The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) handed over a 5kW FM transmitter to Kon Tum province on December 24 in a bid to expand its coverage in the Central Highlands, which is home to a large number of ethnic minority groups. The new equipment is believed to help the VOV provide local residents with its broadcasts in ethnic minority languages, especially those of Sedang and Bahnar people – the two most populous ethnic minorities in Kon Tum. VOV Deputy General Director Tran Minh Hung said he hopes with this facility, the communication of the Party and State’s guidelines and policies to ethnic minority people in Kon Tum will be better and more effective. The VOV plans to install a transmitter in Kon Tum’s Ngoc Hoi district in 2015. Kon Tum has an area of nearly 9.69 square kilometres and a population of 473,300 with 54% of them being ethnic minority people, according to the General Statistics Office’s 2013 data. Covering an area of over 54,641 square kilometres, the Central Highlands comprises Dak Lak, Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces. It is home to more than 5.46 million people. Ethnic minorities account for 45% of the region’s population. (vietnamplus.vn Dec 25)
