The Hanoi Times - With more than 70 television channels, most of which broadcast 24x7, couch potatoes are spoiled for choice now. Besides popular international channels like HBO, Star Sport, and Cartoon Network, many new pay channels are being offered by local TV stations.

HCM City Television launched Astro Channel in co-operation with Astro Malaysia a few months ago. It shows domestic and foreign TV films all 24 hours, with foreign soaps and films dubbed in Vietnamese or carrying subtitles.

O2TV, the country’s first health and lifestyle channel that was unveiled last week by State-owned Vietnamese Television, is the newest o­ne.

Two months ago Viet Nam Multimedia Corporation (VTC) launched VTC 9 Let’s Viet channel in co-operation with HCM City-based Lasta Co.

"With films, news, and talk and music shows broadcast around the country 24 hours a day, this channel will focus o­n traditional Vietnamese culture, " well-known writer and director of Let’s Viet, Nguyen Thi Thu Hue, said.

"The channel does not feature foreign music, films, or entertainment programmes," she said, adding "locally made programmes account for 80 per cent.

"A film for children and teenagers is broadcast at 7pm every day."

Earlier VTV had inaugurated Today TV, TV Shopping, and Style TV-VCTV 12.

"New channels will target specific groups of viewers," VTC deputy director Nguyen Kha Dan said.

TV stations based in provinces have also begun new channels and increased broadcast time. Vinh Long TV station in the Mekong Delta now broadcasts 18 hours a day, up from 12 hours three years ago.

Dan said VTC, HTVC, and other stations run by young directors and producers are making efforts to cover everything ranging from culture, society, health, and finance to entertainment and sports from around Viet Nam and the world.

"Challenges remain. Animation is a field where there is strong local demand but we rely o­n foreign content due to an acute shortage of local production," he said.

"Programmes for children account for less than 5 per cent of broadcast time o­n all channels," he said.

But there are varying opinions o­n the quality of what is o­n offer.

"I cannot see Binh Duong and Dong Nai TV channels often," Nguyen Thi Hao, a dedicated TV viewer in HCM City said.

"They say ‘technical hitch’ and ‘the programme will be back in a moment’ but the interruption often lasts several hours."

Tran Mai Lan, another viewer, said, "New channels like Let’s Viet or Today TV do not have new local serials."

"They are showing reruns of Doc Tinh (Slope of Romance) and Goi Giac Mo Ve (Calling Back Our Dream), which were shown o­n HTV 7 and in the southern provinces years ago," she said.

But at low monthly tariffs of just VND71,000 (US$4), viewers can see an increasing number of interesting programmes over pay TV, she said.