Qamdo People's Radio Station in southeast Tibet Autonomous Region officially launched a Kangba-language program Saturday morning to give better service to the local people.

Currently, two million people in Qamdo Prefecture and its surrounding areas use Kangba, one of the three major Tibetan dialects, as their first language.

Transmitted by frequency modulation, medium-wave and cable television network, the 18-hour daily broadcast covers a variety of topics including news, agriculture and stock breeding, science and technology, sanitation, literature and arts.

Since the 1950s, China has spent over 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) on the construction of radio and television stations in Qamdo.

Nationwide, 53 of the 55 ethnic minorities have their own languages, including over 80 dialects.

There are 27 scripts used by 21 ethnic minorities in current use, all of which are computer-readable; and many minorities have radio, film, televivion, books and periodicals in their own languages.