Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) is a Vietnamese television network 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 a wholly-owned subsidiary of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, which is a local branch of the Communist Party. The station operates as part of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
Source of funding and budget
HTV was among the pioneers of advertising in Vietnam. In the 2010s, the station asserted that it had become fully independent of the state and no longer required government subsidies.
However, the economic crisis that affected the advertising sector after 2007 has compelled the station to resume accepting funding from the state. The precise amount of state funding currently accessed by HTV is unclear. Given that the advertising sales business in Vietnam is centralized in the hands of a state agency (Vietnam Television Service Center), which controls the financial affairs of the broadcaster, it can be assumed that the state has full control over the station’s funding.
Editorial independence
HTV is a news outlet that is part of the local administration in Ho Chi Minh City. Its mission is to present and promote the policies and activities of the administration. To date, no domestic statute and no oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of HTV have been identified.
September 2024