Central Asia
In Central Asia IMS supports activities that improve access to professional media content, as well as strengthen knowledge and skills amongst media workers. Difficult economic conditions and political environments pose challenges to the development of independent media in the countries of Central Asia. Nevertheless, the demand for professional media content from the general public is strong, as clearly shown by the results of the research and activities undertaken by IMS in the region.Archive
- Collection to support Kyrgyz media ends
- The heroes of Osh
- Danish journalists in bid to support Kyrgyz colleagues
- Emergency assistance to journalists in Kyrgyzstan
- Witnessing the riots in Kyrgyz city of Osh
- Media under pressure in Kyrgyzstan
- Joint statement in support of media in the Kyrgyz Republic
- Uncertainty coupled with careful optimism in Kyrgyzstan
- Media freedom under attack in Kyrgyzstan
- Caucasus media call for closer cooperation
- Worsening conditions for journalists in Kyrgyzstan
- IMS supports TV production in Fergana Valley
- Political extremism on the public agenda
- Extremism, terrorism and the media in Central Asia
- Political extremism and terrorism, and media in Central Asia, with examples of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, 2008 in English
- Political extremism and terrorism, and media in Central Asia, with examples of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, 2008 in Russian
- Research project: Political extremism and terrorism, and media in Central Asia; a case study of Kyrgyzstan, 2008 in English
- Research project: Political extremism and terrorism, and media in Central Asia; a case study of Kyrgyzstan, 2008 in Russian
IMS supports TV production in Fergana Valley
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This month, IMS partners in the Fergana Valley in Central Asia have launched a trans-boundary TV-program. The program is broadcast as well as being accessible through the Internet to provide fact-based insights in the region
After supporting the production of radio documentary programmes succesfully in the past few years, IMS and its partners ventured into a new media field this month, launching the "Open Valley TV Project" which includes a weekly TV programme covering the heart and breadbasket of Central Asia. Fergana Valley stretches across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and is the most fertile and densely-populated region in Central Asia.
Undergoing change
Central Asia is a region in transition and has experienced political turmoil and problems during recent years - the revolution in Kyrgyzstan and the 2005 massacre in Andijan, the biggest city in the Fergana Valley, being the most dramatic examples.
In an effort to strengthen the media's ability to build awareness and promote peaceful dialogue, IMS has in the past few years supported the media development in the region in close collaboration with local and international partners.
Popular radio documentaries
Support to the production of radio documentaries has proven to be quite popular. Twice a month, 30 minutes of documentaries are produced and aired in collaboration between four radio stations in the region. In a survey conducted in 2007, the radio documentary programme received high ratings by its listeners and was applauded for its fact-based and well-documented stories.
As a follow-up, IMS and its partners decided to launch a TV programme in order to reach out to a broader audience with TV being the most popular medium. The TV-programme is produced in the city of Osh by Javlon's TV, a private TV enterprise owned by a conglomerate of local partners. It is designed as a debate program hosted by a TV-journalists who explores a variety of subjects with input from invited guests to the studio. The program is produced live-on tape and broadcast through TV-transmitter as well as on the Internet. The website Freedolina.net provides the hosting site for the TV-programme.
- The main objective for IMS involvement in this project is to support better access to information and to promote the role of media in a democratization process, says Helene Bach, IMS programme coordinator and responsible for this project. She goes on to say that:
- Part of the success of the radio documentaries is owed to the fact that they cover issues not often covered by mainstream media and do so by basing their stories on facts and in-depth analyses. We hope the same principles may lead to success for the TV-programme as well.
Next step: Citizens call-in
Celebrating the launch of the TV-programme, Helene Bach, explains that technical support and training of staff will be the next step to further strengthen the programme and the staff around it, and that the planned call-in section into the TV-programme will also be launched in due course. This would enable citizens to contribute directly with inputs to the programme.
To view the TV-programme, click here to visit the freedolina.net homepage.
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