Mongolian National Broadcaster (MNB) is the public media operator in Mongolia, the oldest broadcaster in the country (first broadcasts date back to 1967). Today, it runs four television and three radio channels.
Media assets
Television: MNB1, MNB News, MNB Sport, MNB World
Radio: Mongolian Radio, P3 FM, Voice of Mongolia
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
MNB was established and is regulated by the Law on Public Radio and Television, which was adopted in 2005. The law created MNB as a non-profit legal entity. The highest governance structure at MNB is its National Council that consists of 15 members, all appointed by state authorities: President (4), the Great State Hural, Mongolia’s parliament (7) and Government (4).
Source of funding and budget
MNB is funded through a combination of state financing and license fees (a tax paid by all households in Mongolia). In 2018, according to the latest financial report released by the broadcaster, the state allocation accounted for over 58% of the station’s total budget of MNT 18.7bn (US$ 7.8m). The broadcaster had the same budget in 2019, according to expert data. No recent financial data was published by the company.
Editorial independence
In spite of legal provisions that are supposed to ensure the editorial independence of MNB, the broadcaster is extremely politicized, its editorial agenda being controlled by the government.
The Law on Public Radio and Television has provisions aimed at ensuring the “independence of the public radio and television reporters and editorial staff.” In reality, however, these provisions are not complied with, according to local journalists and experts.
There is no independent assessment or oversight mechanism that would validate MNB’s editorial independence.
October 2023