The Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) is the state-owned radio and television broadcaster in Bhutan. It is the only domestic television service operating within Bhutan’s national borders.
Media assets
Television: BBS1, BBS2
Radio: BBS1, BBS2
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
BBS is a publicly-held corporation overseen by an Editorial Board, whose members are appointed by the Ministry of Finance. The ministry is the sole shareholder of the company.
Source of funding and budget
BBS derives over 50% of its revenue from government sources. In 2019, the company’s budget was BTN 269m (US$ 3.6m). According to the company’s annual report, approximately 55% of this revenue was derived from government subsidies. In 2019, BBS generated BTN 44m in revenue from its own sources.
The budget did not provide details regarding the composition of the “Other” category. According to journalists who cover Bhutan, the “Other” category comprises additional forms of state funding, with the state contributing over 80% to the BBS budget. In 2020, the broadcaster had a total budget of BTN 296m (US$ 3.6m), with BTN 49m generated by BBS itself, according to the company’s annual report.
In 2021, BBS was the fourth largest state-run loss-incurring company in Bhutan, with BTN 31m (US$ 424,000), according to data from the Finance Ministry. In 2021, the company received state subsidies amounting to BTN 200m (US$ 2.7m).
Editorial independence
The government does not impose any regulations on BBS regarding the broadcaster’s editorial coverage. Conversely, in 1992, the King issued a royal edict that stated that BBS should be autonomous. However, this did not result in the station becoming editorially independent. It is still regarded as a state-serving broadcaster that lacks the necessary mechanisms to ensure its editorial autonomy.
To date, no domestic statute and no independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate BBS’s editorial independence has been identified.
September 2024