The number of radio stations is growing rapidly in Nepal, according to the country’s ministry of information and communications.

But that doesn’t mean the industry is booming.

Official figures suggest some 515 organisations have been given licences to broadcast, of which more than 300 are privately-owned channels

The Chinese news agency Xinhua spoke to media communication experts who suggested that the Nepalese market of more than 27 million people, may be overcrowded with stations.

Amid economic slowdown, Nepal’s media sector is experiencing a sharp decline in advertising revenue, partly due to political instability, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile Nepal has seen an increase in broadcasts by Chinese broadcasters in recent years and earlier this month, the Indian government pledged to spend more to carry its public radio and television broadcasts across the border into Nepal.