Strict Broadcasting Rules Kill Production
Strict Broadcasting Rules Kill Production
Tough licensing laws for radio and television broadcasting in Tajikistan are squashing competition, and many people are tuning into foreign stations for better news and entertainment, say NBCentralAsia media watchers.
On July 19 and 20, local journalists attending an international media conference in Dushanbe called on the government to relax broadcasting licensing laws.
Only three television channels and one radio station have been given a license to broadcast in the past five years and the government is still reviewing 25 other applications.
There are currently three national state TV channels and a dozen regional television and radio stations operating in the country.
Barakatullo Abdulfaizov, head of management at Tajikistan’s television and radio broadcasting committee and a member of the state licensing committee, says problems arise when prospective broadcasters have to show they do not get foreign funding and prove that their staff are professionals.
“If the documents comply with the requirements, I do not have the right to refuse,” he said.
A representative from one television company that waited a year for its broadcasting license agrees that the process was easy once all of the credentials had been collected, whereas many other companies struggle because they are backed by foreign investors.
However, Nuriddin Karshiboev, Chairman of the National Association of Independent Media, says the licensing committee does not operate transparently and is not properly accountable..
The broadcasting licensing committee is appointed by the government and Karshiboev believes its role should be handed over to an independent public body.
Restrictive licensing regulations limit people’s right to self-expression and creativity, as well as their right to set up media outlets, says a local media lawyer.
Journalist Marat Mamadshoev agrees that the Tajik media is losing its ability to compete with foreign broadcasters, adding that at least half, if not most of the population watches foreign channels. He believes this plays a great part in shaping public opinion in Tajikistan.
In the border regions in the north of the country, people have access to dozens of channels from Russia and neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which often offer better-quality programming. When comparisons are available, Mamadshoev says Tajik audiences are much more likely to trust a professional foreign broadcaster than a domestic one.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
On July 19 and 20, local journalists attending an international media conference in Dushanbe called on the government to relax broadcasting licensing laws.
Only three television channels and one radio station have been given a license to broadcast in the past five years and the government is still reviewing 25 other applications.
There are currently three national state TV channels and a dozen regional television and radio stations operating in the country.
Barakatullo Abdulfaizov, head of management at Tajikistan’s television and radio broadcasting committee and a member of the state licensing committee, says problems arise when prospective broadcasters have to show they do not get foreign funding and prove that their staff are professionals.
“If the documents comply with the requirements, I do not have the right to refuse,” he said.
A representative from one television company that waited a year for its broadcasting license agrees that the process was easy once all of the credentials had been collected, whereas many other companies struggle because they are backed by foreign investors.
However, Nuriddin Karshiboev, Chairman of the National Association of Independent Media, says the licensing committee does not operate transparently and is not properly accountable..
The broadcasting licensing committee is appointed by the government and Karshiboev believes its role should be handed over to an independent public body.
Restrictive licensing regulations limit people’s right to self-expression and creativity, as well as their right to set up media outlets, says a local media lawyer.
Journalist Marat Mamadshoev agrees that the Tajik media is losing its ability to compete with foreign broadcasters, adding that at least half, if not most of the population watches foreign channels. He believes this plays a great part in shaping public opinion in Tajikistan.
In the border regions in the north of the country, people have access to dozens of channels from Russia and neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which often offer better-quality programming. When comparisons are available, Mamadshoev says Tajik audiences are much more likely to trust a professional foreign broadcaster than a domestic one.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
