After wave of independent broadcasters shut down, Fresh News turns to radio

A man listens to the newly launched radio station by government-aligned media outlet Fresh News on his smartphone. Post staff

Wed, 27 September 2017

Mech Dara and Ananth Baliga

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Government mouthpiece Fresh News yesterday launched a new internet radio service, appearing poised to move into the gap left by a government crackdown on independent broadcasters over the last six weeks.

More than 30 radio frequencies have been recently shut down by the Information Ministry – disproportionately affecting the broadcasts of Voice of Democracy and US-funded Radio Free Asia and Voice of America. The latter two have also been hounded by tax and licensing issues.

These issues resulted in the closure of Radio Free Asia’s in-country operations earlier this month, though they continue to broadcast on shortwave frequencies, and online. A tax dispute also forced the fiercely independent Cambodia Daily to close this month.

Fresh News’s new service, dubbed “Fresh News Radio – Voice of Breaking News”, is available as a plug-in on the news website and, as of yesterday, was broadcasting music interspersed with short bulletins during the day.

In the evening, it featured a longer newscast with local stories lambasting the opposition and the European Union after the latter was called out by Prime Minister Hun Sen over its criticism of the controversial Lower Sesan II Dam.

Lim Cheavutha, CEO of Fresh News, was reluctant to speak about the service yesterday, saying it was only in the testing phase and awaiting a formal launch.

“[We are] in the process of the testing,” he said. “In upcoming three or four days I will tell you when it launches. “Now I cannot comment on anything.”