Radio Nepal was established in 1951 and held a monopoly on Nepal’s radio broadcasting scene until 1997, when the first non-state radio channels were permitted to commence operations in the country.
Media assets
Radio: Radio Nepal
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Radio Nepal is a wholly government-owned enterprise, managed by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. In May 2023, the Nepalese government announced plans to merge Nepal Television and Radio Nepal in order to establish a unified public service broadcaster within the next two fiscal years.
In September 2024, the Public Service Broadcasting Bill was passed by both houses of parliament. The bill stipulates that the two institutions, Radio Nepal and Nepal Television, are to be operated as a single entity. The chair of the council that will be responsible for overseeing the newly formed institution will be a state official, either the communications minister or a state minister. Until the new institution is fully operational, we will maintain the two media outlets separately in our database.
Source of funding and budget
Radio Nepal receives the majority of its funding from the government. State subsidies represent the largest component of the station’s budget. Additionally, the station receives government funding from a state advertising fund, which is used to finance media outlets in Nepal, according to data from local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in March 2023 and June 2024.
Editorial independence
Despite the best efforts of some NGOs and politicians to transform Radio Nepal into a truly independent public service broadcaster, the station is still subject to government control at the editorial level, with the result that it is perceived as a government mouthpiece.
The proposed merger of Radio Nepal and Nepal Television was anticipated to facilitate enhanced editorial autonomy for the two entities. However, the bill did not ultimately include the provisions recommended by experts with the objective of guaranteeing the broadcaster’s editorial autonomy. Therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any change in the way they report.
It has not been possible to identify any domestic legislation or independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate Radio Nepal’s editorial independence.
September 2024