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Gross National Happiness and It's Third Pillar: a Policy Analysis of The University of Texas at El Paso DigitalCommons@UTEP Open Access Theses & Dissertations 2011-01-01 Gross National Happiness and it's Third Pillar: A Policy Analysis of The hB utanese Broadcast Syatem Deki Palden Thinlay University of Texas at El Paso, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd Part of the Mass Communication Commons, and the Public Policy Commons Recommended Citation Thinlay, Deki Palden, "Gross National Happiness and it's Third Pillar: A Policy Analysis of The hB utanese Broadcast Syatem" (2011). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 2394. https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd/2394 This is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UTEP. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UTEP. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS AND ITS THIRD PILLAR: A POLICY ANALYSIS OF THE BHUTANESE BROADCAST SYSTEM DEKI PALDEN THINLAY Department of Communication APPROVED: ___________________________________ Eduardo Barrera, Ph.D., Chair ___________________________________ Arvind Singhal, Ph.D. ___________________________________ Jose Villalobos, Ph.D. _____________________________ Benjamin C. Flores, Ph.D. Acting Dean of the Graduate School Copyright © By Deki Palden Thinlay 2011 GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS AND ITS THIRD PILLAR: A POLICY ANALYSIS OF THE BHUTANESE BROADCAST SYSTEM by DEKI PALDEN THINLAY THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at El Paso in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Communication THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO December 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all I would like to thank Dr. Eduardo Barrera without whom this work would not have been possible. I thank Dr. Barrera for his continuous support, understanding, being so accessible and for the incredible knowledge he showered on me. Thank you for your kind patience and believing in me. I like to thank my other committee members, Dr. Arvind Singhal and Dr. Jose D. Villalobos for their support, patience and understanding. I couldn’t have asked for more. I also would like dedicate my special thanks to the President of the University of Texas at El Paso, Dr. Diana Natalicio for her to kindness for accepting me to this harmonious University and for showering her love and support to not only me but all the Bhutanese students here at UTEP. Thank you for believing in me. You really make us feel special. My special acknowledgement to Dr. Samuel C. Riccillo for his continuous advice and support and would also like to thank all the lecturers and staff of the Communication department at UTEP for their support and instilling knowledge in me. I also like to thank the Government of Bhutan for offering me the opportunity to be part a of UTEP and for the support they provided me. I would like to thank all the people I met during the course of my thesis, who shared with me information and ideas which made my thesis a success. Lastly, I thank my parents, Col. Sangay Thinlay and Sonam Dema who has always been my support system and has been my source of inspiration. This has been my biggest achievement so far and I thank god for everything. iv ACRONYMS BBS: Bhutan Broadcasting Service BICMA: Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority BICM ACT: Bhutan Information, Communications and Media Act CBS: Center for Bhutan Studies CSO: Cable Service Operator DOIM: Depart of Information and Media FYP: Royal Government of Bhutan, Gross National Happiness Commission Five-Year Plan GM: General Manager GNH: Gross National Happiness GNP: Gross National Product GNHC: Gross National Happiness Commission ICT: Information, Communication Technology MOIC: Ministry of Information and Communication RGOB: Royal Government of Bhutan v ABSTRACT Bhutan occupies a special position in the international arena with its unique “guiding philosophy for development process called the Gross National Happiness and its objectives holds priority over economic growth. A rapidly changing local media and the foreign channels expanding foreign way of thinking introduce foreign values and cultures. This changing scenario builds up challenges for the government’s vision of GNH and the pillar of cultural preservation to prevail. This research analyzes the government’s policies available on the broadcast media through document analysis, discussions with people related to the law and policies, and analysis of selected TV and radio program contents. This study reveals that there is a need for proper implementation and operationalization of the general GNH policy into the broadcast media. This research therefore reveals the importance for an immediate formation and implementation of a media policy in Bhutan. This study also touches upon the need for a national integration of all the dynamic cultures prevalent in the country in order for a national culture too succeed. The study provides insights for Bhutanese media policymakers, and those who question mainstream, consumption-based development approaches and strive for creative, sustainable alternatives. