After at least two months of late pay, the Multimedia and Communications Ministry is looking for ways to ensure that Bernama TV 's (BTV) staff get their salaries on time.
 
Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek says the government has been trying to keep the privately run station afloat, as the shareholders seem to not care.
 
"The shareholders seem to not care, or are unaware of what's going on, so we will think of the best solution.
 
"Hopefully, we can solve this by year end," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.
 
BTV is owned by private entity, Bernama TV Synergy.
 
Bernama , the national newswire, only holds a 33 percent of the company but owns the broadcasting license.

It has been fully in charge of operations since the end of 2011.

 
However, due to the minority stake, Shabery (left) says it is not the government's responsibility to pay for BTV 's salaries.
 
"( BTV ) can't force the government to pay (their salaries). That's wrong," he said.
 
Commenting on BTV 's financial woes, the minister said it is because hardly anyone watches the 24 hour news channel.
 
"When the ratings are low, there are no advertisements. When there are no advertisements, who’s going to pay for the salaries?" he asked.
 
He added that it was not a marketing problem, but that the station's concept of airing news in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin, and Tamil which is flawed.
 
"When you're watching breaking news, which needs attention, for example MH370, MH17, a house fire or a landslide, suddenly while you're watching it switches to the Tamil (news).
 
"You have to stop, make a drink, and then come back. But people aren't going to come back, they're going to switch to something else," he said.
 
Better days ahead?
 
As such, BTV will be transformed into an English only news channel, aimed at middle income and urban viewers, by the beginning of next year.
 
Shabery said the switch to English is to avoid redundancy as RTM already airs news in Bahasa Malaysia.
 
When contacted, Bernama general manager Yong Soo Heong said this will help save the ailing station. 
 
Besides giving BTV a better reach to English speaking audiences in Malaysia and abroad, he said the move will also give the station a better focus for advertising.
 
"Whatever ventures that you do, you need profitability. This sets it on that task," he told Malaysiakini .
 
Meanwhile, BTV' s Mandarin and Tamil News will get their own channels once the country's terrestrial TV goes digital by 2018.
 
In the meantime, Shabery assured that no one from the station is going to get laid off.
 
Instead, they will have to readjust to working in an English only medium for now.