The communications ministry has announced it will not consider issuing permits to the Vietnam Idol reality show and several other programs jointly produced by national broadcaster Vietnam Television (VTV) and its partners following recent gaffes on the shows.

The Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications has just notified VTV that it will not consider granting certificates of registry to several programs which the television has co-produced with its partners, who have made repeated slip-ups in recent times.

The television station’s violating partners are Binh Hanh Dan Co., also known as BHD, and Cat Tien Sa Co., which are both major show producers and film distributors, the department said.

Among the programs the permits of which have been withheld is Vietnam Idol, the local version of the world-famous Idols series.

The first auditions of this year’s show kicked off this week.  

The show, which debuted in Vietnam in 2007, has grown to be one of the country’s currently popular singing contests.

The registration certificate will not be granted to other VTV shows such as “Dep Viet,” “Sang Tao Viet,” and “Cai Ly-Cai Tinh,” the department said.

The department will not license some other programs co-produced by VTV and its partners either, like “Chuyen Dem Muon,” “Khi Phach Viet Nam,” and the localized version of “Asia’s Got Talent.” 

This move resulted from a slew of blunders that have been seen on several VTV entertaining shows, such as gaffes regarding the verifying process of a reality show, use of culturally inappropriate language and images, and rule violations in running advertisements, the department explained.

Repeated slips have been aired in VTV programs, it added.

The national broadcaster repeated many blunders last year, including the broadcasting of the beheading of a live turtle during a reality show, a suggestive joke in a quiz show, a “Vietnam’s Got Talent” semifinalist mistakenly drinking acid, among others.

The latest measure taken by the department is meant to allow VTV more time to tighten its censorship and management of content before airing the shows, according to the agency.

The department added it will withdraw the permits of the station’s other programs which remain valid and slap fines in case of blunders.

In a similar vein, the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information also instructed that military-run mobile network operator Viettel immediately cease airing unlicensed television channels.

A communications ministry inspection has showed that Viettel is currently broadcasting a number of foreign channels including True Tennis HD, Golf HD, and Keeng-VOD trial.

The operator has not acquired editorial and production permits for these channels, the department said.

The body underlined that Viettel’s airing of such channels is a serious violation of press regulations.

Vietnam Television’s VTVCab and AVG, a local media company, which have committed similar offences, are also requested by the department to immediately stop airing unlicensed foreign channels.

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