Television in Turkmenistan

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In Turkmenistan, television has been operating for over 50 years and is subject to vigorous state censorship. Notorious for a totalitarian control on media, Turkmenistan has consistently occupied one among the last three spots of the annual Press Freedom Index since its inception in 2006. [1] [2]

Contents

There are 8 television channels — Altyn Asyr, Yashlyk (Yaşlyk), Miras, The Turkmenistan TV Channel, Türkmen Owazy, Ashgabat TV, Arkadag TV and Turkmenistan Sport. [3] [4] [5] All of them used to be under the aegis of Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting of Turkmenistan, before being subsumed under the jurisdiction of the State Committee of Turkmenistan on TV, Radio and Film on 17 October 2011. [6] [3] The channels broadcast from Yamal 201, before shifting to their indigenous satellite TürkmenÄlem 52oE. [7] [8]

History

Soviet era

The first television broadcast in Turkmenistan was held on 7 November 1959 when the Ashgabat television center conducted its first test broadcasts, mostly movies. The center would only start airing a regular service upon completion of its facilities. [9]

Niyazov era

The Turkmen government took over the extant television network from the former Turkmen SSR. The state company was renamed TMT (after the initials in Turkmen for Turkmenistan National Television). Russophone viewers frequently nicknamed the company as "your dead TV" (твой мертвый телевизор). [10]

In 1996, the Economist Intelligence Unit noted Turkmenistan to receive three channels — Channel One Russia, Sakhra, and Rossiyskyi. [11] All were produced in Russia. [11] Altyn Asyr, Yashlyk, and Miras were the first three channels to operate out of Turkmenistan. The three channels were renamed in 2001. [10] Writing in 2005, Paul Brummell finds the troika to serve similar content encompassing documentaries about Turkmenistan, music-and-dance concerts, and dubbed foreign films (esp. Bollywood). [12] The top-right corner of each channel featured a silhouette of Saparmurat Niyazov's head. [12]

The setting-up of a fourth channel was authorized by Niyazov in February 2004; it started broadcasting from 12 September of the same year. [13] [14] Originally named TV-4, it broadcasts in six languages and is aimed at an international audience. [12] On 12 August 2004, Niyazov banned makeup on television, under the grounds that presenters' natural skin colors matched "the color of wheat". Proportionally, at the time, there were more female presenters using whitening powder. [15]

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow era

In December 2008, Niyazov's successor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow signed a decree establishing "Turkmen Owazy" to "promote the art of music and culture of Turkmenistan". The channel started broadcasts in January 2009. [16] [17] [18] [19]

In December 2011, Turkmenistan's first proprietary sports channel, "Sport", was established as part of a state-run campaign to promote the importance of sports to the Turkmen people, [20] which also included Berdimuhamedow's rap song "Sportly Turkmenistan" that went viral worldwide. The channel was first aired on January 1, 2012. [21] [22] [23] [24]

From late 2011, Turkmenistan started moving towards digital TV broadcasting. [25] In 2015, citizens were instructed to not use satellite dishes, apparently in order to preserve the aesthetics of the cityscape; critics deemed the policy as a tool of censoring non-state sources. [26]

Serdar Berdimuhamedow era

The Ashgabat City Telephone Network removed Russia 1 and Zvezda in May 2022. [27]

On 31 March 2023, the eighth channel, Arkadag, was announced, aiming at the newly-built city of the same name. [28]

A cooperation agreement with the Russian Большая Азия (Big Asia) TV channel was signed in late March 2024. Turkmen state television supplied the channel with primarily cultural programming. [29]

Cable and satellite television

A limited number of foreign news channels (among them Euronews, France 24 and BBC News) are available on cable. A 2024 AFP report to Turkmenistan reveals that cable television operators are widely used as means of escape from the "boring" nature of state TV. Audience is minimal due to low proficiency of the English language. The Turkmen state controls information and receives income from subscriptions. [30] Starting in 2014, the state started IPTV alternatives. Subscriptions in 2018 cost 10 manats (US$2,80 dollars at official rate, comparable to US $0,50 at the black market rate). Russian and Turkish networks are also available. [10]

Channels

NameContentLaunch date
Altyn Asyr (Golden Era)Broadcasts of political, economic and cultural events and news, meetings, conferences, international exhibitions and events and festivals7 November 1959
Ýaşlyk (Youth)Contribution to the education of the young generation with programs for the target audience from elementary school to higher education
Miras (Inheritance)Reports on events of cultural life and news with programs on historical and cultural heritage, including the presentation of spirituality, folk art, life and activities of great Turkmen personalities
Türkmenistan Foreign service in seven languages ​​(Turkmen, Russian, English, French, Chinese, Arabic and Persian): Focus on the areas of economics, politics, culture, science and education, agriculture, history and sport12 September 2004
Türkmen Owazy ("Turkmen Music“)Music channels for Turkmen music and music programs of different genres; In addition, the program mandate: broadcasts of international cultural events and events that take place or are taking place in the country, feature films related to music1 January 2009
Aşgabat (Aşhgabat)Regional channel for the capital: reports on politics, economics, culture and spirituality in the capital, preliminary reports on events in the areas of healthcare, education, sports, international meetings and festivals in Ashgabat, as well as general regional information1 October 2011
Türkmenistan Sport Preliminary and follow-up reports on all sports “on par with the world’s sports television channels” 1 January 2012
Arkadag documents and promotes the “great deeds and achievements of the independent neutral state” with emphasis on the city of Arkadag1 September 2023 [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Turkmenistan</span>

