More Belarusian Music on Radio, More Belarusian Models on Billboards

Michael Hedges January 31, 2005

The Belarussian Information Ministry warned radio broadcasters to comply with new music quota rules or their licenses would be lifted.

From the first of the year, foreign music content on radio stations is reduced in favor of Belarusian music: to 25% according to belarusnews.de. A 50-50 quota rule had been in place previously, but not enforced. Belarusian broadcasters, with few exceptions, rushed to comply. The rulings of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko are not to be taken lightly.

Last week (January 27) the autocratic ruler, who regularly torments domestic critics and defies those foreign, ordered that all models shown on billboards be Belarusian. He issued the directive while speaking at a government-sponsored conference on human trafficking prevention. The day before (January 26th) the Information Ministry released the new “Law on Press and Other Mass Media,” effectively bringing all Belarussian media under “cultural” service.

The radio music quota rules were announced in October, coinciding with Lukashenko’s controversial referendum victory extending his presidential term to 2006. Within a week of that victory, one opposition journalist was stabbed to death, another severely beaten and television equipment belonging to Russia’s NTV network was destroyed.

Mr.Lukashenko’s record on media independence regularly places Belarus near the top of lists of most repressive regimes by media advocacy organizations. New US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Belarus an “outpost of tyranny” in US Senate confirmation hearings January 18th, joining Cuba, Iran, Myanmar (Burma), North Korea and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe introduced a 75% local content requirement for broadcasters in 2000. Quotas for local content are common in countries where the multi-national music industry has little impact. France legislated a quota system in 1994, joined later by Portugal, South Africa and the Canadian province of Quebec. Several European countries have voluntary quotas to fend off foreign cultural influence. The German parliament in December passed a resolution asking for a voluntary quota of 35% German content on German stations. Figures for Cuba, Iran, Myanmar and North Korea were not immediately available.  

One radio station manager said filling time with mostly Belarusian music would be difficult and one classic rock station changed music format. Several popular musicians were, themselves, banned after staging a protest concert at the time of the referendum on extending President Lukashenko’s term. An Information Ministry spokesperson said the government would aid broadcasters in their time of content crisis, providing “respectful and patriotic music.” Additional rules limiting covers of Russian pop hits are expected.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko

Russian President Vladmir Putin may, as some suggest, see Belarus as one of the last outposts of Russian influence. On January 1st, Russia and Belarus agreed to share the ruble as a common currency. Lukashenko agreed under pressure from the Russian natural gas industry. After watching a string of former Russian or Soviet allies fall to well-executed “velvet revolutions,” the most recent being Ukrainian Orange, Mr. Putin knows Belarus could be next. Mr. Lukashenko, speaking at a Christmas mass in Minsk, said there would no “rose, orange or banana” revolutions in Belarus. 

At present 14 radio stations are available in Minsk, the Belarus capitol. Accurate counts of neither billboards in Belarus nor Belarusian models are available.