Radio LNR Lao National Radio

Originally launched in 1960 in the resistance zone of north eastern Laos, Lao National Radio (LNR) became the national broadcaster in 1975, taking over the studios of the former Royal Lao Radio Station in Vientiane. Between 1983 and 1993 it was administered jointly with Lao National Television but since 1993 it has once more operated as a separate entity. Today it broadcasts on 567 KHz AM, on 6.130 KHz and 7.145 KHz SW and on two FM channels – FM1 (103.7MHz) and FM2 (97.25MHz). Programmes broadcast simultaneously on AM and SW are focused mainly on news and 'targeted' programmes (for farmers, youth, women etc), while FM1 carries a mixture of news, entertainment and 'targeted' programmes and FM2 is focused purely on entertainment. Both FM stations take advertising but FM2 generates the highest advertising revenues. AM broadcasting has been relayed around the country by satellite since 13 August 1999 and FM broadcasting since 3 April 2000. Lao National Radio programmes make up a large part of the daily programming schedules of the provincial radio stations - in general it may be said that the radio stations of larger, richer provinces such as Luang Prabang and Savannakhet tend to produce more of their own programmes, while poorer provinces broadcast more LNR and less home-grown material. In June 2003 Lao National Radio began broadcasting 15-minute Lao-language news bulletins on its website http://www.lnr.org.la; English- and Hmong-language news broadcasts were added in 2004.