Public Service Broadcasting Nepal (PSBN)
Nepal Television (NTV) is the most widely watched television network in Nepal. It held an uncontested monopoly over the country’s television broadcasting landscape until 2003, when the government opened the sector to private competitors.
Established in 1951, Radio Nepal served as the sole voice of radio broadcasting in the country until 1997, when liberalisation efforts paved the way for the first non-state radio stations. For decades, it was the dominant auditory medium for news, education, and cultural programming across the nation.
Media assets
Television: NTV, NTV Plus, NTV News, NTV Kohalpur, NTV Itahari
Radio: Radio Nepal
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
NTV has operated as a fully state-owned enterprise under the purview of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Radio Nepal has historically functioned as a fully state-owned entity under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.
In a major institutional shift, the Nepalese government announced in May 2023 its intention to merge NTV with Radio Nepal to create a unified public broadcasting entity. This transition moved forward substantively in September 2024, when the Parliament passed the Public Service Broadcasting Act, mandating the consolidation of Nepal Television and Radio Nepal into a single public broadcaster. As per the Act, the governance of the new entity will fall under a council chaired by a senior government official—either the Minister for Communications or a State Minister—raising concerns among media advocates about potential executive overreach.
In January 2025, the two state broadcasters officially merged to form a single entity known as Public Service Broadcasting Nepal (PSBN).
Dr Mahendra Bista was appointed Executive Chairperson (equivalent to CEO) of PSBN in December 2024, following the enactment of the Public Service Broadcasting Act. He formally took office in mid-December after taking the oath in a ceremony at Singha Durbar, administered by the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung. Prior to this role, Dr Bista served as the Executive Chairperson of Nepal Television.
Source of funding and budget
NTV and Radio Nepal, prior to the merger, remained heavily dependent on public financing. Government subsidies constituted the bulk of its operational budget, and additional funding was channelled through a state-managed advertising fund. According to local media experts and journalists interviewed in May 2023, June 2024 and March 2025, this funding model reinforced the broadcasters’ institutional reliance on the state, making financial independence a significant hurdle.
Editorial independence
Despite periodic pledges by civil society groups and some policymakers to transform NTV and Radio Nepal into genuinely autonomous public service media outlets, the broadcasters remained under de facto government editorial control. Their news content is widely perceived as aligned with official state narratives, often reflecting the priorities and rhetoric of the ruling administration.
While the proposed institutional merger was originally presented as a potential pathway to greater editorial independence, the final Public Service Broadcasting Act failed to incorporate key safeguards recommended by domestic and international media experts. These included provisions for an independent board, editorial charter, and firewall protections against political interference. The absence of these mechanisms suggests that the merger is unlikely to usher in substantive changes to the broadcasters’ editorial posture.
As of June 2025, there is no evidence of any national legislation, independent oversight body, or third-party review mechanism tasked with evaluating or ensuring PSBN’s editorial independence. The group remains a state-controlled voice rather than a platform for pluralistic or impartial journalism.
July 2025