Denny Abdi, Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam, presents the special prize to Dang Dieu Ha for her entry “VOV - my close friend”.

Hundreds of entries that listeners were sent to VOV’s writing contest about radio and all show a love for and trust in radio.

In his entry, Luong Ngoc Anh, a listener from Ho Chi Minh City, said radio has a special power – the power of the human voice. Through radio broadcasts, he said, listeners like him can feel the emotion of the broadcasters, who keep innovating to attract new listeners.

Ngoc Anh told us, “During our marches through the forests, we listened to radio and heard the voices of VOV’s broadcasters. This motivated me and gave me faith to successfully complete my missions.”

“My unit strictly follows a routine of listening to radio broadcasts in the morning from 5.30 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. and in the evening, before going to bed, from 9.00 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. The programs and the presenters’ voices are deeply imprinted on my feelings, thoughts, and mood each day,” Ngoc Anh noted.

VOV Deputy President Ngo Minh Hien presents the third prize to Dinh Thu Hang for her entry “Radio flow – a century of refreshing our life”.

Dinh Thu Hang won third prize for her entry “Radio flow – a century of refreshing our life” in which she, from the perspective of a researcher with a profound knowledge of radio, discussed the role and tasks of radio in providing information, entertainment, and education. She praised the spiritual values that radio brings to life.

Hang was moved to say, “I compared the flow of radio sound to the rivers of the motherland that water the fields and the trees and enrich people’s lives. For me, VOV has always been where I place my trust and belief. I look forward to greater developments at VOV in the coming decades.”

Many contestants said they consider radio and VOV their close friends. Over the past half century, Dang Dieu Ha, whose pen name is Hoai Huong, in HCM City has listened regularly to VOV and witnessed its development through different stages. All her love for VOV is expressed in her entry, titled “VOV - my close friend” which won a special prize of a trip to Indonesia.

Beginning to listen to VOV more than half a century ago, Dieu Ha recalled, “VOV has brought me a love of literature and art. I learned to sing through VOV's singing programs. My generation was born during the war, before 1975, when VOV’s popular science programs taught life skills to children like us - first aid for injuries and drowning, and even how to minimize the pressures of bomb explosions. Those knowledge programs impressed me the most.”

VOV representatives present consolation prizes to contestants.

This is VOV’s first writing contest for its listeners. The great number of entries sent to the contest shows that radio has a place in listeners’ heart.

Vu Thi Tuyet Mai, Head of VOV’s Department of Social and Cultural Affairs (VOV2) and a member of the jury, said that she was very glad that some contestants listed the names of specific programs and departments that sustained them during difficult periods in their lives or gave them useful knowledge.

“When judging the entries as a professional radio broadcaster, I felt that many of them made me love my profession more,” said Mai.

VOV is proud of the love and trust that listeners have for the radio industry and broadcasters. VOV’s editors, broadcasters, and reporters are inspired to do their best and be creative to produce high-quality programs, and be a close friend of listeners inside and outside Vietnam.