Media in Mongolia

Mongolia's media system operates nationally under a unitary state structure, with differences in reach and local reporting between Ulaanbaatar, aimags and soums. State networks and local radio or television may serve regional audiences, while remote and inaccessible areas receive particular attention in public access programs. In 2024, 85.1% of the population used the internet and 83.4% of households had internet access according to the ITU, but these figures do not prove equal availability in every region. Online access also depends on the user's internet provider, contract and data costs. The Mongolian National Broadcaster, commonly called MNB, is a non-profit national public broadcaster with a public-interest mandate, oversight by a National Council and a focus that includes pluralism, children and young people. MNB may distribute radio and television through terrestrial, satellite, cable and internet services. Mongolia also has commercial broadcasters and possible local public radio or television services. Viewers can receive terrestrial free-to-air programs, multichannel cable or satellite services, paid television or radio, and public radio or television. Foreign television and radio content may be provided with Mongolian voice-over or subtitles. Broadcasting requires a licence. The Communications Regulatory Commission, or CRC, handles licensing, frequencies, market and content supervision, ownership transparency, competition, advertising and rules concerning children and young people. Under the Law on Broadcasting adopted in 2019 and effective from 2020, licence applicants generally must be legal entities in Mongolia. The law excludes state organizations, citizens, political parties and their affiliates, foreign-invested legal entities, religious organizations and entities with more than 30% foreign management in the circumstances specified by law. Selection usually follows an open competitive process. A broadcasting licence lasts at least five years; a renewal application should be submitted three months before expiry, and the decision is made within ten working days. State stamp duty applies, and a licence withdrawal can be challenged in court. Broadcasters must disclose ownership from a 5% holding and report ownership changes within 30 days. Basic packages place MNB or other public services and free-to-air channels first. CRC rules also address Mongolian-language programming, national and local content, original programming, captions, sign language, children’s programs and educational content. A broadcaster needs its own editorial policy and ethics system, must handle viewer or listener complaints and must preserve program archives for at least 60 days. A public radio and television service fee is provided for by law, with the amount set by the Government; the fact sheet does not establish one uniform amount for users. Streaming in Mongolia has no separately evidenced national streaming authority or single OTT licence class in the reviewed legal framework. Over-the-top, or OTT, services include internet-delivered video and audio such as MNB's live web service, broadcaster websites, international streaming platforms and social platforms. Access can also come through cable or satellite providers. OTT providers may fall within complaint and content-restriction processes, while copyright and related-rights licences, personal-data protection and child-protection rules still apply. No uniform national end-user streaming price is established; charges depend on the provider, service and internet plan. Social media is similarly fragmented rather than governed by one unified local platform system. Websites, apps, platforms, internet providers, OTT providers and other digital service providers can form a functional chain when a complaint concerns unlawful or harmful online material. A competent authority may examine an alleged violation and notify a provider to remove or restrict content or access to a page or site. Failure to comply can lead to restrictions on access from Mongolia, including measures associated with black-list.mn. These procedures do not mean that users should censor lawful opinions themselves. The Law on Freedom of Press and Information protects freedom of expression, speech and publication and prohibits state censorship. State bodies may not own their own media outlets under that law, while editorial teams remain responsible for published material. Print and online journalism can perform the same journalistic function. The Media Council of Mongolia provides voluntary self-regulation for print, online, radio and television journalism through the Mongolian Media Ethics Principles. A complaint to the council must concern journalistic content, be submitted in writing and generally relate to material published no more than 90 days earlier; anonymous and general complaints are excluded. The editorial office receives an opportunity to respond, and outcomes and statistics are made public. Journalistic reporting should be accurate, impartial, balanced and independent. Advertising, paid content and advertiser-funded material should be clearly marked. A broadcaster should use its own content or content for which it has rights. The Law on Transparency of Public Information from 2021 allows people to seek open state information electronically or by application, without having to explain the purpose of a request for open information. A requester can choose the form of access and should use the official source. A refusal or access problem can be challenged before a higher authority, a court or the National Human Rights Commission. The Constitution protects the rights to opinion, speech, press, peaceful assembly and to seek and receive information, subject to lawful limits. Limits can concern dignity and reputation, privacy and personal data, national security, public order, child safety, hate content, obscenity, violence, copyright and state or official secrets. The Personal Data Protection Law from 2021 regulates collection, processing, use and security of personal data. It covers consent or another legal basis, an explanation of purpose, consequences of refusal, free electronic copies, correction, change or erasure, and stopping processing subject to the rights of others. The Copyrights Law from 2021 protects author and related rights, so media use normally needs a legal basis or licence. Children are people under 18 for the relevant child-protection rules. The revised Law on Child Protection applies to children who are permanently or temporarily in Mongolia. Media providers, broadcasters and digital service providers may not distribute prohibited or harmful content and may have to monitor, restrict or block it. Broadcast programs require an age category before transmission, and multichannel services must provide adult settings and restrictions or blocking after a CRC notification. Internet providers may apply technical restrictions. Online entrapment, bullying and harassment are prohibited. Publishing a child's image, audio or audiovisual material in a way that harms the child's reputation or dignity requires permission from a parent or guardian. Complaints can go to a state inspector of children's rights or the police, with the CRC, central police and child and family administration involved in notification or supervision. An age rating does not mean unrestricted access. Participation therefore depends on the issue. The Media Council handles eligible journalistic-ethics complaints; a broadcaster handles its own editorial complaints; the CRC or another competent authority may address licensed broadcasting and digital harms; child-rights inspectors or police handle child-content violations; and the National Human Rights Commission can receive complaints about information access and personal-data rights. MNB's National Council and an optional advisory council provide additional public channels, while local public radio or television participation exists only where such services have been established. Complaint and access costs cannot be assumed to be uniform across all procedures.