VOV Sonata-FM89 will broadcast 24 hours a day, bringing classical music to the public. The channel’s programming schedule is based on research into listeners’ psychological and physiological needs at different times of the day.
Ta Ngoc Hung, Deputy Head of VOV’s Literature, Arts and Music Department (VOV3), which is responsible for the channel’s content, said: “Vietnamese audiences will have an opportunity to enjoy world classical masterpieces, and works by contemporary composers. The channel may also broadcast live concerts from concert halls in Vietnam. We’ll introduce Vietnam’s symphony orchestras to audiences worldwide. Programming will be designed around listeners’ psychological and physiological rhythms throughout the day.”
Over the past three months, VOV has been consulting international experts to develop a programming schedule and has invited them to train reporters and editors for the channel. VOV has worked with partners and sought domestic and international music licensing sources to build a content library for Sonata-FM89. The broadcaster will join EBU – the European Broadcasting Union – as an associate memberto secure an additional source of classical music for the Vietnamese public.
VOV Deputy General Director Pham Manh Hung said: “Experts from broadcasters in Germany and Australia, including the ABC, have greatly helped VOV develop a programming schedule and provided valuable advice and training. Broadcasters in Serbia, Romania, Hungary, and Germany are among the many organizations that have longstanding ties with VOV and have donated recordings of chamber and orchestral music to us. Broadcasting around the clock will require a huge amount of content, so we aim to establish access to the world’s largest music providers.”
In Phase 1, VOV Sonata-FM89 will broadcast in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Can Tho, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, and Phu Quoc. In Phase 2, coverage will expand to all 34 provinces and cities in Vietnam.