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ..Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………………………………….…iv ACRONYMS …………………………………………………………………………………...v ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………………………....vi TABLE OF CONTENT …………………………………………………………………….....vii Chapter INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………………....1 LITERATURE REVIEW ……………………………………………………………………….7 METHOD OF STUDY ………………………………………………………………………...18 FINDINGS …………………………………………………………………………………….21 Section 1: From Policy documents and Interviews 1.1 “Gross National Happiness” in the policy documents ………………………….22 1.2 The Media Model in Bhutan………………………………………………….....30 1.3 Importance of preservation of Culture and it’s reflection in the la…...................33 1.4 Importance of developing local content:………………………………...............37 1.5 Broadcast content: International content versus local content…………………..46 A. Television…………………………………………………………………….46 B. Radio…………………………………………………………………………50 Section2: Program content of Local Broadcasters …………………………………………51 2.1 Broadcast stations: inception and current schedule ……………………..51 2.2 Content quality, A GNH inspired? ………………………………………54 vii A. BBS TV ………………………………………………….............55 B. Radio Stations …………………………………………………...57 2.3 Culture protected or preserved by the broadcast media and its significance ……………………………………………………………………………………60 AN ANALYSIS …………………………………………………………………………………71 Section 1: Effectiveness of the GNH approach and its implementation within the media policies and practices …………………………………………………………………………………......71 1.1 GNH implementation in Media policies and the conception of “Shared Consciousness” …………………………………………………………...................74 1.2 GNH implementation in the broadcast practices ……………………………………75 Section 2: Recognition of Bhutanese content as an important part of media development process …………………………………………………………………………………………...78 Section 3: The role of Broadcast media in enhancing the distinct Bhutanese identity through promotion of culture …………………………………………………………………………….82 3.1 The nature of Bhutanese Culture and its position today …………………...........82 3.2 Bhutanese culture as constructed in the Bhutan broadcast media ………………91 Section 4: The invasion of foreign culture in the last Shangri-La ……………………….....98 CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………………..104 BIBLOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………………………............112 viii GLOSSARY …………………………………………………………………………...............118 APPENDICES …………………………………………………………………………………121 Appendix A: Interview questions and answers …………………………………….......121 Appendix B: Interview questions and answer ..………………………………………..129 Appendix C: Interview questions and answers ……………...........................................137 Appendix D: Interview questions and answers …………………………………….......145 Appendix E: Interview questions and answers ………………………………………...155 Appendix F: Interview questions and answers ………………………………………...164 Appendix G: Interview questions and answers ………………………………………...171 Appendix H: Interview questions and answers ………………………………………...177 Appendix I: Interview questions and answers …………………………………………182 Appendix J: Interview questions and answers …………………………………………186 Appendix K: Interview questions and answers ………………………………………...187 Appendix L: GNH 9 Domains …………………………………………………………188 Appendix M: Ministry of Information and Communication Organogram ……….........189 Appendix N: Geopolitical Map of Bhutan …………………………………………......190 Appendix O: Political Map of Bhutan …………………………………………………191 ix Appendix P: Administrative Map of Bhutan …………………………………………..192 Appendix Q: BBS Radio Program Schedule …………………………………………..203 Appendix R: BBS TV Program Schedule ……………………………………………...208 Appendix S: Radio Valley Program Schedule …………………………………………212 Appendix T: Kuzoo FM Dzongkha Schedule ………………………………………….214 Appendix U: Kuzoo FM English Schedule ……………………………………………216 Glossary (Dzongkha words in Appendix I-J) ………………………………………….218 CURRICULUM VITA ………………………………………………………………………...220 x INTRODUCTION I would like to remind our youth that the television and the Internet provide a whole range of possibilities which can be both beneficial as well as negative for the individual and the society. I trust that you will exercise your good sense and judgment in using the Internet and television. H.M. Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th King of Bhutan, 2 June 1999 Considering the fact that there has been no research done on the media systems in
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