The politics of Turkmenistan nominally takes place in the framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Turkmenistan is nominally both head of state and head of government. However, as of 21 January 2023 a "national leader" was appointed who chairs an independent People's Council (viz.) with authority to amend the constitution, and who exercises supreme political authority. No true opposition parties are allowed; every registered political party supports the third and current President Serdar Berdimuhamedow. The country is frequently described as a totalitarian state.

Turkmenistan has a state-controlled press and monitored communication systems. Turkmenistan's telecommunications services are considered to be the least developed of all the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. Overall, the telecom market in this predominantly rural country is relatively small but has been trying boldly to expand in recent years. The state-owned Turkmen Telecom has been the primary provider of public telephone, email and internet services, and through a subsidiary has been operating a GSM mobile network in competition with a private mobile operator, BCTI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashgabat</span> Capital and largest city of Turkmenistan

Ashgabat is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km away from the Iran-Turkmenistan border. The city has a population of 1,030,063.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkmenistan</span> Country in Central Asia

Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ashgabat is the capital and largest city. It is one of the six independent Turkic states. With a population over 7 million, Turkmenistan is the 35th most-populous country in Asia and has the lowest population of the Central Asian republics while being one of the most sparsely populated nations on the Asian continent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahal Region</span> Region of Turkmenistan

Ahal Region is one of five provinces of Turkmenistan. It is in the south-center of the country, bordering Iran and Afghanistan along the Kopet Dag Range. Its area is 97,160 km2 (37,510 sq mi) and population 886,845.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry for National Security (Turkmenistan)</span> Ministry of the government of Turkmenistan

The Ministry for National Security or MNS is the secret police agency for the government of Turkmenistan. It is composed largely of the remnants of KGB organs left over after the collapse of the Soviet Union; its functions remain largely the same as well. The MNB and the national police force are under the direction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Until 2002, it was known as the KNB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Districts of Turkmenistan</span>

The districts of Turkmenistan are territorial entities below the provinces of Turkmenistan. They may be counties, cities, or boroughs of cities. The heads of the districts are appointed by the President of Turkmenistan.

The mass media in Turkmenistan are among the world's most tightly controlled. The press is controlled by the government, which funds nearly all newspapers, criticism of the president is forbidden, and state licensing policy effectively eliminates all outlets not reflecting official views. To avoid reprisal, domestic and foreign journalists engage in self-censorship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saparmurat Niyazov</span> First president of Turkmenistan (1940–2006)

Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov, also known as Türkmenbaşy, was a Turkmen politician who led Turkmenistan from 1985 until his death in 2006. He was the first secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan from 1985 until 1991 and supported the 1991 Soviet coup attempt. He continued to rule Turkmenistan as president for 15 years after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Turkmenistan-related articles</span>

The list of Turkmenistan-related articles is below

Turkmenistan is a state-owned Turkmenian television channel founded in 2004 aimed at an international audience. The channel was announced in February and started broadcasting on 12 September the same year. As with other channels of Turkmenistan, it is under the control of the Coordinating Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan. The channel was created in order to avail the international community with the achievements of Turkmenistan in the country's historical transformations in all spheres of public life, as well as to further improve the country's information systems. Altyn Asyr has positioned itself as the main TV channel of Turkmenistan. Television is broadcast in seven audio tracks. The headquarters is located in Ashgabat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Türkmen Owazy</span> Turkmen music TV channel

Türkmen Owazy is a Turkmen music TV channel, broadcasting since 2009 in the Turkmen language. As with other channels of Turkmenistan, it is under the control Coordinating Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan. The channel was created to promote Turkmen national musical culture and to acquaint people with the latest developments in this field. It also promotes aesthetic education and harmonious development of Turkmen youth. The channels headquarters are located in Ashgabat.

Turkmenistan Sport is a Turkmen sport TV channel of State Committee of Turkmenistan on TV, Radio and Film. It first aired on January 1, 2012 under the title "Sport". It broadcasts in the Turkmen language. The channel broadcasts football, hockey, basketball, figure skating, boxing, swimming, volleyball, and other sports.

