Lao National Television (LNTV) commenced broadcasting in 1983, initially on Channel 8 for three hours a day with a transmitter output which serviced only the capital city. This service was administered jointly with radio broadcasting under the combined Lao National Radio and Television until 1993, when LNTV was established as a separate agency. In that same year Lao television switched to channel 9 following a broadcasting frequency agreement with Thailand. Since 1993 foreign assistance, particularly from the Japanese and Vietnamese governments, has enabled LNTV to construct a new broadcasting centre, purchase new equipment and upgrade its transmitter capacity. Today LNTV comprises two channels. TV1 is broadcast for 13½ hours per day (6am-12.30pm, 5pm-11pm) on channel 9 via 2Kw and 10Kw transmitters, offering mainly news and current affairs programming. The country’s second channel, TV3, is broadcast for eight hours per day (12pm-4pm, 6pm-10pm) Monday-Friday and 10 hours per day (12pm-10pm) Saturday-Sunday via 5Kw and 10Kw transmitters; originally established in 1994 as a joint venture with Thailand, TV3 quickly became popular for its programming diet of Thai quiz shows, soap operas and films, and since becoming an integral part of the LNTV network in 2002 it has retained its light entertainment programming mix. A third channel, TV5, was launched in 2002 as a joint venture with the TV5 International of France, featuring 14 hours per day of French-language programmes relayed from TV5 International. However, the agreement was not subsequently renewed and in 2004 TV5 closed down. As part of a Chinese joint venture, a new third channel - Channel 7 - is currently being planned. In recent years LNTV programming has been relayed by Asiasat to all parts of the country, where it makes up the greater part of the daily programming schedules of the provincial television stations. In fact, only Vientiane Municipality and the larger provinces such as Luang Prabang and Savannakhet have sufficient resources to make their own programmes - Luang Prabang Province is the most active, with just one hour of home-grown programming each day.