Saigon Broadcasting Television Network
Encyclopedia
Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, abbreviated SBTN, is the first 24-hour Vietnamese language
channel geared towards the Vietnamese diaspora. It is currently available in the United States
on many cable systems as well as through DirecTV
. The channel provides children, arts, entertainment, news programs produced primarily in complete Vietnamese. The shows are primarily produced at its headquarters in Garden Grove
, California
, while reporters in the field often travel throughout the United States to cover events pertaining to the Vietnamese community.
SBTN has local affiliates in Boston, Massachusetts (Boston Vietnamese Media), Washington, D.C.
(SBTN-DC), Dallas, Texas
(SBTN DFW), and SBTN Houston, Texas
(SBTN Houston).
A Canadian
version, SBTN Canada, is available in Canada for Vietnamese Canadians, with programming from the United States service, plus content produced in Canada; this service is owned by the Ethnic Channels Group
, under license from SBTN.
and his friends to fill this gap and provide a full program with the lack of many Vietnamese advertisements that generally fill the Vietnamese TV space. Due to a trademark dispute, the channel's original name of SBN was changed to its current official name SBTN.
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
channel geared towards the Vietnamese diaspora. It is currently available in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on many cable systems as well as through DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
. The channel provides children, arts, entertainment, news programs produced primarily in complete Vietnamese. The shows are primarily produced at its headquarters in Garden Grove
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, while reporters in the field often travel throughout the United States to cover events pertaining to the Vietnamese community.
SBTN has local affiliates in Boston, Massachusetts (Boston Vietnamese Media), Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(SBTN-DC), Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(SBTN DFW), and SBTN Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
(SBTN Houston).
A Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
version, SBTN Canada, is available in Canada for Vietnamese Canadians, with programming from the United States service, plus content produced in Canada; this service is owned by the Ethnic Channels Group
Ethnic Channels Group
Ethnic Channels Group is a Canadian television broadcasting, distribution and communications company, specializing in multicultural television channels for the Canadian and American markets. ECG has been in operation since 2004 and is owned by Slava Levin....
, under license from SBTN.
History
While several Vietnamese-geared channels and programs already existed in the early 2000, none of them had an around-the-clock schedule. SBN (Saigon Broadcasting Network) was created with Truc HoTruc Ho
Trúc Hồ, born April 2, 1964, is a successful Vietnamese American musician turned producer, most famous for his series of musical variety shows entitled "Asia" and his 24-hour Vietnamese channel Saigon Broadcasting Television Network....
and his friends to fill this gap and provide a full program with the lack of many Vietnamese advertisements that generally fill the Vietnamese TV space. Due to a trademark dispute, the channel's original name of SBN was changed to its current official name SBTN.
Management
- Truc HoTruc HoTrúc Hồ, born April 2, 1964, is a successful Vietnamese American musician turned producer, most famous for his series of musical variety shows entitled "Asia" and his 24-hour Vietnamese channel Saigon Broadcasting Television Network....
, President and Chief Executive Officer - Nguyen Do Phu, VP Bus Affairs and Counsel
- Vanessa Thy Van Tran, VP Programming
- Nguyen Anh Tuan, Chief Financial Officer/Corp. Secretary