The President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbai Jeenbekov signed the Law On Television and Radio Broadcasting, adopted by the parliament of the republic on the eve of leaving for the summer holidays. This document allows the broadcast of advertisements on Russian TV channels that are rebroadcast in Kyrgyzstan, which puts local TV and radio companies on the brink of bankruptcy.
The adopted amendments state that under paragraph 1 of Part 2 of Article 32 of the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic On Television and Radio Broadcasting, it is prohibited to place advertisements for television and radio organizations and television and radio broadcasting operators who carry out full or partial retransmission of foreign TV and radio channels on the territory of the republic, except full retransmission of digital broadcasting of foreign TV channels within the framework of a social package based on international treaties where the Kyrgyz Republic takes part. Placement of ads is allowed in the amount determined by the government to cover the costs of distributing TV channels within the framework of the social package approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
“According to part 1 of Article 48 of the above-mentioned Law, this norm is valid until July 1, 2019. Clause 2 of Article 2 of the signed Law provides for its extension until January 1, 2023. The law comes into force upon the expiration of ten days from the date of its official publication, “the president’s website says.
It should be noted that in June 2020, the heads of Kyrgyz television companies addressed an open letter to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbai Jeenbekov. The head of state was asked not to sign the amendments to the Law on Television and Radio Broadcasting and to keep it for revision.
Chairman of the Board of the Industrial Media Committee Association, Yevgeny Tislenko, and director of Digital Technologies, Kubat Otorbaev, stressed that the changes initiated by the government were adopted by the parliament hastily and without proper discussion with the media community.
Also, one of the amendments prolongs the rebroadcast of the Russian Perviy Kanal. Vsemirnaya Set and RTR-Planeta until 2023. Moreover, both of these TV channels broadcast on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic based on an agreement between the governments of Kyrgyzstan and Russia On the procedure and conditions for the distribution of programs of Russian television and radio broadcasting organizations in the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic, concluded on March 28, 1996. This means that Russian TV channels are allowed to collect domestic ads until 2023. In other words, it is allowed to keep part of the funds from domestic television and radio companies, including state ones. Unions and associations of TV and radio companies sent relevant statements to parliament and government bodies with a request not to adopt the law in this edition and to gather representatives of domestic TV and radio companies for discussion.
However, all written requests were ignored and not considered.
Tislenko and Otorbaev emphasized that the proposed changes will create unequal conditions in the TV and radio broadcasting market, since, firstly, domestic TV and radio channels will be required to broadcast at least 50 percent of domestic content in the state language, while this conditions will not apply to foreign TV channels. Secondly, foreign TV channels will be able to collect domestic ads if the requirements for the state language and broadcasting of domestic TV programs are not met, while domestic TV channels do not have such an opportunity.
The authors of the appeal warned that the adoption of the amendments would lead to the closure of independent Kyrgyz TV channels.
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