EC Grants More Radio / TV Time to Belarus

Michael Hedges - January 28, 2006

The European Commission (EC) granted €2 million to an NGO and broadcaster consortium for rapid deployment of radio and television broadcasts to election eminent Belarus.

EU External Relations commissioner Benita Ferraro-Waldner announced the two-year project in a press statement January 26th.  The project’s objective is to “provide independent, reliable and balanced information, including news and analysis on Belarus itself, and material to increase understanding of the EU and its 25 Member States.” The Commissioners contribution came the same day as the Council of Europe (CoE) debated neighborly advice to Belarus.

 

 

Belarus Parliament Speaker Vladmir Konoplev to CoE:
"We don't need you"

Consortium members include Media Consulta (Germany), European Radio for Belarus (Poland), Radio Baltic Wave (Lithuania), RTVi (Russia/Germany) and will include journalists and NGOs in Belarus.

Media Consulta, a public relations firm, will manage the project with other partners providing implementation support. A Polish proposal backed by Polish Television and Bialystok Radio was rejected. Media Consulta has produced a diversity campaign for MTV and other image make-overs for commercial clients in Central and Eastern Europe. Radio Baltic Waves, which operates transmitters near the Belarus border, will broadcast the programs.

RTVi is a satellite provider of Russian language television aimed at Russian ex-patriots, mainly in the US and Israel. Formerly NTV’s international service, RTVi’s international headquarters is in New York with a Cologne, Germany broadcast center.

Radio and television programs will be produced in Belarusian and Russian languages and distributed via satellite. Support will also be given to internet services.

German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle was granted €138,000 by the EC for a similar project which began broadcasting short programs late last year.

After the 2004 Belarus Chamber of Representatives election, considered “flawed” by the European Parliament, calls were made for the EU and others organizations to apply greater influence over the next set of elections, scheduled for March of this year.

RFE/RL reported (January 26) that Belarusian opposition leaders warned EU parliamentarians that any broadcasting project aimed at Belarus would “require extensive and expensive marketing.”

Meeting this week, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)  – which included both Belarus government and opposition officials – debated positions and responsibilities regarding the March Belarus elections. “The situation has not improved but worsened, “ said the PACE statement. The Assembly, which has no enforcement powers, called for immediate financial and if necessary logistical support to independent broadcasting to Belarus from abroad.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Belarus Parliament Vladimir Konoplev told the Assembly, “We do not need the Council of Europe.” He reiterated that no “color revolutions” would take place in Belarus.

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