INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTERS ON HIGH ALERT: KEY CHANNEL, SUPPORT GROUP THREATENED
Michael Hedges
followthemedia.com , Switzerland
July 2 2007
Foreign-originated broadcasts and foreign media support groups are
losing their welcome. Is somebody afraid of being bitten? Writing
new laws to hamper, discourage and foil foreign-originated broadcasts
from entering their ether-space is necessary, they say, for technical
reasons.
Armenia’s National Assembly passed (Friday June 29) on first reading
two amendments to its’ law "On Television and Radio." One amendment
specifically forbids Armenian Public Radio and Television from
broadcasting any programs they do not produce. The target, without
subtlety, is US-funded Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL),
known in Armenia as Radio Liberty. RFE/RL is the only foreign
broadcaster offering news programs on Armenian State radio,
Amendment number two imposes a stiff tax on any broadcaster for
offering programs from foreign broadcasters. Second reading is
scheduled early this week.
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, however, spoke out Friday, saying
"It will hurt me if (Radio) Liberty stops going on air."
There’s an old newsroom saying that "dog bites man" is not a story.
"Man bites dog" is. Governments seek control over media. Imperious
governments seek control over media imperiously. Armenia’s President
Robert Kocharian said he doesn’t like people listening to Radio
Liberty. Coincidentally, Armenia will hold presidential elections in
2008. Dog bites man.
In this media-enhanced world, State media’s clumsy or cheesy offerings
bore local listeners silly, causing the broadcast equivalent of
carpal-tunnel syndrome as listeners push one different button after
another. The choices may be maddening but not as much as another
politician’s speech.
Late last year Azerbaijan’s National Radio and Television shut down
radio and TV broadcaster ANS for disregarding "warnings." ANS was
an RFE/RL affiliate. New rules came into effect January 1st barring
all local Azeri broadcasters from carrying the BBC, Radio Liberty
and voice of America programs. Azerbaijan will hold presidential
elections in 2008.
Zimbabwe’s government bought Chinese jamming transmitters, originally
manufactured in France, to control foreign broadcasts saying mean
things. Iran’s culture control police are said to round up evil
satellite dish owners.
North Koreans have a hard time listening to any broadcasts other
than those State-operated since "authorized" receivers are fixed
to State-operated frequencies. Being caught listening to foreign
broadcasts results in hard time in prison. That idea didn’t originate
in North Korea. Nazi Germany in 1933 imposed prison sentences – or
worse – for listening to foreign radio broadcasts. Fortunately for
Germans those laws have been remanded to the dust-bin of history,
with the exception of radio and TV (and now internet) license fees
to pay for public broadcasting. ("And how many radios do you have?")
Hostility toward message bearers – over the air, over the internet
or over the transom – increased on two events. Most cliche is the
universally accepted meme that "9/11 changed everything." Media expands
to the horrification presented, particularly when unanticipated.
More directly, Ukraine’s Orange Revolution is a source of continuous
reflection for every government – East, West, North or South. Media
trainers sent to develop journalists’ skills succeeded. Media freedom
advocacy NGOs got results.
Internews is well-known in developing and transitional regions as
an advocate for upgrading local media skills as a means of forming
a strong working platform for free and independent media. They
assist media infrastructures Afghanistan to, almost, Zimbabwa,
always supporting local efforts and best practices. Tin-pot despots
would rather not see Internews trainers showing the secrets of good
news video.
Russian tax authorities recently froze bank accounts of the NGO
Educated Media Foundation (EMF), formerly known as Internews Russia.
Additionally, EMF President Manana Aslmazyan faces criminal charges
for smuggling and may face others. NGO’s of all stripe and color
have been in the sights of Russian authorities, many being stripped
of legal grounds for operating in Russia.
Mrs Aslazyan’s most recent trials stem from the day last January
when she arrived in Moscow’s Sheremeto airport from Paris carrying
cash, discovered in a random inspection. Arriving in Russia carrying
more than US$10,000 requires disclosure. She had not and "higher"
authorities were called. Her explanation was not accepted and charges
were filed though she managed to return to Paris where she’s taken up
work with Internews Network. The authorities turned their attention
to EMF, functionally closing it down.
In May the Azerbaijan government ended cooperation with Reporters
Without Frontiers (RSF) after the press freedom NGO named President
Ilham Aliyev a "Press Freedom Predator."
Changing perspective just a bit (still "dog bites man"), this
story is also about money. State broadcasters in recent decades have
invited, with the full approval of their funding governments, foreign
broadcasters to provide their programs, offering air-time, sometimes
significant, on State channels. The reasoning is quite simple: cheap
(read: free) well-produced content. Some governments have gone so
far as to offer foreign broadcasters a frequency or two, very often
outside normal licensing rules. Again, cheap, well-produced content
fulfills a particular need.
The new media rules proposed in Armenia do not, precisely, forbid
foreign broadcasts on local frequencies. For local broadcasters to
air programs from foreign broadcasters there would be, in these times
of need, a fee. For RFE/RL that fee would be about $200 per hour. Do
the math: 4 hours a day, 365 days a year means more than $300,000,
sufficient for a personal assistant or five and that new BMW.
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