Now you put a box in front of people and they won't have time to pick up a book. You jump from the oral to the audio-visual. While not going so far as to say TV should be banned, Dorji is worried Bhutan will fall another victim to television's worldwide bid for cultural dominance. This makes it more vulnerable. No studies have been done, but Kinga Singye, executive director of BBS, said he sees young and old alike falling under the spell of the blue screen.
Children have less time for outdoor activities.
Still, Bhutan is eager to develop its own programming. After all, the government lifted the ban on TV last year so people could see their own culture reflected on the boob tube. The problem, however, is that TV came before Bhutanese TV programs were ready. The hour contains no commercials. But it's not for lack of trying.