National Radio of Cambodia (RNK)
Radio Cambodge, the forerunner to Radio National Khmère (RNK), was founded in 1946 in Phnom Penh during the period of French colonial administration. After Cambodia gained independence in 1953, the broadcaster evolved into Radiodiffusion Nationale Khmère. In 1994, the Ministry of Information formally assumed control of both RNK and the National Television of Cambodia (TVK), which had until then operated as separate entities.
Media assets
Radio: National- AM 918, Wat Phnom; Regional- Tbong Khmum, Kampong Speu, Ratanakiri, Pailin, Oddar Meanchey, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Cham, Takeo, Battambang, Sihanoukville, Banteay Meanchey, Phnom Penh, Mondulkiri, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Kampong Thom, Kratie, Pursat, Svay Rieng, Kep, Stung Treng, Kampot, Siem Reap
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
RNK is fully owned and directly administered by the Ministry of Information. Its governance structure is grounded in Sub-Decree No. 70, which outlines the regulatory framework for broadcast media in Cambodia. The station is structurally embedded within the Ministry, with no legal or institutional separation to guarantee operational autonomy.
Source of funding and budget
RNK is entirely reliant on public funds, receiving its operational budget directly from the Cambodian government. As of March 2024, local media professionals confirmed in an interview for this report that RNK staff are salaried civil servants under the Ministry of Information. There is no indication of independent financial streams or commercial income that would insulate the broadcaster from political influence.
Editorial independence
Despite its long-standing role in Cambodia’s media landscape, RNK remains a state-run broadcaster with no discernible safeguards for editorial independence. Interviews with local journalists in early 2024 underscored the absence of statutory provisions or internal guidelines ensuring impartial journalism. The broadcaster’s output is widely understood to reflect official government positions, and its programming is closely overseen by Ministry of Information officials.
To date, no independent oversight body exists to assess or monitor RNK’s editorial practices. The absence of external review mechanisms reinforces perceptions that the broadcaster functions more as a mouthpiece of the state than as a public service media institution.
The latest research has not identified an independent oversight or assessment mechanism to validate RNK’s editorial independence. The station’s work is closely supervised by the Ministry of Information.
July 2025