Birinchi Radio NTRK and NTS TV channel stopped broadcasting TV and radio programs of Azattyk. The media outlet reported.
According to Azattyk, Birinchi Radio stopped broadcasting them from October 23, reporting technical reasons. An official letter sent to Azattyk says that this is due to a breakdown of equipment receiving a signal from a satellite (UMH 160 R).
On November 13, NTS and Sanzhyra radio stopped broadcasting television and radio programs of Azattyk. The channel’s management announced this orally, without explaining the reasons. Azattyk appealed to the NTS with a request to officially inform about the reasons for termination of broadcasting.
The head of NTS, Aidai Ivakova, contacted the editors on the evening of November 13. She explained that «Azattyk’s programs cannot be broadcast until issues with the authorities are resolved.» She did not specify what was the reason, whether there is an official decision, noting that she «does not know the reasons herself», and promised to clarify the information on Monday.
Azattyk’s morning and evening programs had been aired on Sanzhyra radio since 2018. Azattyk’s TV programs Daniste, Ezhe Sindiler, Azattyk+ and Biylik Syrlary were broadcast on the air of NTS TV channel.
The Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan previously announced that it had suspended the operation of Azattyk website for two months. The ministry noted that on September 16, the Current Time resource (subordinate structure of Azattyk Media) published a video entitled «Heavy fighting on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan», in which «elements of hate speech were used, as well as unconfirmed information about the alleged attack by the Kyrgyz side on Tajikistan, information that aggravates the situation in society and causes hatred, discrimination and division among citizens when covering events in Batken region.»
