VTV4

VTV4 is the international television channel operated by Vietnam Television, the national television broadcaster of Vietnam. Its principal audience is the Vietnamese diaspora, including overseas Vietnamese communities, while its broader remit includes foreign viewers who want news, cultural programming, entertainment, and information about Vietnam. The channel functions as an international-facing outlet of the Vietnamese broadcasting system rather than as an independently owned commercial network. The service developed from an experimental satellite transmission that began on 1 January 1995. At that stage, VTV4 leased one hour of airtime, from 21:45 to 22:45, on a transponder carried by the Russian Gorizont 25 satellite. Its official launch followed on 1 January 1998 under a name translated as the program for Vietnamese expatriates and friends around the world. The initial service reached audiences in Asia and Europe and broadcast for approximately two hours each day. It then moved to a distribution arrangement involving the Measat 1 and Thaicom 3 satellites. A dedicated VTV4 program editorial department was established in February 1998. The channel's schedule and technical reach expanded over the following decade. In April 1998, its daily broadcast period increased to four hours. In April 2000, relay through Telstar 5 gave VTV4 coverage in North America and enabled the service to describe itself as worldwide in reach. From January 2002, daily airtime increased to eight hours, with distribution also extended through the Hot Bird satellite to improve service in Europe. The organizational structure supporting international programming was formalized during this period: in 2002, the program editorial department was separated from the editorial secretariat and made an international-affairs editorial council, which was later renamed the Television Council for International Affairs. VTV4 moved to continuous broadcasting in May 2005. Its schedule initially used repeated eight-hour programming cycles to accommodate different time zones. In June 2009, that wheel was replaced by a new 24-hour schedule. The channel also adopted high-definition distribution on VTVCab in June 2015, followed by promotional HD broadcasting. Its programming has generally combined Vietnamese-language news, current affairs, dramas, music, documentaries, cultural features, and general entertainment. Much of the output is produced by the international television department, while other programs and segments are rebroadcast from Vietnam Television's domestic channels. This mix allows VTV4 to serve both as a practical connection to Vietnam for overseas Vietnamese and as a showcase for the country's society, culture, and public affairs. A significant distribution change occurred on 31 March 2018, when Vietnam Television stopped transmitting VTV4 on foreign satellites including Thaicom 5, Eutelsat Hot Bird 13B, Hispasat 30W-5, and Galaxy 19. The channel remained available through other distribution methods, including online and domestic cable-related services. VTV4 has also been available over the air in Vientiane, Laos. According to the supplied reference account, the launch of the Vietnam Today channel on 7 September 2025 brought a further programming reorganization. Foreign-language news broadcasts previously carried by VTV4 were moved to the new service, while VTV4 continued with Vietnamese-language news and increased Vietnamese programming intended for overseas Vietnamese audiences. VTV4 therefore remains best understood as a national broadcaster's international community channel: its purpose is not merely to export a domestic schedule, but to maintain an informational and cultural link between Vietnam and Vietnamese communities around the world.

VTV4 emerged from Vietnam Television's effort to create a dedicated international service for Vietnamese people living abroad. Its first trial transmission took place on 1 January 1995, when it leased a one-hour slot on the Russian Gorizont 25 satellite. The experiment established the basic model that would define the channel: Vietnamese television content distributed beyond the country's borders for expatriate communities and other international viewers. The service became official on 1 January 1998 under a title describing its intended audience as Vietnamese expatriates and friends around the world. The initial schedule covered Asia and Europe and lasted about two hours per day. VTV4 used Measat 1, with the signal relayed through Thaicom 3, and a dedicated program editorial department was created on 3 February 1998. In April of that year, the daily schedule expanded to four hours. International reach increased substantially in 2000. On 27 April, a Telstar 5 relay brought the channel to North America, giving VTV4 a worldwide satellite presence. In 2002, airtime doubled to eight hours per day and distribution began through Hot Bird for European viewers. The administrative structure for international broadcasting was also strengthened. Following a Vietnamese government decision dated 7 February 2002, the editorial programming department was separated from the editorial secretariat and became an editorial council for international affairs. In 2004, that body was renamed the Television Council for International Affairs. VTV4 became a 24-hour service on 15 May 2005. The first continuous schedule preserved the original overnight block and repeated an eight-hour sequence to address the needs of viewers in different time zones. On 20 June 2009, the repeated wheel was replaced by a new 24-hour schedule. Programming typically included news, drama, music, documentaries, cultural features, and entertainment. The international department produced much of the schedule, while selected material from other Vietnam Television channels was rebroadcast. The channel continued to modernize its distribution. VTV4 began high-definition broadcasting on VTVCab on 22 June 2015 and entered promotional HD transmission two days later. Its satellite strategy changed on 31 March 2018, when Vietnam Television halted VTV4 transmissions on several foreign satellites. The change did not eliminate the channel's international role, since VTV4 continued through other distribution platforms, including online streaming and cable-related services. The channel has also been available over the air in Vientiane, Laos. A later programming reorganization followed the reported launch of Vietnam Today on 7 September 2025. Foreign-language news programs were transferred to the new channel, ending VTV4's long-standing role as a carrier of that part of the international news schedule. VTV4 thereafter concentrated more on Vietnamese-language news and programs designed for overseas Vietnamese communities. Across its history, the channel has remained an international extension of Vietnam Television, combining diaspora service, national representation, cultural communication, and access to Vietnamese television content outside Vietnam.

