DECISION No.877-TTg OF NOVEMBER 22, 1996 OF THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RECEPTION OF FOREIGN TELEVISION PROGRAMS

THE PRIME MINISTERS

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government of September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to the Press Law of December 28, 1989;

Pursuant to Decree No.15-CP of March 2, 1993 of the Government on the State management tasks, powers and responsibilities of the Ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

In order to strengthen the management of the reception and use of foreign television programs and to ensure a clear assignment of State management functions and responsibilities in this field;

DECIDES:

Article 1.- The following objects in Vietnam shall be allowed to use TVRO (TV Receive Only) to receive foreign television programs:

1. The Vietnamese objects:

a/ Party and State leaders of the vice-ministerial or vice-chairman of Party and Government Commission level and higher.

b/ The Heads and Deputy Heads of the socio-political organizations at central level; of the provincial/municipal Party Committees, the People�s Committees and People�s Councils of the provinces and the cities directly under the Central Government.

c/ The specialized units of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the specialized central agencies of the Party and the State, the agencies of the provincial-municipal Party committees, the People�s Committee and People�s Councils of the provinces and the cities directly under the Central Government, which need the TVRO to do their tasks at the proposals of the heads of these agencies.

d/ The editorial offices of the daily newspapers, the newspapers for foreign readers at the central level, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; the newspapers of the socio-political organizations at the central level.

e/ The Vietnam Television Station, the Radio Voice of Vietnam; the regional television and radio stations directly attached to the national stations; the television and radio stations owned by the provinces and the cities directly under the Central Government.

f/ The hotels classed by the National Administration of Tourism as two-star or higher standard.

2. The foreign objects:

a/ The diplomatic representative missions, the consular offices;

b/ The international and inter-governmental representative offices.

c/ The representative offices of the non-governmental organizations, foreign economic organizations and consulting organizations.

d/ The head offices of the companies and enterprises 100 percent invested by foreign capital; the head offices of the Vietnamese economic, cultural and tourism organizations in joint ventures with foreign countries involving foreign specialists and employees.

e/ The resident bureaus of foreign news agencies or press.

Article 2.- All the objects that use TVRO to receive foreign television programs shall be allowed to use these programs only within the scope already registered in the permits granted by the State management agency.

Article 3.- The following objects shall be allowed to use the multi media distribution system (MMDS) televised via cables of the Vietnam Television Station to receive foreign television programs:

1. The objects defined in Article 1 of this Decision.

2. The foreign agencies and organizations based in Vietnam and foreign individuals residing in Vietnam.

3. The agencies of the Party, the State, the mass organizations, the editorial offices of the central newspapers and the newspapers of the provinces and the cities directly under the Central Government.

4. The researchers who need the system at the proposal of the ministries, commissions and mass organizations; the People�s Committees of the provinces and the cities directly under the Central Government; the hotels and guest houses at the proposal of the National Administration of Tourism or provincial/municipal services of tourism.

1. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall grant permits for the installation and use of TVRO to receive foreign television programs to the objects defined in Article 1 of this Decision.

2. The Vietnam Television Station after consulting the Ministry of Culture and Information, shall grant permits to and install multi media distribution system (MMDS) receivers for the objects defined in Article 2 of this Decision.

3. The Ministry of Culture and Information and the provincial/municipal Services of Culture and Information shall have to control the use of permits and handle violations of the above-mentioned provisions on the national scale (the Ministry of Culture and Information) or in their respective localities (the provincial/municipal Services of Culture and Information).

4. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall assume the main responsibility for coordinating with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam Television Station and the concerned agencies in drafting and issuing before December 31, 1996 the regulation on granting permits for the reception of foreign television programs with the equipment to receive television signals from satellites (TVRO); the regulation on inspecting, controlling and sanctioning violations of the provisions on receiving foreign television programs.

5. The Vietnam Television Station shall, in consultation with the Ministry of Culture and Information, elaborate and issue before December 31, 1996 the regulation on granting permits and installing MMDS receivers.

Article 5.- This Decision takes effect from January 1st, 1997.

Article 6.- The Ministers, the Heads of the ministerial-level agencies and agencies attached to the Government, the Presidents of the People�s Committees of the provinces and the cities directly under the Central Government and all the organizations and individuals shall have to implement this Decision.

The Prime Minister

VO VAN KIET