away with all the crimes while our opposition is hellbent on bringing a coup to this country, even though this is the first democratically elected government in our entire history

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  4. A deal has already been made with Cable & Wireless. Now thats BREAKING NEWS eh?

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  5. Of course the operators of DhiTV will have the funds to buy out not only TVM but anything that serves to promote their core business.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  6. TVM should not and could not be sold, but they can do some side businesses with other partners...I agree with khaleels concerns. we should let it ripe as a public broadcaster in its pure form, not as a name as kutti has proposed in his bill to the parliament.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  7. TVM and VOM are nation institutions serving the people of this country. DhiTV has prooved time and again that they do not operate within the accepted ethics within the journalism community when broadcasting news. Authorities should be looking to revoke their license instead of handing them TVM or VOM.

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
  8. No wonder that DHI TV is interested in controlling TVM. after all TVM is teh only channel providing public with two sides of our political situation unlike DhiTV which is promoting onluy the interest of DRP.

    May GOD help Chmapaa family and bring them prosperity in this world. We will see you Champa Brothers in the afterlife. Guess where you will be then???

    Avid fan of MDP - Addu

    Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Comments are closed.