Lao National Radio (LNR) is the national radio station in Laos. The radio station was established in 1960 and merged with LNTV in 1983 for a 10-year period before being separated again. In 1960, the station was established under the name Radio Pathet Lao in Hua Phan province as a tool to facilitate communication between revolutionaries and the general public. As newspapers and television stations are not available in rural areas, LNR has been the primary source of information for the majority of the population for several years. Local estimates indicate that over 70% of the population in Laos regularly tunes in to LNR.
Media assets
Radio: LNR Program 1, Phoenix Radio, MEDIAONE Radio
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
LNR operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. The government appoints the management of the station, according to information provided by local journalists and industry experts.
Source of funding and budget
LNR does not issue annual reports or other documents regarding its operations, as is the case with the majority of media outlets in Laos. According to information gathered from local journalists and experts interviewed for this report in December 2023, LNR is fully funded by the government.
Editorial independence
All media in Laos operate under a stringent censorship system, with the government closely monitoring the content aired on LNR. LNR journalists are regularly summoned to the Ministry of Information to discuss and receive instructions regarding their reporting, said local journalists interviewed for this report in December 2023.
To date, no statute or independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of LNR has been identified. The station’s operations are subject to close supervision by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.
September 2024