(VOVworld) – The Voice of Vietnam’s world service (VOV5) broadcasts in twelve languages: English, French, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, German, Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Indonesian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Since the first broadcast on September 7, 1945, VOV5 has made giant leaps forward, meeting the information needs of foreigners and overseas Vietnamese.
 |
VOV President Nguyen The Ky (third right) with incumbent and former leaders of VOVworld
|
The signature tune of the program for overseas Vietnamese has become familiar to those who are eager for information about their homeland. Ngo Tien Diep, who lives in Russia, says VOV5’s programs provoke nostalgia and remind him of his childhood: “I listen to the program for overseas Vietnamese every night. When I was small, listening to the signature tune and announcement, I couldn’t understand what being far away from home meant. Now when I am away from Vietnam, I remember the impressive voices of the announcers.
For foreigners, VOV5’s programs are informative and emotional. A Chinese listener Zhao Yadong, who has listened to the Chinese service for 20 years, said: I really like VOV5’s programs because they are an open door for us to access more information about Vietnam. We are well informed of current affairs in Vietnam, the culture, lifestyle, tradition, and customs of Vietnamese people, as well as the process of building new-style rural areas.
French listener Jean Marie Monplot said: "Radio the Voice of Vietnam’s weekly program on interactions with listeners is very interesting. Many other radio stations do not have this kind of program. I very much like the news bulletins covering events in Vietnam and the region, the East Sea issue, and features about Vietnam’s land and culture, which is different from European culture. The programs are interesting and attractive, informing those of us who live very far from Vietnam about the country’s development and international integration.”
VOV5 has reformed itself to meet growing needs for information. Journalist Hoang Huong, Head of the Program for Overseas Vietnamese, said: “Every day we broadcast the news we think is the most suitable for Overseas Vietnamese on economics, culture, society, politics, foreign investment policy, and the situation of Overseas Vietnamese around the world. So, our listeners can feel what life is like in Vietnam and among Vietnamese communities worldwide.”
 |
VOVworld Director Nguyen Tien Long (center, front row) and English section's staff on the71st founding anniversary of the English service
|
Information broadcast in foreign languages should be understandable, compact, and accurate. Journalist Hong Hanh, Deputy Head of the English Section, talked about what the English speaking listeners are most interested in:“We have received a lot of feedback from listeners. For example, listeners sent congratulations to and asked for more information about Vietnamese shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh, who won a gold and a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Other listeners are keen on Vietnam’s culture, education, history, and traditional craft villages. We have tried our best to answer their questions.”
In the information age, VOV5 has kept listeners informed via the website vovworld.vn. Nguyen Tien Long, Director of VOVworld, said: “We believe that the information we provide to our audiences should be what they need. The format should be modernized, as with live broadcasts, and interaction via social networking. Previously, programs were broadcast through shortwave, medium-wave, and FM frequencies. Now with the development of the internet, VOV5’s programs are more accessible.”
On the occasion of the 71st anniversary of Radio the Voice of Vietnam, the twelve-language world service or VOV5 is renewing efforts to bring Vietnam closer to international friends.