|
|
|
Belarus: A Mass Media Primer Belarus, with a population of 10.7 million, has some 700 periodicals (three times more than in 1989) with a total circulation of more than ten million copies. Most publishing and distribution is conducted by state-owned companies. Today, the Belarussian government and the Supreme Soviet are the founders or co-founders of publications with ninety percent of the national circulation. The remaining ten percent, including most of the local press, usually must be printed at state enterprises, since they are the best and the biggest printing houses in the republic. The government, by raising printing rates for independent publications, can force them from the market. The government also has the power to manipulate the gathering of information. In 1993, a dozen foreign correspondents accredited in Minsk released a statement accusing the government’s Department on Information and Public Relations of “inviting only trusted journalists” to news conferences at the House of Government. Those who were not invited could not enter its premises despite their accreditation and reporters’ cards. More than 40 radio and 165 TV entities, most of them independent, have been licensed by the Ministry of Information. Of these, however, only about a quarter are on the air. The rest exist only on paper, awaiting frequencies, equipment, programming and funding for their operations. The State TV and Radio Company broadcasts on channel one for 14-16 hours daily (some four hours of which is programming produced in Belarus) with an annual budget equal to $6 million. Its Minsk station employs a staff of 3,000, and there are also stations in all six regions. Regional programming is usually broadcast on channel one as well. Channel one can be viewed by 98% of the population, channel 2 (Ostankino) by 95%, and channel 3 (Russian TV) by 71%. According to the Sociological Department of the State TV and Radio Company, 83.9% of the viewers prefer Ostankino, and 33.1% the Belarussian channel. State radio broadcasts on three channels 24 hours a day. All transmission facilities belong to the state and while independent stations can lease the transmitters, the state reserves the right to break those contracts. Thus, the popular independent channel 8 was turned off for a year, presumably for political reasons. When the contract was resumed last December, it included a new provision barring the channel from covering social and political issues. Despite numerous protests, political parties in opposition to the government cannot obtain air time on the state broadcasting channels, even if they have seats in the parliament. |
Last Updated: 11/20/99 |
|
© 1999 Post-Soviet Media Law &
Policy Newsletter |
