Broadcast and TV

In July 1953, the PLA set up Tibet's first wired broadcast station in Lhasa. It was equipped with one 75-watt amplifier, one 1,000-watt gasoline generator, and six megaphones placed on the roofs of civilian houses flanking Barkor Street. But Tibet did not begin actual radio broadcasting until January 1, 1959.

The year 1978 saw the Tibet Autonomous Region succeed in showing black and white TV programs on a trial basis. And in the following year, the autonomous region successfully broadcast color TV programs. In 1985, the Tibet TV Station, the first of its kind, was officially launched, broadcasting programs in both Tibetan and Han Chinese. Ten years later, the Tibet Broadcast and TV Programs Translation and Production Center went into operation. From then on, the quality of radio broadcasting and TV programs has improved with each passing day.

Over the past 50 years, the Central Government and various provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government have dispatched their accomplished professionals to help develop radio and TV broadcasting in the autonomous region. In addition, both the central and local governments have made arrangements for large numbers of university graduates to work in the sector. This has helped to create a new generation of experts and promote development of broadcasting services.

Nowadays, in the autonomous region there are two broadcast stations and 47 broadcast relay stations; three TV stations and 90 TV relay stations; and 850 broadcast and TV receiving/relay or receiving stations in the rural areas. Radio broadcasting and TV coverage now reaches 55 and 50 percent of the total population respectively. In Lhasa and its surrounding area, some 250,000 people watch TV, representing 75 percent of the total local population. In the whole region, there are more than 200,000 radios and 120,000 TV sets. A radio broadcast and TV receiving system has taken initial shape, with Lhasa as the center and covering various counties and cities. The system features all-directional and multi-tiered service. Lhasa is well served by the Tibet People's Broadcasting Station, Tibet TV Station, Lhasa TV Station and Tibet Wired TV Station.

Newspapers

Newspapers have developed from scratch in Tibet. Major ones include:

Tibet Daily: Published in Tibetan and Han Chinese, it is distributed throughout China. Its circulation has shot up from some 6,000 copies in its early days to over 40,000 copies at present.

Lhasa Evening News: Sponsored by the CPC Lhasa Committee, it was launched on July 1, 1985. as the only evening news in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is published in Tibetan and Han Chinese, and distributed throughout China. Its website: http://www.lasa-eveningnews.com.cn

Websites Major websites related to Tibet include:

(1) http://www.tibet-web.com

This is a comprehensive cultural website sponsored by the Tibet Autonomous Regional Association for Literary and Art Circles.

(2) http://www.tibetinfor.com

This is sponsored by the China Tibet Information Center.

(3) http://china.org.cn

This is sponsored by the State Council Information Office.

(4) http://www.xz.xinhua.org

This is sponsored by Xinhua News Agency.

(5) http://people.com.cn

This is sponsored by Renmin Ribao (People's Daily).

(6) http://www.cicc.org.cn

This is sponsored by the China Intercontinental Press.

(7) http://www.bjreview.com.cn

This is sponsored by Beijing Review, the only newsmagazine in English distributed worldwide.

(8) http://www.ctibet.org

This is sponsored by China's Tibet, which is published in English, Chinese and Tibetan, and
distributed worldwide.

(9) http://chinanews.com.cn

(10) http://tibetour.com

This is sponsored by the Tibet Tourism magazine.

(11) http://www.tibetaac.com

This is sponsored by the Tibet Institute for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

(12) http://www.utibet.edu.cn

This is sponsored by Tibet University.

(13) http://www.tibetonline.net

This is sponsored the Tibet Autonomous Regional Telecom Co. of the China Telecom Group.

(14) http://www.tibetguide.com.cn

This is sponsored by the Beijing Office of the Tibet Autonomous Region to guide investment in Tibet.