Subject: [CivilSoc] Kyrgyz Media Developments
From: Center for Civil Society International (ccsi@u.washington.edu)
Date: Wed Aug 02 2000 - 14:45:15 EDT
The following item is a Xpost from the Ferghana Valley list
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Osh Media Resource Center--Press Release
Osh, Kyrghyzstan. The recent restrictions of private media
institutions of southern Kyrgyzstan could not prevent the launch of
new media outlets in Osh and elsewhere in Kyrgyzstan.
Namely:
1. New Kyrgyz-Uzbek News Agency "Alliance-Press" is launched in Osh.
"Alliance-Press" is the name of a newly founded press agency that
started its work in Osh last month. According to its director
Makhmudjon Kazakbaev and his deputy Alisher Toksonbaev, the news
agency was registered in the Ministry of Justice of Kyrgyz Republic
in July and is going to work closely with already existing press
institutions.
The agency will publish two national newspapers: "Demos Times" in
Uzbek language and "Jash Muun" ("New Generation") in Kyrgyz language.
The first issue of the newspapers (1000 copies each) is expected to
appear on 11 August and is going to be distributed in all provinces
of Kyrghyzstan.
The agency and the newspapers, which will receive initial financial
aid from a non-proft organization based in the U.K, are believed to
become self-sustainable in one year. Nickolas Megoran, a technical
adviser for the agency, believes that such an intiative can bring
Kyrghyz and Uzbek journalists to work productively together, to share
information, experience, and to serve as examples for the integration
of their communities.
Such an initiative is indeed taking place for the first time in the
history of Kyrgyz Republic since it has become independent. Many Osh
based journalists noted that the agency management have hired very
young, talanted and hard working journalists. A number of readers in
Osh have expressed enthusiasm about having Kyrghyz-Uzbek agency that
can bring two communities together to facilitate further integration.
Konstantin Khaitbaev, an ethnic Russian from Osh, believes the news
agency is not only a start for developing dialogue between a numerous
number of ethnic groups inhabiting Kyrghyzstan, but it is also an
example to be followed by journalists of neighbouring republics of
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Nearly all surveyed people shared the belief that the this initiative
can play a significant role for the future development of the press
in southern Kyrghyzstan and country in general.
2. Bishkek-based Izdatelski Dom, publisher of the national daily
"Vecherny Bishkek" (Evening Bishkek), launched on 21 July the weekly
supplementary edition titled "Vecherny Bishkek-Yug" (Evening Bishkek-
South). The new edition will mostly cover the southern Kyrghyzstan:
Batken, Osh, Jalal-Abad provinces. The circulation of the weekly is
10,400 copies.
President Askar Akaev, whose address to his countrymen was included
in the first issue of the edition, noted: "This {launching the
edition} is a good initiative. You live in the region which was
recently invaded by insurgents. Then it was Kyrghyz citizens who
expressed willingness to protect our sovereign land... The
consolidation of society is needed not only during the times of
danger. People of Batken, Osh, Jalal-Abad are living in difficult
economic conditions, similar to those faced by inhabitants of Talas
and Chui provinces. Only joint efforts can help alleviate poverty,
revitalize the industry. The regional self-isolation is destructive."
3. A third important Kyrgyz media development involves the private
Information and Commercial Center "DDD" ("Dostuk-Druzhba-Dustlik,"
meaning "Friendship" in Kyrghyz, Russian and Uzbek respectively)
which launched its radio broadcasting on 576 shortwaves frequency on
1 August.
According to the director of the centre, Mamirjan Shakirov, "DDD"
pursues a goal of promoting a dialogue between different ethnic
groups living in Kyrghyzstan in order to foster solutions for
existing problems. The new radio broadcasting of "DDD" is in Uzbek
and in Russian, and it was possible due to assistance rendered by the
Russian TV and Radio broadcasting Company "Sodruzhestvo."
The Information and Commecial Center "DDD" has also a TV programming
on UHF (ultra high frequency), mainly in Uzbek language, that covers
the town of Osh and neighbouring area. Apart from Radio and TV
broadcasting, the center publishes a weekly newpaper titled "DDD"
with the circulation reaching 1,500 copies.
For more information, contact:
Alisher Khamidov
Directo/Osh Media Resource Center
tel/fax: (996) 3222 208-58
email: alisher@infotel.kg
internet: www.camsp.osh.kg
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