Chairman of State Administration Council Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivers address at ceremony to mark Diamond Jubilee of MRTV
Nay Pyi Taw February 15
The 75th Anniversary or Diamond Jubilee of Myanmar Radio and Television was held at MRTV in Nay Pyi Taw-Tatkon this afternoon, with an address delivered by Chair-man of the State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.Present at the ceremony together with the Senior General were Coun-cil members General Mya Tun Oo, Lieutenant-General Moe Myint Tun, Union Minister for Home Affairs Lieutenant-General Soe Htut, Union Minister for Information U Chit Naing, Commander of Nay Pyi Taw Command Major-General Zaw Myo Tin, deputy ministers U Ye Tint and Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun, departmental officials, MRTV staff, and invited guests. Staff from Yangon branch of MRTV, personnel from retrans-mission stations and former staff of MRTV attended the ceremony online.
Before the ceremony, the Senior General formally opened the MRTV Diamond Jubilee commemorative museum, and sprinkled scented water on the signboard.Then, the Council members and Union ministers sprinkled scented water on the signboard.The Senior General and party visited the booths showing radios and broadcasting equipment in various periods, broadcasting and program-ming equipment in successive era, news and information, TV broad-casting equipment of various eras, green screen virtual, maintenance and survey equipment and broad-casting machines and receivers, cameras and accessories used in various eras, roundtable talks and discussions settings, news reading settings, mics and telephones in various eras, musical instruments in various eras, and seats and board and news and information used in BBS era. MRTV Director General U Ye Naing and officials conducted the Senior General and party round the booths. In response, the Senior General stressed the systematic maintenance of TV and radio broadcasting equipment in various periods as they are ancient machines that cannot be found anywhere.
The Diamond Jubilee of MRTV began with a song with the title of “Genuine beauty in Diamond Jubilee—eternal MRTV” sung by MRTV staff and a dance perfor-mance. Then, a documentary video on the MTRV’s journey to the diamond jubilee was screened.In his speech, the Senior General wished all the attendees health and happiness. He said an employee can meet a jubilee twice during his service. A jubilee is a memorable and a valuable day in life. Myanmar’s media industry ori-ginated from the Yadanabon news-paper on 9 March 1874 (during the reigns of King Mindon). Myanmar’s broadcasting service started in 1937 but it was not an independent national broadcasting service. The broadcasting station of Myanmar Army was established in Yangon in early March, 1945 as an independent one.
In early May of 1945, Rangoon Radio started broadcasting in Golden Valley in Yangon, and it was renamed Burma Broadcasting Service-BBS on 15 February 1946. The day was designated as Bama Athan Day in successive eras. On 28 November 1958, it was changed into Myanma Athan representing all the national races of the Union. Coloured TV broadcasting began on 3 June 1980 and it was changed into Myanmar Radio and Television-MRTV on 22 November 1997.The Senior General said he was honour to learn that an FM channel in English version named Myanmar Radio will be launched on the Diamond Jubilee (the 75th Anniversary) of MRTV. A good articulation is required in broadcast-ing in English. In doing so, it is also necessary to disseminate a certain technical knowledge to the public in addition to information, education and entertainment. Being a large and historic de-partment, MRTV has successfully
performed its duties in successive eras such as the independence struggle, the parliamentary demo-cracy, the caretaker government, the Revolution Council, Myanmar Socialist Programme Party, the multi-party democracy and the now State Administration Council. It has been broadcasting interesting and educative radio programmes for many years. The Senior General said he used to listen to story-telling programmes, still remembering the story about ‘Lu Manaw’ (Human mind) by writer Thawda Swe. As it depicts the minds of people, it is very knowledgeable and educative, the Senior General said.
Myanmar Radio started live broadcasting of football matches for inter-states and regions in 1957. The broadcasters were U Kyaw Nyein and U Khin Maung. Listening to live broadcasts is like enjoying football matches in person. At that time, the way the commentators such as U Maung Maung Yin, U Maung Maung Thi and U Zaw Win broadcast was still memorable, the Senior General said. The Senior General said in his generation, radio feature and radio play programmes were very know-ledgeable and valuable. MRTV could not only to inform, educate and entertain but also to motivate the people. As the fourth estate, the media industry plays an important role so it must act correctly. Care is also necessary not to harm Myanmar’s culture. News must be correct, speedily released and beneficial. News must be released in parallel with times for public knowledge. Nowadays, people spend much time on online media but less time on reading. The wrong use of online media can lead to danger so they should use it effectively and usefully.
All the citizens need to have appropriate knowledge in order to build a developed and genuine disciplined multiparty democratic country as they have aspired. It is information and media that can only disseminate such knowledge to the public. As Shin Maha Ratthasara ad-monished that those which are noteworthy should be found out consistently and recited at home because if one frequently recites them to the wife and offspring, they will be wise significantly after hearing them daily even if they are lack of knowledge and unwise. It is necessary for the staff to participate in the nation-building tasks by exposing citizens to know-ledge daily. It is necessary for the staff to effectively carry out duties to enable the international community to understand the reality of the country. In conclusion, he said that he would like to see the MRTV as an entity to be relied upon by the State and the people from its diamond jubilee to all eternity.
Afterwards, the Senior General presented cash rewards and food-stuffs manufactured by Tatmadaw factories for MRTV staff to Director General U Ye Naing and officials of the MRTV.Then, the Senior General and the party inspected the souvenir shop of the MRTV and traditional food items displayed by staff from the national races programme of the MRTV and warmly greeted attendees and staff.On the second agenda of the programme, Union Minister U Chit Naing delivered an opening speech and pressed the button to launch the Myanmar Radio English Programme together with Deputy Ministers U Ye Tint and Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun.Afterwards, the Union minister, the deputy ministers and relevant officials presented the honorary prizes for outstanding staff in pro-duction/broadcasting, mechanical and shooting sections for winners of model staff of respective sections, those who have received outstanding staff certificates and excellent per-formance awards to officials of respective stations.
Next, the staff of the MRTV entertained the audience with the song entitled “Renewed and Modern MRTV” to the audience and the ceremony concluded.The MRTV was established on 15 February 1946 as the Burma Broadcasting Service – BBS and continued to broadcast during the English colonial era, the Second World War, Japanese Occupation and Parliament Democracy periods at various locations under various names. On 16 March 1972, it was renamed as the Department of Information and Broadcasting and coloured television broadcasting services were started on 3 June 1980 on a trial basis before programmes on 1 November the same year. Then, the television services were combined with the original broad-casting services and it was renamed as the Myanmar Television and Radio Department on 24 January 1991. Since 22 November 1997, it has been renamed as Myanmar Radio and Television.In addition to the MRTV channel, the MRTV has expanded its broadcasting services to the Natio-nal Races Channel of 11 national races, the Hluttaw Channel, the Farmer’s Channel and the MRTV Sports Channel of the local and foreign sports. The National Races Channel covers Kachin, Kayah, Sgaw Kayin, East Pwo Kayin, West Pwo Kayin, Chin (Cho), Chin (Lizo), Mon, Rakhine, Shan and Wa language programmes which are alternatively arranged every four months.
Today, the achievement of the MRTV was honoured on its 75th Anniversary. With the aim of in-forming, educating and entertain-ing the public, the MRTV, which was established in 1946, has been firmly standing as the State-owned media amidst developments in successive eras until its diamond jubilee.
