[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 38 (Thursday, February 26, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E170]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAIGON BROADCASTING TELEVISION 
                                NETWORK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DEREK TRAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 26, 2026

  Mr. TRAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 25th anniversary 
of the Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, otherwise known as SBTN. 
SBTN, the first 24-hour Vietnamese-language television channel 
specifically for overseas audiences, provides premier news coverage and 
entertainment programs to millions of Vietnamese people abroad. For 25 
years, SBTN has served as an example of the importance of a free press 
and the strength of the Vietnamese diaspora community.
  Headquartered in Garden Grove, California, SBTN was founded in 2001 
by Truc Ho4, a Vietnamese American musician, producer, and human-rights 
advocate. The network provided programming for the rapidly growing 
Vietnamese community in the United States, and it soon established 
itself in Southern California before spreading to cities such as 
Boston, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. This growth eventually led SBTN to 
expand internationally, becoming one of the primary television networks 
for Vietnamese audiences living outside Vietnam. Today, SBTN offers 
both original programming and acquired content, including news, dramas, 
movies, documentaries, variety shows, music, talk shows, kids' 
programming, and more.
  What sets SBTN apart is its staunch support for free expression and 
democratic values. Since the network's founding, it has stood as a 
counter-narrative to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's state-run 
media, refusing to air programs produced under the communist 
government's control. Rather than allow Vietnamese media to be 
dominated by an oppressive regime, SBTN has reported on human rights 
abuses and political dissent, providing critical coverage to millions 
of its international Vietnamese viewers. The network's belief system is 
deeply rooted in the experiences of the Vietnamese diaspora, as much of 
its original audience and leadership fled persecution from communist 
Vietnam in search of freedom and democracy. Amid ongoing repression and 
censorship by the Communist Party of Vietnam, SBTN remains essential in 
delivering trusted, independent reporting to Vietnamese-speaking 
audiences around the world.
  I am thrilled to represent such an exemplary television network in my 
district, especially one whose accomplishments are so dear to my 
family's own experiences. The network's commitment to providing 
dependable news, preserving the Vietnamese language and culture, and 
enriching the lives and experiences of the Vietnamese community is 
commendable. I congratulate SBTN on its 25th anniversary and continue 
to be grateful for its invaluable service to our Nation.

                          ____________________