Asadullo Rakhmonov, chairman of the TV and Radio Committee under the Tajik government told Khovar news agency about a forthcoming creation of a special vocational training institute for broadcasters.

Speaking about the activities implemented by the State TV and Radio Committee in 2007, Rakhmonov stressed that the Tajik broadcasters made significant efforts to improve the quality and contents of TV and radio programs. He also noted that the professional skills of Tajik broadcasters improved significantly.

Rakhmonov said that his agency is ready to cooperate with creative intellectuals, Tajik theatres, studios and actors, play-writers and script-writers who would facilitate in creating TV and radio programs.

http://www.khovar.tj/

On 11 January, representatives of Tajik media organizations discussed the issues of media sustainability in the country in 2007. The round table organized by International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) took place in Dushanbe.

For a number of years, IREX has been conducting studies on Media Sustainability Index in the countries of Europe and Eurasia under support of USAID. The project applies standard methodologies and basic indicators to define the level of development of the media in different countries.

Participants of the meeting in Dushanbe discussed the legal and social aspects of the media freedom and access to information in Tajikistan, professional standards of journalism and editorial independence.

“In the course of our discussion, we came to the conclusion that there have not been essential changes in the sphere of mass media”, — said Lidia Isamova, a well-known Tajik media expert and moderator of the discussion.

Among the major obstacles in the development of the domestic media, the participants outlined the problems with licensing of private TV and radio companies, poor education in the universities, breaches in the legislation, and lack of solidarity among media professionals.

“We gather once in a while discussing the cases of flagrant violations of our professional and civil rights, — said one of the participants. — We timidly discuss the problems and criticize public officials. However, we have to be hard on the target if we wish real changes to occur. In other words, if the official violates the law, his actions should be hold up to ridicule systematically. Besides that, we should include comments of professional lawyers in our publications”.

The most important conclusions of the panel discussion that took place in the IREX office in Dushanbe will be published in a special bulletin.

www.nansmit.tj

The Tajik Union of Journalists published an appeal addressed to press services of ministries and other government bodies saying that “the recent experience of holding press conferences shows the necessity of additional administrative and logistical measures to be taken”.

In particular, the Union of Journalists insists on the necessity of involving a wider media community in press conferences.

“Many journalists complain that the government agencies hold press conferences and media briefings on the same day and at the same time in different venues, — says the appeal. — Because of the transport problems, correspondents of different media outlets fail to attend these events”.

The Union of Journalists considers that this problem can be solved by convening the media meetings at one place, and offers its own premises for the meetings.

Most of the editing boards operating in Dushanbe are located in “Sharki Ozod”, the media complex in the Tajik capital. The UJT’s conference hall is capable of receiving 50 people. The venue is properly equipped for audio, video recording and broadcasting.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

Along with improvement of the Media Law, it is necessary to accelerate development of new legislation on access to information. This opinion was voiced by participants of a round table discussion held in Dushanbe.

The most typical violation of the rights of journalists is denial of information, although the Tajik legislation guarantees access of citizens to publicly important information, and in some cases, the government bodies and public organizations are obliges to disseminate such information.

Rakhmon Ulmasov, one of the participants of the round table referred to an example from the United States. The US legislation protects the media form the state rather than vice versa.

Among the participants, there were Tajik parliamentarians, representative of the President’s Office, NANSMIT, the National Press Center, the Tajik Media Alliance, and other agencies. They proposed proposals on certain articles of the draft law. The participants consider that the law should guarantee access to information and the right to disseminate it not only to journalists, but to any individual.

The government bodies, public and other organizations, regardless of the form of property, should provide required information to any applicants. Journalists should have the right to visit government institutions and any other organizations; media professionals should have access to any public officials, to make any audio and video records, take pictures, except for specific cases indicated in the Tajik legislation.

Khovar News Agency

News Agency Pamir Media intends to expand its activities in 2008

Kurbon Alamshoev, director of Pamir Media told Aisa Plus correspondent that his agency has started publishing news bulletins in Tajik and English languages. Prior to that, the agency operated only in Russian language. Alamshoev said that Pamir Media intends to expand its activities, and in the nearest future will launch its own web site. Apart from the news line, the web page will contain publications in various genres.

Pamir Media has regional status; it has been operating on the territory of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province (GBAO) for more than a year. The Pamir Media news line contains publications about social, economic and political events within the province and in the neighboring countries – Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic and China.

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The new draft law “On printing and other mass media” developed by the working group will be presented during the first week of 2008 to the relevant committees of the Tajik Parliament for consideration and further endorsement.

The working group developed draft amendments to eight articles of the existing Law.

Tajik media experts say that the existing law was adopted in 1990. By and large, it is in compliance with the international instruments. However, there is a need to introduce certain changes. For example, according to provisions in the law, the local media should register at several government bodies – the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Olim Salimzoda, representative of the Tajik Parliament also agrees with this statement. He says that a single registration of the media would simplify the sophisticated procedures.

The working group has worked on draft amendments and proposals for four months.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/