Who Will Pay for Public TV?

The main obstacle to setting up an independent public television station in Kazakstan is that the public is not prepared to pay for it, NBCentralAsia analysts say.



The idea of a public television has been under discussion for several years, but so far all attempts to come up with a plan that could be put out for wider debate have failed. The latest discussion took place on October 19, sponsored by Kazakstan’s Union of Journalists, the opposition Naghyz Ak Zhol party and the Adil Soz free speech foundation.



Media experts say that the current television scene, where almost all channels are part of various media holding companies controlled by influential financial and industrial groups, does not satisfy the needs of viewers in Kazakstan. Galina Alkeshova, news programming director at the TAN television company, is convinced that there is a demand for public television; what is needed is a mechanism to satisfy that demand.



“I think there is a demand, since virtually all the channels we have… present only those points of view that are supported by the holdings, in other words the owners,” said Alkeshova. “I believe what the public needs is an independent channel whose terms of reference are set by the public.”



Alkeshova recognises that it will be very hard to set up a system to ensure the channel is fully financed by the public, as the only way of guaranteeing its independence.



Media-watcher Leon Kostevich believes the channel could be funded out of tax revenues, as long as there is sufficient public interest.



“I think people need to become more active - they shouldn’t allow their interests to be ignored,” he said.



At this early stage, the discussions are focused less on the political aspects of setting up a public channel than on ensuring it is financially independent – and making sure there is a demand for it.



Nevertheless, NBCentralAsia’s media experts say one of the project’s main risks is that it will have many opponents among the existing powerful media groups. In addition, the new channel might not be able to stand up to the competition.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)