• 2025

  Foreign-language news is transferred to Vietnam Today

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  Following the launch of Vietnam Today, foreign-language news programming moves away from VTV4 and the channel emphasizes Vietnamese-language service for overseas audiences.

• 2018

  Foreign satellite transmissions end

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  Vietnam Television ends VTV4 broadcasts on several foreign satellites while retaining other distribution routes.

• 2015

  HD distribution begins on VTVCab

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  VTV4 starts HD broadcasting on VTVCab and begins promotional HD transmission shortly afterward.

• 2009

  New 24-hour schedule introduced

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  The channel replaces its repeated eight-hour wheel with a new continuous schedule.

• 2005

  Continuous broadcasting begins

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  VTV4 adopts a 24-hour service using repeated programming blocks to accommodate international time zones.

• 2002

  Daily schedule expands to eight hours

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  VTV4 doubles its daily airtime and adds Hot Bird distribution to improve coverage in Europe.

• 2000

  North American coverage added

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  A Telstar 5 relay extends VTV4's satellite distribution to North America.

• 1998

  Official international launch

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  VTV4 officially launches for Vietnamese expatriates and international viewers, initially broadcasting to Asia and Europe.

• 1998

  International television editorial department established

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  A dedicated VTV4 Program Editorial Department is established within Vietnam Television's editorial structure.

• 1995

  Trial satellite broadcasting begins

  [1]VTV4en.wikipedia.org

  VTV4 begins a one-hour trial transmission using leased capacity on the Gorizont 25 satellite.

An international public-service television channel connecting Vietnam with overseas Vietnamese communities and presenting Vietnamese news, culture, and entertainment to global audiences.

• Television broadcasting · 1998

  VTV4 international television channel

  VTV4 is Vietnam Television's international channel. It combines original programming from the broadcaster's international television department with selected programs and segments rebroadcast from other VTV services. Its content has included news, current affairs, drama, music, documentaries, cultural programming, and entertainment, with the schedule designed to connect overseas Vietnamese audiences to events and life in Vietnam.

• Online television streaming

  VTV4 online live stream

  VTV provides an online live-streaming access point for VTV4 through its official website. The stream extends access beyond terrestrial, cable, and satellite distribution and supports the channel's international audience strategy.

• 2025

  Reallocation of foreign-language news programmingStrategy

  Background

  The launch of Vietnam Today created a separate destination for foreign-language news content.

  Action taken

  Foreign-language news broadcasts were moved from VTV4 to Vietnam Today, while VTV4 increased its focus on Vietnamese-language programming.

  Aftermath

  VTV4's role became more closely centered on Vietnamese viewers overseas and Vietnamese-language international community programming.

  Source

• 2018

  Withdrawal from foreign satellite distributionStrategy

  Background

  Vietnam Television revised the way VTV4 was delivered to international audiences.

  Action taken

  At the end of March, VTV stopped broadcasting VTV4 on several foreign satellites.

  Aftermath

  International access continued through other distribution channels, including online and cable-related services.

  Source

• 2015

  HD transition on VTVCabGeneration change

  Background

  The channel's distribution was updated to support higher-definition television delivery.

  Action taken

  VTV4 began HD broadcasting on VTVCab and followed with promotional HD transmission.

  Aftermath

  VTV4 gained an HD distribution option in Vietnam's cable environment.

  Source

• 2005

  Move to 24-hour broadcastingStrategy

  Background

  A global audience across multiple time zones required more flexible access to VTV4 programming.

  Action taken

  VTV4 introduced continuous broadcasting, initially using repeated eight-hour programming blocks.

  Aftermath

  The channel later replaced the repeated wheel with a new 24-hour schedule in 2009.

  Source

• 1998

  Formal launch of VTV4 as an international channelProduct launch

  Background

  Vietnam Television sought a dedicated service for Vietnamese expatriates and international viewers interested in Vietnam.

  Action taken

  The trial service was converted into an official channel with scheduled satellite distribution across Asia and Europe.

  Aftermath

  VTV4 became the international television outlet of Vietnam Television and subsequently expanded its schedule and geographic reach.

  Source

1. 1VTV4en.wikipedia.org
2. 2VTV4 official live television pagevtv.vn