DUSHANBE, April 10, 2009, Asia-Plus — The All-Russia State Television and Radio Company (VGTRK or RTR) expresses concern about termination of RTR-Planeta’s rebroadcasting in Tajikistan, some Russian media report referring to an official statement released by the VGTK administration.
The statement released by VGTRK’s press service said that in January, the Tajik side decided to increase the relay service payments by 50 percent and realizing importance of presence in an information space of friendly Tajikistan the RTR executives agreed to consider the 50 percent tariff increase although the proposal was made after the beginning of the fiscal year. The RTR executives have prepared a package of documents on conclusion of a new contract, the statement said, noting that the VTRK paid off arrears for 2008. The company cannot make relay service payments for this year because a new contract has not yet been signed. The VGTRK noted that it intended to take measures to resume the rebroadcasting of RTR-Planeta in Tajikistan.
We will recall that Tajik authorities have decided to terminate the rebroadcasting of RTR-Planeta in the country completely in early April. Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the deputy head of the Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting, Samad Hikmatov, said on April 2 that RTR-Planeta’s rebroadcast has been halted in the country through fault of VGTRK. “The final decision on this subject was taken today,” Hikmatov said. “There will be no further negotiations and TR-Planeta’s rebroadcast frequency will be given to one of local national TV channels.”
Hikmatov noted, “The decision to yank RTR-Planeta’s programming is irreversible and no further negotiations will be held with the Russian side, and the frequency [previously used by RTR] will be given to one of the local TV companies.”
According to him, Russian broadcasters have had enough time to resolve all technical and financial issues. He said they had sent letters to the VGTRK executive, asking to support their suggestions on the increase of rebroadcast tariffs. The last official letter was sent on February 17, but ever since, the Tajik side has received no answer, he added.
In the meantime, Russian officials insist they made every attempt to fulfill Tajik demands. The Eurasianet item “Tajikistan: Dushanbe Presses Mute Button on Russian TV” quoted Kamil Magomedov, press secretary of the Russian Embassy in Dushanbe, as saying that on March 3 the RTR executives sent a guarantee letter stating that it is ready to consider the 50 percent tariff increase. Moreover, he said, RTR was ready to pay off any arrears for February and March. RTR representatives were ready to fly to Dushanbe at any time convenient for their Tajik counterparts, but they say they never received a sign that Dushanbe was ready to bargain in good faith.
It is to be noted that RTR-Planeta was the only Russian TV channel broadcasted in Tajikistan. In 1997, Public Russian television (ORT), currently Channel One, was terminated for the same reasons.
According to Teleradiokom, only 15 percent of Tajikistan’s population has satellite dishes. It means that only they now may pick up Russian TV programs.
RTR-Planeta is an integral part of RTR”s commitment to global broadcasting and provides Russian-speaking audiences around the globe with a solid ethnic connection. RTR-Planeta is an international 24-hour general channel available throughout the world via cable and satellite. In fact, RTR Planeta is the only provider of Russian-language programming to the Asia-Pacific region covered by the AsiaSat2 Satellite.
