State-run media to be privatized in Nepal suggested

A High Level Media Commission ( HLMC) Friday handed over a 40-page report to Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala suggesting the government to allow less than 50 percent of foreign investment in all the media sectors in the country.

The commission also suggested the government to privatize the state-run Gorkhapatra daily and to operate the state-run broadcasting services as public service broadcasting services.

The commission suggested to categorize government advertisements into three groups -- commercial, public information and public interest -- and provide the latter two groups of advertisements to all media houses in a proportional manner.

It also advised that the government media agencies employ at least 33 percent women in their workforce.

After receiving the commission's report, Koirala ordered the Minister of State for Information and Communications Dilendra Prasad Badu to implement the recommendations.

The 13-member HLMC was formed some two months ago in a accordance with the direction of the Nepali government.

Source: Xinhua