International broadcasters on high alert: Key channel, support group threatened

Michael Hedges 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 cliché 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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