BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Ministry of Communications (MinComm) yesterday announced a licence fee reduction for personal use of the TVRO (Television Receive Only) systems from an annual payment of $360 to $240, starting September 1 this year.

In a press release, the ministry stated that other related policies remained unchanged, with restaurants still having to pay $500, and both hotels and apartments are expected to pay $1,200 for the use of TVRO systems on their premises.

The TVRO systems, locally known as “parabola” or satellite dish television, will be phased out over the next five years to regulate international broadcasts.

It was previously reported that by September 2018, the private use of TVRO systems will be banned, except for the use of government bodies, media organisations, embassies, hotels, universities as well as medical and financial institutions.Furthermore, import of the TVRO systems has already been frozen by the authorities, leaving the free-to-air broadcaster Radio Televisyen Brunei and pay-TV provider Kristal Astro.

Unlike the free-to-air service (RTB networks) and pay-tv (Kristal Astro), international broadcasts via TVRO systems cannot be filtered or controlled and involve content that could conflict with the nation’s Malay Islam Monarchy (MIB) ideology and the broadcasting code of practice.

The implementation of new regulations of TVRO systems has been aimed to make the local broadcasting industry more systematic, competitive, dynamic, controlled to fulfil public needs, the press statement added.

The Brunei Times