Khabar Agency Explained

Khabar Agency
Former Name:National Television News Agency
Type:Joint stock company
Industry:Mass media
Location City:Almaty
Area Served:Kazakhstan
United States
Key People:Berik Uali (Chairman of the Board)
Products:Broadcasting, radio, web portals
Khabar TV
Owner:Khabar Agency
Country:Kazakhstan
Headquarters:Almaty, Kazakhstan
Language:Kazakh, Russian
Area:Kazakhstan
Sister Channels:El Arna
Khabar 24
Jibek Joly TV
Terr Serv 1:Digital terrestrial television
Terr Chan 1:Channel 2

The Khabar Agency (KA) (Kazakh: "Хабар" Агенттігі|translit="Habar" Agenttıgı, in Kazakh pronounced as /χɑbɑr/; Russian: Агентство «Хабар»|translit=Agentstvo Khabar) is a major media outlet in Kazakhstan. It was established in 1995, known originally as the National Television News Agency (Khabar is News in Kazakh). It is currently one of the largest networks in the country, and broadcasts daily in Kazakh and Russian. Additionally, Khabar runs the satellite channel Jibek Joly TV, which is potentially available across Europe and Asia. It features programming in English, Kazakh and Russian.[1]

History

Khabar annually hosts the Eurasian Media Forum, which attempts to bring together journalists and political figures to "facilitate the professional development of the Eurasian media and promote international public understanding of Eurasian issues".[2] Since 1 January 2016, Khabar has been an associate member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).[3] [4]

Ownership

The ownership of Khabar has at times not been completely clear. Dariga Nazarbayeva, daughter of Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev, founded and controlled the company. She officially stepped down as company chairwoman during her bid for parliament in 2004.[5] However, she still retained close ties to the agency and continued to organize the Eurasian Media Forum. Her husband, Rakhat Aliyev, confirmed that the couple still held shares in Khabar, along with several other media outlets.[6] He was, however, quick to deny direct ownership, and attacked those who claimed otherwise.[7]

In April 2006, Kazakhstan's Information and Culture Minister Ermukhamet Ertysbayev announced the intention to gain "one hundred-percent state control over the Khabar joint-stock company." This came on the heels of a general government call for greater control of the media, brought about from the turmoil following the murder of political opposition leader Altynbek Sarsenbayev.[5]

Shortly thereafter, Dariga's Asar party was merged into Otan. Some observers see the near-simultaneous loss of both the political party and the Khabar network as efforts by President Nazarbayev to reel in his daughter.[8] [9]

On 5 May 2006, Maulen Ashimbaev, deputy head of the President's administration, was named the new chairman. As of 2006 the state owned 50% plus one share of Khabar.[10]

On March 29, 2022, Berik Uali, the former press secretary of the President of Kazakhstan, was appointed as the new Chairman of the Board of "Khabar" News Agency JSC.[11]

Political bias

As one of the primary media outlets in Kazakhstan, Khabar is often under scrutiny for its role in elections. The agency is often criticized for mostly covering pro-presidential parties, namely Otan (now Amanat) and Asar, Dariga's short-lived party.[12] During the 2004 elections, for example, half of all election coverage on Khabar was devoted to the Asar Party.[13]

Services

Location

Khabar's headquarters is located on 4 Kunayev Street in Astana. Near to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy headquarters.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.khabar.kz/eng/about-agency/hitfm/ About Us
  2. http://www.eamedia.org/about About Us
  3. Web site: Jiandani. Sergio. Kazakhstan: Khabar Agency becomes EBU associate member. esctoday.com. ESC Today. 19 December 2015. 18 December 2015.
  4. Web site: С 1 января телеканал "Хабар" вступает в Европейский вещательный союз. khabar.kz. Khabar Agency. 19 December 2015. ru. 18 December 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151222102307/http://khabar.kz/ru/news/obshchestvo/item/41898-s-1-yanvarya-telekanal-khabar-vstupaet-v-evropejskij-veshchatelnyj-soyuz. 22 December 2015. dead. (version in Kazakh)
  5. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav051906.shtml Kazakhstani Government Moves To Reassert Control On Mass Media
  6. http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/02/2-tca/tca-200207.asp Kazakh President's son-in-law denies bank charges, admits to media holdings
  7. http://www.globaljournalist.org/archive/Magazine/Repressed-20023q.html A Press Repressed
  8. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/pp081406.shtml Kazakhstan: Battle Of The Clans Continues
  9. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/pp052006.shtml Kazakhstan: Apparent Rift Opens Within Nazarbayev Family
  10. http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2006/05/090506.asp Kazakh Presidential Aide Named To Head Media Company
  11. Web site: Berik Uali named Chairman of Khabar News Agency. www.kt.kz. 2022-03-29. 2022-11-08.
  12. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav072304.shtml To Tout Reform, Nazarbayev Uses Opposition Minister
  13. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav091604.shtml Media Bias Mars Kazakhstan’s Election Campaign