Independent Mass Media Fear Be Left Without TV Schedule :: Charter'97 :: News

Since the beginning of the new year the state TV and Radio company handed over the exclusive rights for distribution of TV programs to the Belarusian news agency BELTA. The result could be seen at once, as the readers of the first issue of the independent newspaper “Belorusskaya Gazeta” received it without usual TV program in it.

The “Belorusskaya Gazeta” reports that the first price-list of BELTA was rather reasonable for the program of the seven basic TV Channels – 50-200 thousand Belarusian roubles, depending on circulation of the newspaper. Editors-in-chief from Brest to Vorsha had a sign of relief. But later a new version of the BELTA price list increased the price of the basic TV channels program to 5 millions 37 thousands roubles, or 25-100 times as much.

On January 13 the Belarusian Association of Journalists made a statement on this problem. The Belarusian Association of Journalists underlines that they have two variants of price list. The officials of BELTA could not explain the situation with the prices for TV Program, referring to a “careful individual approach to each newspaper”.

If these prices for some newspapers were fixed, they would not be able to pay for them. This would certainly reduce their audience. It can be considered a direct economical pressure on independent newspapers, not many of which have already survived.