DUSHANBE, August 3, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan’s Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting has refused an application by the BBC’s Persian Service in Tajikistan for broadcasting license for resuming the BBC’s services in Tajikistan on FM frequencies.
Abdurrahmon Abdumannonov, First Deputy Chairman of the Tajik Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting, has told Asia-Plus that they sent an official letter explaining the reasons for refusal to the BBC’s Persian Service in
Tajikistan
on July 26.
“The application for broadcasting license was refused, first of all, because
Tajikistan
and the
Great Britain
do not have an agreement on cooperation in the area of the TV and radio-broadcasting,” said Mr. Abdumannonov, “Under Tajikistan’s legislation government-to-government or interstate agreement is needed for foreign radio station’s broadcasting to
Tajikistan
.”
Representatives from the BBC’s Persian Service in
Dushanbe
have confirmed that they received the letter but refrained from commenting on this subject.
The BBC’s Persian Service in
Tajikistan
extended its registration with the Ministry of Justice on June 26, which was one of conditions for resumption of BBC’s services in
Tajikistan
on FM frequencies.
We will recall that the suspension of the BBC’s services in
Tajikistan
on FM frequencies by the Tajik authorities in January this year followed a recently ratified Tajik media legislation requiring international broadcasters on FM to register with the Tajik Ministry of Justice and acquire a broadcasting license.
On June 30, the BBC’s Persian Service in Tajikistan sent a letter of notification to the Tajik Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and on July 17 it sent to the Committee and MFA all necessary documents for acquiring the broadcasting license.
ABOUT:
The BBC has been broadcasting in
Tajikistan
since 1996 on medium wave. In 2004, the BBC launched two 24-hour FM relays, in
Dushanbe
and Khujand, with programs in Tajik (Persian); as well broadcasts in Russian and English. On
January 10 2006
, after the BBC was unable to complete the process of extending its registration within 20 days stipulated by Tajik law, Tajik authorities suspended its services in the republic on FM frequencies.
