Subject: New media outlets emerge in southern Kyrghyzstan
From: Alisher Khamidov (alisher@infotel.kg)
Date: Wed Aug 02 2000 - 06:30:21 EDT
Osh Media Resource Center
Press-release
Osh. Kyrghyzstan.
The recent restrictions of private media institutions of southern
Kyrghyzstan could not prevent the launch of new media outlets in Osh.
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A new Kyrghyz-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 Kyrghyz Republic in July and is going to work
closely with already exisiting press institutions.
The agency will publish two national newspapers: "Demos Times" in Uzbek
language and "Jash Muun" ("New Generation") in Kyrghyz 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 Kyrghyz 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.
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The Bishkek based Izdatelski Dom (publishing house) "Vecherny Bishkek"
launched on 21 July the weekly supplementary edition titled "Vecherny
Bishkek-YUG (south)" of the capital based national daily "Vecherny Bishkek."
The edition will mostly cover the southern Kyrghyzstan: Batken, Osh,
Jalal-Abad provinces. The circulation of the weekly is 10400 copies.
The 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 were 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
dustructive."
********
A private Information and Commercial Center DDD (abbr.
Dostuk-Druzhba-Dustlik; "Friendship" -translation from Kyrghyz, Russian and
Uzbek) launches its radio broadcasting on 576 shorwaves 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 assistence 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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