Cambodia to bar foreign films from Cambodian TV channels in prime time

Cambodia has decided to ban television stations from broadcasting foreign movies during the prime time slot, beginning Nov. 1 this year, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith announced on Friday.

"From Nov. 1, all television channels will be barred from broadcasting foreign films during the prime time from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.," he said at a press conference.

The decision is aimed to promote locally-made movies and to enhance local works and national pride, he explained.

He said if any television stations failed to comply with the decision, their broadcast would be suspended or their television licenses would be revoked.

The minister called on all television program sponsors to support local film makers in order to produce quality movies for the local market.

Currently, there are 17 television stations operating in the Southeast Asian nation.

The upcoming prohibition came after the public, particularly local artists and film producers, expressed concerns over the survival of the local film industry when most of the television channels had screened only foreign movies. Endi