RU.TV is a Russian music TV channel founded by Sergey Kozhevnikov and owned by Russian Media Group. It started broadcasting in October 2006 as the video version of Russkoye Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkmen Independence Day Parade</span> Main events celebrating the Independence of Turkmenistan

The Turkmen Independence Day Parade is one of the main events celebrating the Independence of Turkmenistan from the Soviet Union in 1991. Independence Day is the main holiday of Turkmenistan. The parade is held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan every year and is the largest and most frequent military parade in Central Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkmen military academies</span>

The Armed Forces of Turkmenistan currently funds 2 high ranking educational institutions: The Military Academy of Turkmenistan and the Military Institute of the Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan. Aside from those two schools, there are several military schools around the country, specializing in the training of personnel of a branches of service. In the early 1990s when the armed forces were rapidly being developed, many officers were trained in the Russian Federation's Ministry of Defense, while at least 300 officers were sent to schools in Turkey. On 3 October 1992, the Turkmen State University created the first Turkmen educational department. This article lists institutions of the Turkmen Armed Forces based on its respective agency and service branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mir (television company)</span> TV channel in CIS and Baltic region

Mir, known formally as the International Television and Radio Company "Mir" is a multinational public television broadcaster, broadcasting programs in Russian and featuring programming from all the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Altyn Asyr, meaning "Golden Age" in Turkmen, is one of the seven television channels owned by the government in Turkmenistan. It is mainly focused on broadcasting the news in Turkmenistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkadag</span> Capital of Ahal Province, Turkmenistan

Arkadag is a city in southern Turkmenistan. It became the regional capital of Ahal Province effective 20 December 2022. It is a largely greenfield development started in 2019 with an initial budget of $1.5 billion. The city was named in honor of former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who is officially entitled Arkadag. Uniquely among Turkmen cities, Arkadag is by law designated a "city of state importance".

References

  1. ↑ "Turkmenistan : Ever-expanding news "black hole" | Reporters without borders". RSF. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  2. ↑ Belin, Laura (2003-01-01). "Freedom of the Press in the Former Soviet Republics". Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications. pp. 155–167. doi:10.1016/B0-12-387670-2/00104-7. ISBN   9780123876706.
  3. 1 2 "State Committee of Turkmenistan for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography – ABU" . Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  4. ↑ "Turkmenistan - The World Factbook". cia.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  5. ↑ Media Sustainability Index: Turkmenistan (PDF). IREX. 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-18.
  6. ↑ Information about television, radio and film industry of the country Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "Satellite broadcasting of Turkmen TV and radio channels temporarily suspended | Turkmenistan.ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  8. ↑ "Turkmenistan's first communications satellite begins broadcasting Turkmen TV and radio channels | Turkmenistan.ru". turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  9. ↑ Radio and Television in the USSR, S. V. Kaftanov, 1960
  10. 1 2 3 Turkmenistan: How Citizens Obtain Information in a Restricted Environment
  11. 1 2 Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Economist Intelligence Unit. 1996. p. 61.
  12. 1 2 3 Brummell, Paul (2005). Turkmenistan. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 55. ISBN   978-1-84162-144-9.
  13. ↑ "MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS OF TURKMENISTAN HOLDING TENDER TO LAUNCH NEW TV CHANNEL | Turkmenistan.ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  14. ↑ "НОВЫЙ СПУТНИКОВЫЙ КАНАЛ ТУРКМЕНСКОГО ТЕЛЕВИДЕНИЯ БУДЕТ ВЕЩАТЬ НА СЕМИ ЯЗЫКАХ | Интернет-газета Turkmenistan.Ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  15. ↑ "Turkmenistan leader bans makeup on TV". CBC News. 13 August 2004. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  16. ↑ Российский спутник «Ямал-201» начал трансляцию программ нового телеканала «Туркмен овазы»
  17. ↑ Increased number of Turkmen state TV channels broadcasted via Yamal-201 satellite
  18. ↑ NEW HOPES FOR NEW YEAR
  19. ↑ Information about television, radio and film industry of the country Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ↑ Создан телеканал «Спорт»
  21. ↑ С 1 января в Туркменистане начнет круглосуточное вещание телеканал «Спорт»
  22. ↑ Turkmenistan to launch sport channel
  23. ↑ Increased number of Turkmen state TV channels broadcasted via Yamal-201 satellite
  24. ↑ TV channel “Sport” to start round-the-clock broadcasting from January 1
  25. ↑ "Turkmenistan to switch to digital TV broadcasting | Turkmenistan.ru". www.turkmenistan.ru. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  26. ↑ "Turkmenistan: War on Satellite Dishes". Human Rights Watch. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  27. ↑ "В Туркменистане и Кыргызстане заблокировали вещание телеканалов "Россия 1" и "Звезда"". Радио Озоди (in Russian). 27 May 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  28. 1 2 Вслед за городом Аркадаг в Туркменистане появится телеканал «Аркадаг». Turkmen News, 31. March 2023.
  29. ↑ Television of Turkmenistan teams up with media group to promote country’s culture
  30. ↑ Turkmenistan Faces 'Parallel Reality' Media Landscape, Voice of America, February 7, 2024
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