Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) is a television network in Vietnam that operates as the official television channel of Ho Chi Minh City.
Media assets
Television: HTV1, HTV2, HTV3, HTV Key, HTV7, HTV9, HTV Co.op, HTV Sport, HTVC, HTVC Film, HTVC Music, HTVC Family, Hplus, HTVC Women, HTVC Travel & Living, HTVC Plus, VGS Shop, FBNC
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
HTV is owned by the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh city, the local subsidiary of the Communist Party. The station operates as part of the administration of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
Source of funding and budget
HTV was one of the first media outlets in Vietnam to carry advertising. In the 2010s, the station claimed that it became fully independent of the state and didn’t need the government subsidy. However, the economic crisis that affected the ad sector after 2007 has forced the station to start accepting funding from the state again. It is not clear how much funding HTV accesses from the state today. With the advertising sale business in Vietnam being centralized in the hands of a state agency (Vietnam Television Service Center), which controls the financial affairs of the broadcaster, we can safely assume that the state has full control over the station’s funding.
Editorial independence
As a news outlet that is part of the local administration in Ho Chi Minh City, HTV has a mission to present and promote the policies and activities of the administration.
No domestic statute and no oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of HTV have been identified.
October 2023