Strength in diversity

Chinese government is fully comprehending the media influence in shaping people's perceptions, as Bejing multipled its media channels, airtime and  its out reach to the world. When Chinese government extended government run media to a global audience with the aim to dominanting world opinions, then a Chinese  high officials put it this way "which ever nation has the highest capacity of media, it controls the world". Bejing has given the same importance to Tibet area, with the launch of Khamba dialect TV satellite  in late oct this year. Tibetan in exile are also aware of the crucial roles media plays, and besides an important part of the democratic society.Dharamsala launched its first local TV channel, just a week ago, with the aim to set up a satellite channel to reach all Tibetan settlements in india, nepal and Bhutan.


Of all the Tibet media; being it newspaper, radio and TV in exile, Radio Free Asia is the most influential in the sense this is the only broadcasting station that reaches and understood by the entire Tibetan population in Tibet, including the Cholka sum. The highest strenghth of Radio Free Asia is grounded  in its three dialects, Khamba, Amdo and Uke.  The listeners in all the three provinces tune in to Radio Free Asia, daily at a specific time to the program of their choice. Khamba dialect broadcast from RFA is a favourite for the Khampa, for its easy intelligibility and comprenhensable, besides a sense of bond being created through  the oneness of  their dialect. The Khamba broadcasters at RFA have thorough knowledge of the kham areas and often able to break news of any happenings in that part of the Tibet. So is the Amdo dialect for the Amdowas.

The brain behind this creation of three dialects has a visionary and very farsighted outlook. Some one who understood the diversity of the Tibetan culture and the strength of it. Under the common language of Tibetan, the three dialect flourished and being perserved, besides given the platform for free expression. RFA broadcast in three dialect is most laudable for its inclusiveness of all the Tibetans.

Coverage Scope:
The 2008 uprising in Tibet spreads like a wild fire from one county to the other in a matter of few hours , that the radio has played a crucial messenger to Tibetans all over.