ID :
209130
Sat, 09/24/2011 - 08:38
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/209130
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Kyrgyzstan suspends re-transmission of foreign TV before presidential
BISHKEK (Itar-Tass) - In the run-up to the presidential
election due October 30 Kyrgyzstan's cable television companies and the
state enterprise Kyrgyztelecom as of September 25 will suspend the
retransmission of foreign channels, including Russia's Channel 1 and RTR,
the firms' representatives told a news conference this week. Russian
television channels will be available again after the elections.
On September 25 Kyrgyzstan will start a presidential election
campaign. The highest post is to be contested, according to the latest
sources, by 25 rivals. According to local laws, foreign media have no
right to participate in this process.
"There are several reasons why we had to make that decision," said the
representative of the cable company, Al-TV Vasily Goncharov. "By the law,
we must pre-record all programs of foreign TV channels, filter away all
campaigning for any candidate, remove such fragments and then release the
programs, but we just do not have such equipment." In addition, the
company has no professionals who "can keep track of the content."
"Above all, under contracts with foreign channels, we have no right to
make changes to their programs," said Goncharov.
Meanwhile, the suspension of re-transmission of foreign channels is
fraught with the risk of economic sanctions against Kyrgyz cable companies.
As the representative of the Association of Kyrgyzstan's Communication
Operators, Dzhyrgalbek Kasimov said, cable television companies have
already asked the Constitutional Chamber to recognize illegal the
situation that violates the people's right to free access to information.
Several days ago a similar appeal was also sent to the CEC, which
redirected it to the parliament. However, there has been no answer from
the legislators to this request to this day, he said.
Experts say the people of Kyrgyzstan throughout the election campaign
period will be able to watch foreign TV channels via satellite television
and on the Internet, and the authorities have no technical options to
deprive them of this opportunity.
election due October 30 Kyrgyzstan's cable television companies and the
state enterprise Kyrgyztelecom as of September 25 will suspend the
retransmission of foreign channels, including Russia's Channel 1 and RTR,
the firms' representatives told a news conference this week. Russian
television channels will be available again after the elections.
On September 25 Kyrgyzstan will start a presidential election
campaign. The highest post is to be contested, according to the latest
sources, by 25 rivals. According to local laws, foreign media have no
right to participate in this process.
"There are several reasons why we had to make that decision," said the
representative of the cable company, Al-TV Vasily Goncharov. "By the law,
we must pre-record all programs of foreign TV channels, filter away all
campaigning for any candidate, remove such fragments and then release the
programs, but we just do not have such equipment." In addition, the
company has no professionals who "can keep track of the content."
"Above all, under contracts with foreign channels, we have no right to
make changes to their programs," said Goncharov.
Meanwhile, the suspension of re-transmission of foreign channels is
fraught with the risk of economic sanctions against Kyrgyz cable companies.
As the representative of the Association of Kyrgyzstan's Communication
Operators, Dzhyrgalbek Kasimov said, cable television companies have
already asked the Constitutional Chamber to recognize illegal the
situation that violates the people's right to free access to information.
Several days ago a similar appeal was also sent to the CEC, which
redirected it to the parliament. However, there has been no answer from
the legislators to this request to this day, he said.
Experts say the people of Kyrgyzstan throughout the election campaign
period will be able to watch foreign TV channels via satellite television
and on the Internet, and the authorities have no technical options to
deprive them of this opportunity.
