Vietnam Television (, abbreviated THVN), sometimes also unofficially known as the National Television ('), Saigon Television (') or Channel 9 (', THVN9), was one of two national television broadcasters in South Vietnam from February 7, 1966, until just before the Fall of Saigon on April 29, 1975. It was the first television broadcaster in Vietnam.
THVN9 was operated by the Vietnamese Bureau of Television ('), part of the General Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema (') in the Ministry of Propaganda. Vietnam Television broadcast from the capital Saigon on channel 9 (4.5 MHz) in FCC-standard black and white. However, from 1972, all important events were broadcast in color as standard.
The other national broadcaster was the English-language Armed Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN) or NWB-TV on channel 11. Both channels used an airborne transmission relay system from airplanes flying at the high altitudes, called Stratovision, as part of Operation Blue Eagle.
Vietnam Television Station (THVN) was established in 1965; its first broadcast was on February 7, 1966, at 6:58 pm, and the last one was at 11:58 pm on April 29, 1975. The first broadcast recorded images of Prime Minister NguyỠn Cao Kỳ and US ambassador Cabot Lodge. Initially lasting for an hour, the duration was later increased to two hours. On October 25, 1966, THVN's first above-ground establishment was finished.
THVN was established at the same time as AFRTS (Armed Forces Radio Television Service), which was renamed as AFVN (Armed Forces Vietnam Network) in 1967. THVN broadcast on band 9, while AFVN on frequency band 11. AFVN broadcast the landing of Neil Armstrong on the Moon in 1969 for audiences in South Vietnam. By 1970, both THVN and AFVN had a network of five stations each.
Recording was first performed at the National Cinema Center No. 9 on Thi Sach Street. In 1967, THVN was split into 2 separate departments - Cinema and Television. THVN's headquarter was moved to 9 Há»Âng TháºÂp Tá»± Avenue (now Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street) - which later became the headquarter of the current Ho Chi Minh City Television.
Historical events in early 1975 were also broadcast by Saigon Television. The chaotic and bloody evacuation from the Central Highlands to Tuy Hoa along Highway 7, dubbed as the "Convoy of Tears" was broadcast on television - causing more terror for the people in the South. This was followed by a live broadcast of the resignation speech of President Nguyá» n VÃÂn Thiá»Âu on the evening of April 21, 1975.
On April 30, the TV crew of THVN9 went to the Independence Palace to broadcast for President Dðáng VÃÂn Minh, but did not because around 7 am, Minh told everyone to leave. A few hours later, the regime of the Republic of Vietnam ended.
The last broadcast of THVN9 was from 18:45 to 22:45 on April 29, 1975, the day before the Fall of Saigon. After the Fall of Saigon, THVN9 was handed over to the Viet Cong. Vietnam Television's final programming aired the evening of April 29, 1975.
The next day, the station was reconstituted as Saigon Liberation Television Station (', SGTV) with a live broadcast of South Vietnamese President Dðáng VÃÂn Minh's surrender. However, SGTV became Ho Chi Minh City Television on May 1, 1975. The first broadcast (on channel HTV9 nowadays) was about the declaration of surrender by Dðáng VÃÂn Minh.
On July 2, 1976, THVN was reorganized as Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV).
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List of featured programmes broadcast by the THVN9 :
Nearby permanent programmes, THVN9's directorate permitted all of South Vietnames citizens to have the right to "bidding" (ÃÂấu thầu) for buying the TV signal. Normally including officials, scholars, especially artists (vocalists, actors...). Languages included Vietnamese (primarily), Chinese, French, English, Khmer and Montagnard.
In divided Vietnam, the highlight of Vietnamese Catholicism and the Fátima messages was the visit of one of a few official statues of Our Lady of Fátima to South Vietnam in 1965. Originally scheduled for a three-month visit, this particular statue came from the Blue Army chapter in Australia and ended up traveling the country until 1967. It was known as the âÂÂimmaculate heartâ statue because it puts her heart on the outside. This event was THVN (at the trial phase) lively recorded.
Nearby the media, THVN9 Network also sponsored the Young Music Festival and Vietnam Film Day. During the 1970s, Young Music Festival was the biggest cultural event in Asia and Oceania. It has attracted many vocalists and bands from South Vietnam, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and even the United States. Their purpose was an anti-war exhortation and a supporting peace for whole world.
On 27 April 1971, THVN9 reported Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng's tour. She performed at Lá» Thanh Theatre, Bát ÃÂạt Grand Hotel in the capital Saigon for a month, then visited the Western Delta. Teng performed first hit No of composer Nguyá» n ÃÂnh 9 by Japanese and Mandarin language.
After 30 April 1975, total of videotapes were transferred to People's Army of Vietnam's Archives at No. 83 Lý Nam ÃÂế street in Hanoi. However, some still existed by collectors. Many other copytapes were held by governments such as Australia, Canada, Denmark (Danish Vietnamese Association), France (AFP), West Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea (KBS), Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom (BBC), United States (AP). Besides, many of them were still used by modern Vietnamese filmmakers to do propaganda documentary ones.
From 2010, journalist Lê Quang Thanh Tâm has begun sharing some THVN9 tapes to Facebook and YouTube. Although clause as old reports of singers and actors. In 2020, he has ever litigated Asia Entertainment Inc. (Trung tâm Asia) for a copyright theft when they registered as an owner on YouTube channel with these tapes.
In Los Angeles during the 1980s, some former technicians re-established THVN9 to broadcast news and dramas by Vietnamese language for service to the Vietnamese American community. They registered a trademark as the Abroad-THVN Television Network () to differentiate former THVN9 or Domestic-THVN.