Control to be regained over cable television :: Charter'97 :: News

Today 10 operators of cable television work in Minsk. The largest of them, the unitary enterprise “Minsk TV and informational networks” (MTIN), which belongs to Minsk city executive committee. The commission is to start its work in the middle of July. Its aim would be regulating activities of cable operators. It means the commission is to decide where and who will build cable networks.

-Cable system is to be installed in the districts with low density of population, for instance, in Ulyanau, Marx, Sverdlov streets, Independence Avenue,” KP in Belarus was informed by the principal engineer of MTIN Uladzimir Pinchuk. “There are many multi-storey buildings Malinauka or Loshytsa districts, and it’s practical to lay cables there: you can construct a station and get money. And according to the plan of development of cable networks up to 2010 cable TV should be accessible for all comers! Why only MTIN is to spend money on infrastructure in the districts of low-rise buildings? We have hurled all effort into modernization of networks in the district of box bearing plant (Tukhacheuski, Kabushkin streets). People still have 3 TV channels there. And the commission is to regulate questions of construction and modernization of networks so that all operators would help to “modernize” all districts. Not only representatives of Minsk city executive committee, but cable operators representatives are to become members of the commission.

Meanwhile, some of cable operators offer watching 40 and more channels, while MTIN broadcasts a little more than two dozens.

However, as officials say, the commission hasn’t been created for unfair prejudice against somebody’s rights, but to “satisfy demands of citizens more rapidly”.

“Any cable operator would be able to apply to the commission. In line with the plan of construction in Minsk the commission is to issue permissions. Heads of districts’ administrations will be given a right to decide this question, but all decisions would be agreed with the commission,” told the director of the unitary enterprise Minsk television and informational networks Viktar Bychkou.