Private Kyrgyz TV to Shift Focus From Politics to Economy

Text of report by privately-owned Kyrgyz news agency 24.kg website

Bishkek, 27 August: One of the famous Kyrgyz TV channels has decided to change its work and completely stop covering political issues, the programme director of the Independent Bishkek TV [a privately-owned Russian language broadcaster], Nurdin Urmanbetov, told the 24.kg news agency today.

He said that “the Independent Bishkek TV is giving up politics at all, and from now on it will basically concentrate exclusively on social and economic topics”.

A new broadcast schedule will start from 2 September 2008.

“It is more important for our audience to learn about where and what problems are being resolved by officials, and if they are not resolving who is to blame for this. As for us, we will control this so that an official who is to blame will bear responsibility,” Nurdin Urmanbetov noted.

Now the TV channel, which has decided to rebrand, will present itself as the NBT – The first city channel. Its programme director said that “the TV will not cover the activities of parliament, politicians, nor even the president”.

In answer to the 24.kg news agency’s question as to whether the innovation means the implantation of the project in close cooperation with the Bishkek mayor’s office, Nurdin Urmanbetov noted: “We intend to collaborate with townspeople rather than with the municipality”.

In the near future, the NBT – The first city channel intends to bring the number of news programmes to three each day.

Originally published by 24.kg website, Bishkek, in Russian 0441 27 Aug 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Central Asia. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.