Television in Turkmenistan explained

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 (Turkmen: 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] 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. 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.

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. 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 state-run 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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Turkmenistan : Ever-expanding news "black hole" Reporters without borders. 2021-06-24. RSF. en.
  2. Book: 2003-01-01. Freedom of the Press in the Former Soviet Republics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0123876702001047. en. 155–167. 10.1016/B0-12-387670-2/00104-7. Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications . Belin . Laura . 9780123876706 .
  3. Web site: State Committee of Turkmenistan for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography – ABU. 2021-06-24. en-US.
  4. Web site: Turkmenistan - The World Factbook. 2021-06-24. cia.gov.
  5. Book: Media Sustainability Index: Turkmenistan. IREX. 2019. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418081654/https://www.irex.org/sites/default/files/pdf/media-sustainability-index-europe-eurasia-2019-turkmenistan.pdf. 2021-04-18.
  6. http://medeniyet.gov.tm/index.php/en/2012-12-14-02-12-59/145-information-about-television,-radio-and-film-industry-of-the-country Information about television, radio and film industry of the country
  7. Web site: Satellite broadcasting of Turkmen TV and radio channels temporarily suspended Turkmenistan.ru. 2021-06-24. www.turkmenistan.ru.
  8. Web site: Turkmenistan's first communications satellite begins broadcasting Turkmen TV and radio channels Turkmenistan.ru. 2021-06-24. turkmenistan.ru.
  9. Book: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. 1996. Economist Intelligence Unit.. 61. en.
  10. Book: Brummell, Paul. Turkmenistan. 2005. Bradt Travel Guides. 978-1-84162-144-9. 55. en.
  11. Web site: MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS OF TURKMENISTAN HOLDING TENDER TO LAUNCH NEW TV CHANNEL Turkmenistan.ru. 2021-06-24. www.turkmenistan.ru.
  12. Web site: НОВЫЙ СПУТНИКОВЫЙ КАНАЛ ТУРКМЕНСКОГО ТЕЛЕВИДЕНИЯ БУДЕТ ВЕЩАТЬ НА СЕМИ ЯЗЫКАХ Интернет-газета Turkmenistan.Ru. 2021-06-24. www.turkmenistan.ru.
  13. http://www.turkmenistan.ru/ru/node/26301 Российский спутник «Ямал-201» начал трансляцию программ нового телеканала «Туркмен овазы»
  14. http://www.gazprom-spacesystems.ru/en/news/events/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=1888 Increased number of Turkmen state TV channels broadcasted via Yamal-201 satellite
  15. http://www.turkmenistaninfo.ru/?page_id=6&type=article&elem_id=page_6/magazine_77/655&lang_id=en NEW HOPES FOR NEW YEAR
  16. http://medeniyet.gov.tm/index.php/en/2012-12-14-02-12-59/145-information-about-television,-radio-and-film-industry-of-the-country Information about television, radio and film industry of the country
  17. http://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/?id=372 Создан телеканал «Спорт»
  18. http://www.turkmenistan.ru/ru/articles/36803.html С 1 января в Туркменистане начнет круглосуточное вещание телеканал «Спорт»
  19. http://en.trend.az/regions/casia/turkmenistan/1967462.html Turkmenistan to launch sport channel
  20. http://www.gazprom-spacesystems.ru/en/news/events/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=1888 Increased number of Turkmen state TV channels broadcasted via Yamal-201 satellite
  21. http://www.turkmenistan.ru/en/articles/15692.html TV channel “Sport” to start round-the-clock broadcasting from January 1
  22. Web site: Turkmenistan to switch to digital TV broadcasting Turkmenistan.ru. 2021-06-24. www.turkmenistan.ru.
  23. Web site: 2015-04-24. Turkmenistan: War on Satellite Dishes. 2021-06-24. Human Rights Watch. en.

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