Nearly half a century of being known by its original, familiar name will always remain deeply engraved in the memories of generations of officials, people, armed forces, and especially journalists, editors, and technicians who have contributed to making the voice of the provincial Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnicities in Điện Biên always soar high and far.

In April 1977, the Lai Châu Broadcasting Station (now the provincial Radio and Television) was officially established. In early 1986, the provincial Party Committee, People’s Council, and People’s Committee decided to rename Lai Châu Broadcasting Station to the Lai Châu Radio and Television. The advent of television programming brought a fresh wind, enriching the spiritual life of the ethnic people in the province. In 2004, Điện Biên province was established by splitting Lai Châu, and the station was renamed the provincial Radio and Television and began a new phase of development.

Lường Văn Xuyên, who has over 35 years of service, including 10 years as the Director of the provincial Radio and Television, shared: “Since 2012, The provincial Radio and Television has made significant strides with numerous reforms in its operations, having 6 specialized departments and an enhanced team, especially a group of enthusiastic and dynamic young reporters and editors who have enriched and energized the station’s programs. On September 23, 2011, the station’s official website began operation, marking a new development milestone and contributing to our propaganda work. Each year, the website publishes approximately 6,000 to 7,000 news articles, images, and thousands of video clips. The number of visitors has increased rapidly, helping to promote the image of Điện Biên’s land and people to the whole country and the world.”

On May 7, 2016, in celebration of the 62nd anniversary of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory, the station officially broadcast its channel via the Vinasat1 satellite, expanding its coverage to many countries and territories. From 2016, the introduction of a Sunday television program ensured continuous broadcasting 7 days a week, totaling 18 hours a day, with over 50% of the content being self-produced. News programs became more profound, quick, multi-dimensional, and closely aligned with the pulse of life, offering sharp information, social commentary, and countering hostile foreign and domestic views; about 50 diverse and in-depth special programs were produced, covering all aspects of social life.

The station’s cultural and entertainment programs have become increasingly professional. Many live broadcast events and programs are regularly held. The ethnic language program reflects the unique cultural identity of the Northwest, close and distinctive. The station has successfully fulfilled its mission of propagating the Party’s directives, the State’s policies and laws, and local guidelines, while promoting the study and following of Hồ Chí Minh’s ideology, building cultural life, rural development, and contributing to the socio-economic development of the province.

Over the past five years, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and social media have brought both challenges and opportunities for the press, including the provincial Radio and Television. The station has determined to innovate for development. Despite the competitive speed, the station remains a reliable, official information channel. The content of its programs is increasingly diverse, engaging, and meets the political task and information needs of the people. New programs feature dynamic, modern presentations, with many news topics being explored deeply, offering multi-dimensional perspectives and interactive engagement on digital platforms.

Vũ Xuân Thượng, Deputy Director of the provincial Radio and Television, stated: “To leverage the strengths of both radio and television, and to face significant challenges in communication work, every year, the station reviews its programs and topics to change formats and methods, adapting to the demands of propaganda, technological development, and the increasing needs of the audience. As a result, the station’s news, special programs, cultural, entertainment, science, education, and documentary films have met the needs of information, learning, entertainment, and appreciation of art and culture.”

Ethnic-language radio and TV programs effectively meet the needs of highland ethnic minorities in terms of access to information on politics, economics, society, and agricultural production techniques. To align with the modern trends of journalism, the provincial Radio and Television has effectively utilized its website: dienbientv.vn with a new interface, HD quality images, and increased speed of daily information updates. The station has also regularly opened new fan pages for its programs to enhance public interaction.

In addition, the station’s YouTube channel frequently updates its programs to provide viewers more opportunities to access the station’s information. Currently, the fanpage “Truyền hình Điện Biên” has nearly 15,000 followers; many videos posted within a short time have gained tens of thousands of views, with some videos achieving millions of views within a month. The station’s programs are broadcast across multiple platforms, including terrestrial broadcast, satellites, cable TV, website, MyTV, netTV, and social networks.

Lường Văn Xuyên, Director of the provincial Radio and Television, shared: “In the fiercely competitive landscape of journalism, the station always understands that to grow, it must continually innovate and improve the quality of its programs, fulfilling its propaganda tasks and delivering the Party’s policies and the State’s laws to the people while meeting the increasing demands of the audience. The innovation in dynamic and modern styles has helped the station’s programs be welcomed by the public, establishing it as a reliable and useful information channel closely connected with the people of all ethnic groups in the province.”

For the provincial Radio and Television, 48 years have been a challenging and memorable journey. The waves of the provincial Radio and Television have never ceased, and it is also a period when generations of reporters, editors, technicians have tirelessly worked to build the station into a strong regional station in the northern mountainous and midland areas, a multimedia propaganda agency, and a communications hub in this historic land. Today’s generation of journalists at the station is not only continuing the work of their predecessors but also nurturing their ambitions, creativity, and strengthening their resolve to develop and expand the radio and television press in Điện Biên, moving forward with the revolutionary journalism.