[CivilSoc] How Uzbekistan Controls Its Press

Tue, 17 Jul 2001 12:02:57 -0700 (PDT)

The following item was posted to the FSU Media list
<[email protected]> by Mikhail Doroshevich <[email protected]>
PRESS RELEASE: ALC-TV IS ONCE AGAIN REFUSED A BROADCASTING LICENSE
June 28, 2001, the Interagency Coordination Commission of the Cabinet
of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, under the stewardship of
Vice Prime Minister K.S. Karamatov, once again has refused to grant a
license to independent broadcasting company ALC (Khorezm Region,
Urgench.)  The US State Department, the Foreign Minister of the
German Federation, Joshka Fisher, and the OSCE representative on
Freedom of Mass-Media, Freimont Duve, have applied to the government
of Uzbekistan on behalf of the company, to no avail.
>From the minutes of the commission meeting, received by the director
of ALC-TV, Shukhrat Babadjanov, it is stated that the company was
refused a license for the following two reasons:
* One, that there are discrepancies in the name of the company in the
documents - to be precise, in one of the documents, it is called
"ALC," and in other documents, "TV ALC."  This discrepancy can be
classified as providing false information.
* Two, ALC currently does not have a frequency to air on. The Agency
of Post and Telecommunications cancelled ALC's right to use their
frequency on April 4, 2001, after the latter submitted documents to
the Interagency Coordination Commission for re-registration.  At the
moment, the frequency is not used by anyone.  The state regional
television of Khorezm (KTV) that wanted the frequency, does not have
a transmitter to air it.
A short history of the closing of the station:
On November 20, 1999, by the decision of a special established
commission of Khorezm Oblast Hokimiyat, the station was closed. The
station was closed during the time of the presidential elections in
Uzbekistan.  According to the director of the TV station, Mr.
Shukhrat Babadjanov, the local authorities approached him with a
request to voluntarily stop broadcasting. In accordance with the Law
of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Mass-Media" (Clause 16) local
powers have no right to demand the closure of an independent TV
station.  The following day, the commission consisting of
representatives of Hokimiyat and Directorate of Internal Affairs
blocked off the stations transmitter, citing the TV station's poor
security system.  The local authorities closed the station down
despite massive popular appeal by letters from hundreds of thousands
of residents of Urgench as well as multiple appeals from
international organizations, such as OSCE, USAID,
Internews-Uzbekistan, and Soros Foundation, to the Hokim of Khorezm
Oblast and to the President of Uzbekistan.
February 17, 2000, the TV Company began legal proceedings against the
regional Hokimiyat in the Urgench City Court.  And although according
to their lawyer Ms. Galina Mayorova, the authorities violated the
laws, the verdict was found in the favor of the regional Hokimiyat.
The TV Company lost the case and has incurred only additional
problems and costs.
For more information, please contact:
Josh Machleder
[email protected]
Khalida Anarbaeva
[email protected]
Internews Uzbekistan
Tel./Fax:  +998 71 152-40-44/45/46/47
Cell phone: +998 71 180-10-45
http://www.internews.uz
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
The 2001 edition of "Internet Resources for Eurasia" has just been
published!  In just 169 pages it describes more than 600 websites,
listservs, and other resources useful to anybody using the Internet
to work with the region.  Order now--only $14.95 per copy, plus S&H!
Send your e-mail order to: [email protected]
CivilSoc is a service provided to more than 2,200 subscribers
worldwide by Civil Society International. For more information about
civic initiatives in Eurasia, please go to: www.civilsoc.org
There are no restrictions on copying messages. We will be grateful,
however, if you credit Civil Society International, or CSI, as the
source.