Vietnam seminar pairs newsroom AI tools with FAST channel partnership

Southern Digital Television Company Limited held a Lam Dong seminar on Nov. 11 on artificial intelligence and digital technology in news and television production, alongside a partnership to develop FAST channels. The event brought together regulators, broadcasters, media groups, technology companies and other partners to discuss production, distribution, technological trends, practical issues and cooperation.

Delegates examined AI and digital tools for producing, distributing and exploiting television content, including cloud-based production and AI-assisted post-production. The systems presented were intended to speed work, lower equipment costs and extend the use of existing content libraries across OTT platforms, smart TVs and international markets.

The discussions covered AI-assisted editing and post-production, facial and scene recognition, audio and language processing, and content search and optimisation. Le Ngoc also presented live television production on the cloud and MAM AI. An IP-SW-CLOUD system described at the seminar uses virtual machines, GPU Cloud and AI, and can transmit material from specialist cameras, smartphones and GoPros over internet, 4G or 5G connections.

The event included a cooperation-signing ceremony between SDTV and AdVieta Media to develop a FAST channel system and exploit digital content. The agreement was presented as a new step for Vietnam’s FAST-OTT platform.

FAST, or Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television, offers free internet-delivered channels, including specialist channels, and is primarily aimed at large screens. Organisers highlighted real-time audience data, targeted advertising and auction mechanisms as potential commercial advantages. Dang Minh Hoang said the advertising model could produce more revenue than conventional digital advertising.

Participants also raised questions about technological autonomy, dependence on readily available foreign technology and the risks of applying FAST. The source described the model as relatively new, with only a limited number of platforms deployed globally.

Nguyen Ha Yen, deputy director of the Press Department, said the seminar matched journalism’s wider digital-transformation trend. She urged media organisations to take account of increasingly strict control of copyright in content, images and software, as well as rules governing intellectual property and AI use in journalism under Government Decree No. 237/2026/ND-CP.

Implementing rules for the 2025 Press Law are due to take effect on July 1, 2026, and explicitly encourage newsrooms to use AI in gathering, producing, analysing and distributing content, according to Vietnam Law and Legal Forum Magazine. The rules also require outlets to notify regulators within 10 working days of opening or closing social-media channels, while online press must preserve content for three months and radio and television services for 30 days.

Deputy Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Phan Tam has framed the policy shift as one in which journalism must compete on credibility, value and responsibility rather than speed and volume alone. Connection to the national electronic legal-deposit system is scheduled for Jan. 1, 2028, following technical preparation and upgrades that could take 12 to 18 months.