Limited License to Broadcast
Limited License to Broadcast
The Tajik authorities may have issued the first broadcasting licenses in five years, but NBCentralAsia's media-watchers doubt this heralds the appearance of new independent broadcasters, especially as it comes in advance of a presidential election.
On September 20, the State Committee on Broadcasting issued broadcasting permits to three private TV companies and one for radio. Media experts say that making these licenses available right before the November election is largely for show, especially since the licensing authority has previously rejected applications from 11 other media outlets.
NBCentralAsia has learned that the companies which have won the right to broadcast are mainly headed by people close to the government. For instance, the founder of the Simoi Mustakili Tojikiston TV station, based in Dushanbe, was for a long time head of time the economics department of state-run television's first channel. The founder of TV Anis in Kanibadam is former deputy director of the State Committee for Broadcasting, while Tojikistoni Navin radio was founded by a director of the Businessman newspaper, a creation of Dushanbe city council.
Despite the broadcasting committee's insistence that there is no political background to the licenses it has issued, the companies that have been rejected say they do not stand a chance of applying successfully until the election is over.
The winners will soon start broadcasting to the regions where they are located, offering people more viewing and listening choices than the current state broadcaster. However, NBCentralAsia's media experts say the new private broadcasters are unlikely to offer much more than entertainment shows. Nor do they foresee truly independent national broadcasters appearing for a long time after the election, since none of the current license applicants has the money or technology to compete with state TV and radio.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
On September 20, the State Committee on Broadcasting issued broadcasting permits to three private TV companies and one for radio. Media experts say that making these licenses available right before the November election is largely for show, especially since the licensing authority has previously rejected applications from 11 other media outlets.
NBCentralAsia has learned that the companies which have won the right to broadcast are mainly headed by people close to the government. For instance, the founder of the Simoi Mustakili Tojikiston TV station, based in Dushanbe, was for a long time head of time the economics department of state-run television's first channel. The founder of TV Anis in Kanibadam is former deputy director of the State Committee for Broadcasting, while Tojikistoni Navin radio was founded by a director of the Businessman newspaper, a creation of Dushanbe city council.
Despite the broadcasting committee's insistence that there is no political background to the licenses it has issued, the companies that have been rejected say they do not stand a chance of applying successfully until the election is over.
The winners will soon start broadcasting to the regions where they are located, offering people more viewing and listening choices than the current state broadcaster. However, NBCentralAsia's media experts say the new private broadcasters are unlikely to offer much more than entertainment shows. Nor do they foresee truly independent national broadcasters appearing for a long time after the election, since none of the current license applicants has the money or technology to compete with state TV and radio.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
