Speaking at the opening of the podcast production skills training for reporters, editors, and technicians of the Northwest Regional Bureau and reporters from Son La Provincial Radio and Television Station and Son La Newspaper, held from October 22-24, Mr. Pham Manh Hung, Deputy General Director of VOV, shared the goal of becoming the leading podcast producer for the Voice of Vietnam.
An inevitable trend
According to Mr. Pham Manh Hung, given the rapid development of technology, the number of people listening to audio content globally, including in the Vietnamese market, is increasing, but listener demand is also shifting from passive to active.
Today, no single media outlet holds a monopoly; opportunities are equally distributed, and even independent content creators can attract a large audience simply through social media platforms and inexpensive equipment.
VOV Deputy General Director Pham Manh Hung delivered a speech at the opening of the training course.
Changes in audience listening behavior coupled with intense market competition have created significant challenges for the broadcasting industry; platforms such as AM, FM, and even the internet alone are struggling to satisfy modern listeners.
"The emergence and rapid development of podcasts in the digital age presents an opportunity to reach the radio audience through the very smart mobile devices they are using," shared Mr. Pham Manh Hung.
"With the foundation of the Voice of Vietnam and its existing advantages, turning this ambition into reality is entirely feasible," Mr. Hung said.
Scene from the training class.
Through its efforts in the podcast race, Mr. Pham Manh Hung believes that VOV will reap three benefits: optimizing the production capacity of its team of reporters, editors, and technicians not only for Vietnamese programs but also for foreign languages and ethnic minority languages; aligning with global trends; and leveraging VOV's core advantage as a broadcasting agency in the context of digital transformation.
5 requirements set forth
According to the Deputy General Director of VOV, podcasts are popular because they are not restricted by length or broadcast time. In addition, they can be applied in many fields, emphasizing creativity and the personal style of the program creators.
"However, because podcasts are very different from traditional radio, in certain cases it is necessary to have specialized products for podcasts, which are then processed for broadcast on other platforms," Mr. Pham Manh Hung emphasized.
Journalist Do Minh Hong - Head of Digital Content Department, VOV Traffic Channel, shares her experience in creating podcasts.
Based on its inherent characteristics, Mr. Pham Manh Hung believes that the first requirement in podcast production is a comprehensive transformation, from the mindset of the entire system to operational skills; investment resources; and an increased workforce in technology…
Journalist Nguyen Tran Anh Thu - VOV2 reporter - shares podcast creation skills.
Secondly, it is necessary to survey and evaluate popular podcast platforms in Vietnam and around the world to produce suitable content; thirdly, to train podcast production skills for reporters, editors, and technicians; fourthly, to explore solutions for protecting copyright of digital radio content, including podcasts; and fifthly, to research ways to monetize podcast content.
The training course attracted a large number of reporters, editors, and technicians.
The training course, organized by the Center for Research and Application of Technology of the Voice of Vietnam, aimed to concretize the station's leadership's direction in digital transformation, linked to podcast content production. Two journalists with extensive experience in producing high-quality podcasts for VOV Traffic and the Culture and Society Department of VOV2 - Voice of Vietnam, directly shared their expertise.