Post-Soviet Media Law & Policy Newsletter

Signs of the Times

Russia

Media News From Duma

I.  Yeltsin edict gives NTV all-Russia status.
II.  Yeltsin decree on TV and radio broadcasting.
III.  Yeltsin upgrades NTV to All-Russian TV company status.
IV.  Paper views Duma debate on state support for VGTRK.
V.  Paper sees draft media laws as Duma’s “revenge.”

News on Freedom of Expression

I.  Tatarstan TV chief sacked for alleged political censorship.
II.  Volgograd governor tightens grip on media.
III.  Nizhnii mayor rewards critics.

Other Media News

I.  Paper assesses VGTRK’s growing political clout.
II.  TV groups oppose on-screen “violence and sensuality.”
III.  Paper reviews recent political manoeuvres in TV.
IV.  Setting of joint radio and television company agreed.
V.  Alleged reasons for murder attempt on NTN-4 head given.
VI.  Paper views media mogul Gusinskiy’s business interests.
VII.  New TNT station broadcasts through regional networks.

Armenia

I.  New venture offers subscribers foreign TV channels.

Azerbaijan

I.  Azeri foreign minister praises Radio Liberty.
II.  Azeri foreign minister critical of RL “bias.”

Belarus

I.  Belarusian region resumes relays of Russian NTV.
II.  Belarus reportedly presses for unified CIS media.

Estonia

I.  State TV long-term aim is to be state-funded only.
II.  Ukrainian-produced radio programmes for Estonia.

Kyrgyzstan

I.  Press Release from ANESMI.
II.  State TV programme “muzzled.”

Latvia

I.  Commission head deplores flouting of broadcast law.
II.  Commission revokes TV subtitling law.

Lithuania

I.  No bidder for LNK TV remaining shares.

Moldova

I.  Audio-visual council requests private TV-telecom to give up making hidden electoral publicity.

Ukraine

I.  Ukrainian media, Deutsche Welle to cooperate.
II.  Regional paper in Ukraine begins issuing page in Romanian.
III.  Deputy PM defends liberalization of TV.

Albania

I.  Intelligence service allegedly jamming VOA broadcasts.
II.  CNN said involved in Kosovo Albanians’ “media strategy.”

Czech Republic

I.  New Czech TV head says no radical changes planned.

Hungary

I.  Antenna Hungaria, Eutelsat launch digital platform.

Poland

I.  TVP management allegedly “meddling in programmes.”
II.  KRRiTV enforces European TV quota, upsets USA.
III.  KRRiTV chairman criticizes public TV board changes.

Slovakia 

I.  Council upholds Radio Twist licence.
II.  Parliament body questions cost of planned satellite TV.

Yugoslavia and Former Yugoslavia

A.  Bosnia-Hercegovina

Transformation of Radio-TV Bosnia-Hercegovina

I.  Draft proposals on TV transformation revealed.
II.  TV executive outlines changes at state television.

S-Kanal

I.  Serb S-Kanal TV in Pale shut down.
II.  OHR warns of action if S-Kanal “makes one wrong move.”
III.  Paper views founders of new Serb S-Kanal TV.
IV.  Transmitters used by new Serb S-Kanal TV.

Other Media News

I.  Independent media must come from within—deputy HR.
II.  Croat TV Mostar resumes broadcasts despite OSCE ban.
III.  Bosnian Serb news agency praised for “unifying role.”
IV.  Bosnian Serb government to reorganize SRT.
V.  New minister reviews Bosnian Serb media.
VI.  Studio Banja Luka signal again disrupted in Pale.
VII.  Independent media in Bosnia to get 2.4m ECU from EU.
VIII.  Serb St John radio reacts to UN official’s criticism.
IX.  Opposition wants state TV under external supervision.

B.  Croatia

I.  EU aid for Croatian media.
II.  EU supports Forum 21 idea for media democratization.

C.  Montenegro

I.  Montenegrin Radio evicted from Belgrade premises.
II.  Montenegro will continue to allocate frequencies itself.

D.  Serbia

Frequency Tender Rules

I.  Media association says tender rules “unclear.”
II.  Opposition party condemns frequency tender rules.
III.  Frequency tender “unlawful,” expert says.

Studio B Plans to Drop VOA

I.  Draskovic urges Studio B not to drop VOA.
II.  Democratic Party condemns plans to drop foreign stations.
III.  Studio B likely to end broadcasts of VOA programmes.

Article

“Power, Money and Life”: Central Asia's Biggest Newspaper Continues Its Uneasy Dialogue with Laws and Officials