14 / 92
14
R
ecalling 50 years ago, the first
television program was broadcast
on September 7th, 1970 and was
held in the music studio of the Voice
of Vietnam at 58 Quan Su Street, Hanoi.
At that time, VTV officials and guests sat
watching the only television set on a high
table, while the technicians, broadcasters,
editors... were working right next to a single
monitor. At that time, both the show producers
and the viewers had nothing but the burning
dream to see the picture and hear the sound
through the recorder in front of them. Luckily,
during the two hour broadcast, the show
went smoothly and viewers were satisfied to
receive this new media.
In fact, our country had been making
television two years prior, after a government
decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Le
Thanh Nghi on January 4th, 1968 to establish
a Television Film Studio under the General
Department of Information. With a team of
professionally trained staff, the Television
Film Studio created many productions
including news, reports and documentaries
using 16-mm plastic film, mainly sent to
foreign TV stations and had not yet reached
domestic viewers. At that time, television
was still a dream of the Vietnamese people.
According to the recollection of journalist
Hoang Tung, former Editor-in-Chief of Nhan
Dan newspaper, former Head of the Central
Propaganda Department, in the 1960s,
every time he went abroad on business and
watched television from other countries, Uncle
Ho often reminded our officers to prepare all
conditions to build the television sector. In that
year 1968, during a reception of international
guests, Uncle Ho drew a rose from the table
and handed it to cinematographer Phan
The Hung and asked: “When will you let our
people watch television?” Uncle Ho asked
that because making movie to send abroad
was not enough. If it was television, it might
be broadcast for everyone to see.
Meanwhile, the Editorial Ministry of the
Voice of Vietnam, Editor-in-Chief Tran Lam
had the idea of making television very early.
Since 1965, the US sent masses of troops
to the South with a television broadcasting
system to serve the army. Through the
following year, 1966, the entire South had
television coverage to serve both the army
and ordinary people. The leaders of Voice
of Vietnam immediately recognized an
urgent requirement: Broadcasting television,
both meeting the needs of the people in the
North and training staff to be ready to take
over the television system in the South
when the South was liberated as well. Due
to the urgent need, and having enough
confidence, the leader of Voice of Vietnam
had silently prepared for the construction of
a television station, although officially, the
government had assigned this to the General
Department of Information. Recognizing
that human awareness was of paramount
importance, Radio Voice of Vietnam first sent
16 officers to study TV in Cuba, before the
establishment of the Television Film Studio,
and then continued to send many delegations
of various ministries to study and practice
television production in Eastern Europe and
the Soviet Union. At home, technicians are
mobilized to take advantage of electronic
components available in the warehouse and
purchased from outside to improve radio
equipment into television equipment. The
first test broadcast was carried out smoothly
on the night of September 7th, 1970, and
the following 5 nights proved that Voice of
Vietnam was capable of making television.
The pilot broadcast continued on the night
of the 30th of the Tan Hoi Lunar New Year
on January 27th, 1971, creating an exciting
atmosphere among the people and was
recognized by the governmental authorities.
On May 18, 1971, Prime Minister Pham Van
Dong signed Decree 91 / CP clearly stating:
“Establishing the Radio and Television Board
under the Voice of Vietnam”, the official
formalization of the Radio and Television
Committee was established by the radio set
up previously in order to gather staff for the
test broadcast. Thus, the Voice of Vietnam
was officially assigned the task of making
television, funded by the State, and provided
with land to build material and technical
foundations.
Born during the war, conditions were poor
but Vietnam Television had maintained test
broadcast with increasing time, except the
time the US bombed Hanoi, during which
Half a century
VTV – A COMPANION TO THE COUNTRY
YEARS
VIETNAM TELEVISION
BY EARLY SEPTEMBER, VIETNAM TELEVISION WILL HAVE UNDERGONE 50 YEARS OF
CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT, IN ADDITION TO 50 YEARS OF OUR PEOPLE GETTING
ACQUAINTED AND ATTACHED TO THE SMALL SCREEN AS AN INDISPENSABLE MEANS OF
JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION IN THEIR LIVES. ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
COUNTRY, VTV IS INCREASINGLY MODERNIZED, PROFESSIONALIZED, TRULY A LEADING
NATIONAL TELEVISION STATION IN THE REGION IN MANY WAYS, AIMING TO BECOME A
PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL TELEVISION STATION IN THE WORLD.
Đài Truyền hình Việt Nam thời kì đầu
VTV in the inception days