The Information Ministry has ordered Funcinpec-affiliated radio station Ta Prohm FM 90.5 to stop its announcers from making on-air comments while reading from Khmer-language newspapers, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said Thursday.
Khieu Kanharith wrote by e-mail that if Ta Prohm does not follow the ministry’s order, the government would shut the news program down.
“What I am asking is just read the news as it was printed on the newspaper,” Khieu Kanharith wrote.
“The guy who is just tasked to just read news articles made comment[s] beyond the intent of a reporter and by this action distorted the intent of a reporter or a newspaper,” he added.
Van Chhai, a producer for Ta Prohm, said Thursday that the station had since Monday stopped its announcers on the newspaper reading program from making comments. Van Chhai blamed his radio announcers for adding their own comments while reading from the newspapers.
“There is no policy at the station to add comments,” he added.
Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec Secretary-General, said he was unaware of the Information Ministry’s order, but said he agreed with it.
“When we make mistakes, the ministry reminds us—it’s normal,” Nhiek Bun Chhay said.
Mam Sonando, owner of Beehive Radio FM 105, said he agreed that there was no need for additional comments to be made when reading newspaper stories on the air.
He added, however, that the government does not get “annoyed” when the newspaper readers say positive things about officials.
