Myanmar Radio National Service (; formerly, Burma Broadcasting Service (BBS)), is the national radio service of

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

. It has its broadcasting headquarters in both the administrative capital of

Naypyidaw Naypyidaw (), officially Romanization of Burmese, romanized as Nay Pyi Taw (NPT), is the capital city, capital and third-largest city of Myanmar. The city is located at the centre of the Naypyidaw Union Territory. It is unusual among Myanmar's ...

and

Yangon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

, Myanmar's largest city. The service runs Myanmar Radio, Myanmar Radio Minorities Service, Myanmar Radio International and Myanmar Radio 2nd Programme (Tha Pyay Radio). Like all legally operating radio stations in Myanmar, such as Yangon City FM and Mandalay City FM, Myanmar Radio is under state management. MRNS, alongside all other state-controlled media, is the mouthpiece of successive Burmese governments. However, due to a recent revamp in giving greater air time to music and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

topics, the state-affiliated radio services are, despite their affiliation with the government, popular with the populace. However, in terms of audience for news programmes, MRNS is least popular (and perceived as least credible). Most Burmese listen to foreign based pro-opposition radio services.

History

Radio service in Myanmar first came on air in 1936 during the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

colonial era. Regular programming by Bama Athan (; "Voice of Burma") began in 1946 when the British established Burma Broadcasting Service (BBS), carrying Burmese language national and foreign news and musical entertainment, knowledge reply and school lessons and English language news and music programming. After independence in 1948, it was named Myanma Athan (; also meaning Voice of Burma, but with the more formal term "Myanmar"). The service was renamed Myanmar Radio by the

military government A military government is any government that is administered by a military, whether or not this government is legal under the laws of the jurisdiction at issue or by an occupying power. It is usually administered by military personnel. Types of m ...

which came to power in 1988. The radio service's parent, the Burmese Broadcasting Service was also renamed as Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) in 1997. Until the launch of Yangon City FM in 2001, BBS/Myanmar Radio was the only radio station in the country. For years, its main broadcast center is at 426 Pyay Road in Kamayut in

. Since late 2007, the main broadcast station has moved to Naypyidaw. Yangon Station now mostly relays Naypyidaw Station's programming.

Broadcast service

Since the first

high frequency High frequency (HF) is the ITU designation for the band of radio waves with frequency between 3 and 30 megahertz (MHz). It is also known as the decameter band or decameter wave as its wavelengths range from one to ten decameters (ten to one ...

(HF) installations back in the 1950s, the service's HF transmitter capacity has not had a major upgrade. However, there have been some minor frequency adjustments, with 4725 replacing the former 4795 and 5040, 7185 replacing 7125 and 7120, and 9730 replacing 9725 and 6035.

Relay Station

References

{{Authority control Radio stations in Myanmar Radio stations established in 1946 Mass media in Yangon Mass media in Naypyidaw 1946 establishments in Burma Publicly funded broadcasters State media