MCST Reorganizes Broadcasting and Digital Oversight

Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) has been implementing a major institutional restructuring under Decree No. 298/2026/ND-CP which reorganizes the Ministry and places greater emphasis on the development of Vietnam’s cultural industries.

As part of this reform, MCST abolished the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (ABEI) and redistributed its functions between two agencies:

• Authority of Press (AOP) under Decision No. 2566/QĐ-BVHTTDL; and
• Authority of Electronic Information and Digital Transformation (AEIDT) under Decision No. 2559/QĐ-BVHTTDL.

Both decisions were signed on September 30, 2026, and took effect on October 1, 2026.

Key leadership appointments include Nguyen Thi Hoang Lan, who was appointed Director General of AEIDT after previously leading MCST’s Digital Transformation Center, and Le Quang Tu Do, former Director General of ABEI, who was appointed Director General of AOP.

The restructuring separates oversight of broadcasting content and channels from oversight of television services, streaming platforms, and digital content services:

• AOP is responsible for regulating press activities, including radio and television content. Its functions include reviewing broadcaster license applications, issuing licenses for domestic television channels, licensing the editing of foreign channels carried on pay-TV services, and overseeing advertising on broadcast channels.
• AEIDT is responsible for regulating electronic information and online content services. The agency issues and manages pay-TV service licenses, certifies the carriage of foreign channels on pay-TV platforms, oversees service quality, pricing, competition, consumer protection, and assumes responsibility for gaming regulation previously held by ABEI. AEIDT’s mandate also extends to on-demand content services, online content creators, influencers, large social-media channels, and online advertising activities, making it the principal regulator for much of Vietnam’s expanding digital-content ecosystem.

Several points require close attention. First, foreign channels distributed on Vietnamese pay-TV platforms now require approvals from both agencies: AOP licenses content editing, while AEIDT certifies distribution on pay-TV services. Second, some overlap remains between the agencies’ content-related mandates, and additional guidance is expected in forthcoming circulars or administrative-procedure lists to clarify jurisdictional boundaries. Finally, while streaming and OTT services are not explicitly mentioned in the restructuring decisions, they are expected to remain under AEIDT’s supervision through Vietnam’s existing pay-TV regulatory framework.

The restructuring signals a broader shift in how Vietnam regulates the media and digital economy. Companies operating in television, streaming, online content, gaming, and digital advertising should closely monitor forthcoming implementing regulations, which are expected to clarify the practical division of authority between AOP and AEIDT.