November 6: A BBS documentary program, the Last Surviving Potters, has been awarded the jury prize by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. The program was produced by Kesang Choki, a program producer with the BBS TV department.

The program is about the dying craft of pottery. With the advent of pots made from stainless steel and aluminum, the craft of pottery is slowly dying.

There is only one surviving couple who still continue to make earthen pots. The program is also about the effort to revive and ensure the survival of this craft by training out-of-school youth. Five programs were short listed for the award.

They were submitted TV stations in Indonesia, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Papua New Guinea. Kesang Choki said the award will inspire and motivate her to produce better programs which will have a positive impact on the lives of the people.

Last week, Kesang Chuki Dorji, a Bhutanese freelance program producer won the NHK Japan Prize for the best proposal for a TV program.

The award comes with a cash prize of 8,000 US dollars. The TV documentary program will focus on the political developments taking place in the kingdom.