Hot News 2005

October 7

Civil society supports the idea to reform media outlets

Kuban Mambetaliyev, head of PA Journalists, published an article in V konce nedeli weekly, entitled “Country and the family.” The article reported on the process reforming state-run media outlets, “One of the main problems for the President Bakiyev is how he regards the media outlets. There is a tempting opportunity to use the media outlets to influence people, and it is not enough, therefore, to control only National TV and Radio Corporation and republican newspapers, to appoint and replace heads of the media outlets by Presidential orders. Such procedure is still used. But Bakiyev made a step forward, by creating a ‘working commission’ to reform the state media. The commission, headed by Madumarov, developed recommendations and draft orders, and finally submitted them to the President for signature. If the president signs the orders, the state-run TV channel would be controlled by the Supervising Council, whose members represent civic society, and the TV/Radio stations will be freed from control of the state administrations and the newspapers keep operating as joint stock companies. This is a core element of the concept to reform the media. If authoritarianism dominates, the TV channel will remain under control of the supreme power. And Bakiyev will have to justify his failure to fulfill declared commitment to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. He will have to answer why “one step forward and two steps back.” “I believe there will not be any steps back.”

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