Television in Turkmenistan

In Turkmenistan, television has been operating for over 50 years and is subject to vigorous state censorship. Notorious for a totalitarian control on media, Turkmenistan has consistently occupied one among the last three spots of the annual Press Freedom Index since its inception in 2006.[1][2]

There are 8 television channels — Altyn Asyr, Yashlyk (Yaşlyk), Miras, The Turkmenistan TV Channel, Türkmen Owazy, Ashgabat TV, Arkadag TV and Turkmenistan Sport.[3][4][5] All of them used to be under the aegis of Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting of Turkmenistan, before being subsumed under the jurisdiction of the State Committee of Turkmenistan on TV, Radio and Film on 17 October 2011.[6][3] The channels broadcast from Yamal 201, before shifting to their indigenous satellite TürkmenÄlem 52oE.[7][8]

History

In 1996, the Economist Intelligence Unit noted Turkmenistan to receive three channels — Channel One Russia, Sakhra, and Rossiyskyi.[9] All were produced in Russia.[9] Altyn Asyr, Yashlyk, and Miras were the first three channels to operate out of Turkmenistan. Writing in 2005, Paul Brummell finds the troika to serve similar content encompassing documentaries about Turkmenistan, music-and-dance concerts, and dubbed foreign films (esp. Bollywood).[10] The top-right corner of each channel featured a silhouette of Saparmurat Niyazov's head.[10]

The setting up of a fourth channel was authorized by Niyazov in February 2004; it started broadcasting from 12 September of the same year.[11][12] Originally named TV-4, it broadcasts in six languages and is aimed at an international audience.[10] In December 2008, Niyazov's successor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow signed a decree establishing "Turkmen Owazy" to "promote the art of music and culture of Turkmenistan". The channel started broadcasts in January 2009.[13][14][15][16]

In December 2011, Turkmenistan's first proprietary sports channel, "Sport", was established as part of a campaign to promote the importance of sports to the Turkmen people,[17] which also included Berdimuhamedow's rap song "Sportly Turkmenistan" that went viral worldwide. The channel was first aired on January 1, 2012.[18][19][20][21]

From late 2011, Turkmenistan started moving towards digital TV broadcasting.[22] In 2015, citizens were instructed to not use satellite dishes, apparently in order to preserve the aesthetics of the cityscape; critics deemed the policy as a tool of censoring non-state sources.[23]

References

  1. "Turkmenistan : Ever-expanding news "black hole" | Reporters without borders". RSF. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  2. Belin, Laura (2003-01-01). "Freedom of the Press in the Former Soviet Republics". Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications. pp. 155–167. doi:10.1016/B0-12-387670-2/00104-7. ISBN 9780123876706.
  3. "State Committee of Turkmenistan for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography – ABU". Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  4. "Turkmenistan - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  5. Media Sustainability Index: Turkmenistan (PDF). IREX. 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-18.
  6. Information about television, radio and film industry of the country Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Satellite broadcasting of Turkmen TV and radio channels temporarily suspended | Turkmenistan.ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  8. "Turkmenistan's first communications satellite begins broadcasting Turkmen TV and radio channels | Turkmenistan.ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  9. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Economist Intelligence Unit. 1996. p. 61.
  10. Brummell, Paul (2005). Turkmenistan. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-84162-144-9.
  11. "MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS OF TURKMENISTAN HOLDING TENDER TO LAUNCH NEW TV CHANNEL | Turkmenistan.ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  12. "НОВЫЙ СПУТНИКОВЫЙ КАНАЛ ТУРКМЕНСКОГО ТЕЛЕВИДЕНИЯ БУДЕТ ВЕЩАТЬ НА СЕМИ ЯЗЫКАХ | Интернет-газета Turkmenistan.Ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  13. Российский спутник «Ямал-201» начал трансляцию программ нового телеканала «Туркмен овазы»
  14. Increased number of Turkmen state TV channels broadcasted via Yamal-201 satellite
  15. NEW HOPES FOR NEW YEAR
  16. Information about television, radio and film industry of the country Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine
  17. Создан телеканал «Спорт»
  18. С 1 января в Туркменистане начнет круглосуточное вещание телеканал «Спорт»
  19. Turkmenistan to launch sport channel
  20. Increased number of Turkmen state TV channels broadcasted via Yamal-201 satellite
  21. TV channel “Sport” to start round-the-clock broadcasting from January 1
  22. "Turkmenistan to switch to digital TV broadcasting | Turkmenistan.ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  23. "Turkmenistan: War on Satellite Dishes". Human Rights Watch. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
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