Industry | Broadcasting |
---|---|
Founded | 1996 |
Founder | Win Maw |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | Myanmar |
Key people | Win Maw Thein Tun Aung |
Products | MRTV-4, Channel 7, MMDC, Mandalay FM, and Pyone Play |
Website | Forever Group on Facebook |
Forever Group is a Burmese private media broadcasting company, with headquarters in Yangon, Myanmar. [1] Forever Group is known for its close ties to the Burmese military. [2]
Forever Group was founded in 1996 in Myanmar by Win Maw, a former sailor who established the company to import and distribute computer and computer components. [1] [3] In 2004, it launched a national free-to-air television channel, MRTV-4, as a joint venture with Myanmar's Ministry of Information and state-owned Myanmar Radio and Television. [3] The joint venture was intended to become a pro-military outlet to counter local and foreign independent media. [1] In 2008, it launched Mandalay FM, a radio station. [2]
In 2016, it partnered with Thaicom to boost HDTV coverage on a Thai satellite. [3] In 2018, French-owned CANAL+ and Forever Group launched Canal+ (Myanmar) in the Burmese market. [4] In 2019, Forever Group produced Dancing with the Stars Myanmar , which premiered in October 2019. [5] In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, Forever Group has organized a media propaganda campaign to counter anti-coup sentiment in the country. [1]
Forever Group is led by Win Maw, and his deputy Thein Tun Aung, a graduate of the 22nd intake of the Defence Services Academy. [1]
Forever Group owns several national television channels, radio stations, and streaming services, including MRTV-4, Channel 7, MMDC, Canal+ (Myanmar), Mandalay FM, and Pyone Play.
Myanmar has begun the liberalization of its Telecommunication market in 2013.
China Radio International (CRI) is the state-owned international radio broadcaster of China. It is currently headquartered in Babaoshan, Shijingshan, Beijing. It was founded on December 3, 1941, as Radio Peking. It later adopted the pinyin form Radio Beijing.
The Democratic Voice of Burma is one of Myanmar's largest independent media organisations. DVB was founded as a non-profit media organization based in Oslo, Norway and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Run by Burmese expatriates, it made radio and television broadcasts aimed at providing uncensored news and information about Burma. Since 2012, DVB gradually moved back into Burma, where it became one of the country's largest and most well-respected TV broadcasters. In March 2021, the organisation was banned by Burma's military dictatorship and moved back underground.
Mizzima News is a Burmese multimedia news organisation. A member of Burma News International, a local news coalition, Mizzima was established in exile in 1998, before establishing a bureau in Myanmar in the 2010s, as the military junta transitioned to semi-democratic rule.
Myanmar Radio and Television, formerly the Burma Broadcasting Service (BBS), is the parent of the state-run Myanmar Radio National Service and the MRTV television channel. The television channels are broadcasting from its broadcast center in Kamayut, Yangon while the radio service is now broadcasting primarily from Naypyidaw. MRTV's television signals reaches 92.7% of the Myanmar population, while its radio coverage reaches 100% of the country.
The print, broadcast and online mass media in Burma has undergone strict censorship and regulation since the 1962 Burmese coup d'état. The constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press; however, the government prohibits the exercise of these rights in practice. Reporters Without Borders ranked Burma 174th out of 178 in its 2010 Press Freedom Index, ahead of just Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea, and Eritrea. In 2015, Burma moved up to 144th place, ahead of many of its ASEAN neighbours such as Singapore, as a result of political changes in the country.
Television broadcasting in Myanmar began in 1979 as a test trial in Yangon. The first television service BBS was launched on 3 June 1980, followed by regular service in 1981. Most television networks in the country are broadcast from Yangon. MRTV and MWD are the two Burmese state-owned television networks, providing Burmese-language programming in news and entertainment. Other channels include MRTV-4, Channel 7, 5Plus, MNTV, Channel 9, Mizzima TV, DVB TV, Channel K, YTV, Fortune TV, M Entertainment Channel, Mahar HD, Htv channel, Htv Sports Channel, WAF Channel, Channel Light Channel, Golden Land Channel, TVM Channel, and more than 20 tv channels. Pay TV services include SKYNET, Myansat and CANAL+ Myanmar.
Myawaddy TV is a Myanmar military-owned television network based in Yangon and Naypyidaw. Myawaddy TV is largely criticized for releasing pro-SAC news.
Mandalay FM is a radio station that serves the Mandalay metropolitan area, broadcasting on the FM band at a frequency of 87.9 MHz and on the Internet. Now the radio station is also serving 30 miles (48 km) around Taungoo and 60 miles (97 km) around Yangon.
Myanmar International Television is a Burmese state-owned national and international English-language television channel based in Yangon, Myanmar. The channel was first launched in August 2001 as MRTV-3, the third ever television channel in Myanmar. It was rebranded as Myanmar International Television in April 2010.
MRTV-4 is a Burmese television channel jointly operated by MRTV and the Forever Group. Launched in May 2004, the channel broadcasts between 7 am and 11 pm. Since that time, it is only available to viewers with satellite or terrestrial DVB-T decoders. Now, they broadcast 24 hours and also available in OTT platform, PyonePlay.
The Ministry of Information in Myanmar officially informs the public about government policy plans and implementation and supports improvements to knowledge and education of the public. Since the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état it has been described as responsible for the dissemination of propaganda through state-owned media.
Canal+ (current Forever Group in Myanmar and Canal+ Group in France. Originally launched by Forever Group alone, Canal+ Group joined in the business in 2017, and the service adopted the current name in April 2021.
Channel 7 is a Burmese free-to-air television channel jointly operated by MRTV-4. It is owned by Forever Group. It launched in May 2012, the channel broadcasts between 7 am and 11 pm. Now, it is broadcasting in 24 hours.
YTV is a Burmese digital Free-to-Air TV channel that run under MRTV's Multiplex Playout System based in Yangon, Myanmar. YTV is operated by MY Multimedia Co., Ltd that part of Young Investment Group Co., Ltd. They have signed a cooperation agreement with MRTV to operate as content providers for digital free-to-air TV channels in a multi-playout system of MRTV. The trial was broadcast on 14 January 2019. On 14 February, they launched the channel officially. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day now.
Mizzima TV is a Burmese digital free-to-air TV channel that run under MRTV's Multiplex Playout System based in Yangon, Myanmar. Mizzima TV is operated by Mizzima Media Co.ltd. They have signed a cooperation agreement with state-run Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) to operate as content providers for digital free-to-air TV channels in a multi-playout system of MRTV on 17 February 2018. Due to the 2021 military coup, television programming are cut off from MRTV Digital Multiplex.
MRTV is a television network owned by Myanmar Radio and Television. It was launched on 3 June 1980 and is the first television network in Myanmar.
The People's Defence Force is the armed wing of the National Unity Government in Myanmar. The armed wing was formed by the NUG from youths and pro-democracy activists on 5 May 2021 in response to the coup d'état that occurred on 1 February 2021 that put the military junta and their armed wing the Tatmadaw in power. The military junta designated it as a terrorist organisation on 8 May 2021. In October 2021, NUG's Ministry of Defence announced that it had formed a central committee to coordinate military operations across the country.
MRTV News Channel is a dedicated news channel, owned and operate by Myanmar Radio and Television. It broadcasts rolling news, current affair programs, and knowledge programs.
MRTV News channel is intended for an replacement service for Mizzima TV and DVB TV used to be broadcast on MRTV Multi channel Play out System, from 24 March 2018, until 31 January 2021. taking over their Digital subchannel space.