Uzbekistan's Not-so-Private Broadcasters

At a recent forum in Tashkent, the talk was of liberalisation in Uzbekistan’s media sector. Commentators say the debate was somewhat remote from reality in a country where the government is tightening its grip further on what can be broadcast.



The May 2-4 media forum was organised by the National Association of Electronic Media, an umbrella group of non-state television and radio companies, and was attended by members of the Uzbek parliament, the legal political parties, non-government groups and TV and radio journalists,



Forum participants agreed that Uzbekistan is making progress on freedom of speech and democratisation of the media.



Recent figures suggest that about 55 private TV channels and 20 radio stations now operate in the country, all under the National Association’s tutelage.



Independent observer Ismail Ibrahimov, says that before the association emerged in 2003, these TV channels were able to operate more freely than now.



“Before the association was created, almost all the independent TV channels rebroadcast Voice of America programmes, and you could hear informative programmes on about the rights of women and children on the radio. You don’t hear or see anything like that these days,” said Ibrahimov.



Programmes of the kind Ibrahimov was talking about have been cut from the schedules since 2003, and the editors who developed them have been sacked.



According to independent journalist Nidoi Mazlum, the content of programmes made by independent broadcasters are now closely monitored by the state.



“A special broadcasting schedule has been set up for all independent electronic media, which they are obliged to follow strictly, and they do actually comply with it rigorously,” said Mazlum.



Editors of independent media outlets now concentrate on entertainment and other non-political programming, which dominates TV and radio airtime. When there are programmes on political themes, they are often used to attack domestic and external “enemies of the state”.



Another journalist, Maksud Rizaev, says it is a little premature to be talking about the liberalization and democratisation. Any attempt by an independent broadcasters to cover events in a way that differs from the official line will result in retribution.



One case in point is the Youth, a TV and radio company in Andijan, closed down after it broadcast live coverage of the events of May 13, 2005, when government troops shot dead hundreds of civilian residents.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)