KYRGYZ STATE TELEVISION AND RADIO REFUSES TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BISHKEK 001254

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND SCA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ STATE TELEVISION AND RADIO REFUSES TO
RESUME RFE/RL BROADCASTS

REF: A. BISHKEK 1222

B. BISHKEK 1021

C. 07 BISHKEK 1400

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Classified By: A/DCM Robert Burgess, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Representatives from the International
Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(RFE/RL),along with A/PAO, met December 15 with Kyrgyz
officials to try to get RFE/RL's Kyrgyz-language service
("Azattyk") back on Kyrgyz State Television and Radio
("KTR"). The delegation was unable to reach agreement with
KTR. State Secretary Dosbol Nur Uulu claimed that the
government supported "open media," but it was up to the
"independent" KTR director to decide whether to broadcast
Azattyk programming. KTR Director Eshimkanov complained
about the (anti-government) content of Azattyk programming,
and said he would not resume broadcasting Azattyk without the
presidential administration's agreement. Eshimkanov added
that he was resigning within two weeks and would leave any
decision to his successor. End Summary.


2. (SBU) IBB Director of Marketing and External Liaison Gary
Thatcher, IBB Office of Marketing and Program Placement
Director Enver Safir, and RFE/RL Chief Broadcast Operations
Officer Julia Ragona traveled to Bishkek December 15 to meet
with KTR and Kyrgyz government officials to try to resolve
any outstanding issues that have kept RFE/RL broadcasts off
of state television and radio channels. KTR suspended the
broadcasts October 8, claiming non-payment by IBB. (Ref A)
The delegation, along with A/PAO, had separate meetings with
KTR Director Melis Eshimkanov (twice); State Secretary Dosbol
Nur Uulu and Presidential Deputy Chief of Staff Dosaly
Esenaliyev; and opposition members of parliament. The
delegation also held a press conference.

PROBLEM ISN'T JUST WITH PAYMENT
--------------


3. (SBU) KTR Director Eshimkanov began the meeting by
demanding an apology for a December 11 letter from an IBB
contracting officer that he found "personally abusive." The
letter said Eshimkanov had published "strident, misleading,
and defamatory accounts that the U.S. has not been honoring
its financial obligations." Thatcher said that charging the
USG with not paying debts was a "serious accusation," and
that the broadcasting contract specified a process for
resolving payment disputes, which had not been followed (by
KTR). Thatcher reminded Mr. Eshimkanov that the contract did
not allow KTR to suspend broadcasting due to non-payment.


4. (SBU) After much back-and-forth about the logistics of the
payment issue, the parties agreed that IBB still owed $19,000
to KTR (the last payment having "bounced" back to IBB). IBB
representatives volunteered to go with the KTR Financial
Director to the bank to resolve the $19,000 payment problem.
However, when faced with the prospect of being paid-in-full,
Mr. Eshimkanov admitted that there was also a "content"
problem.


5. (SBU) Eshimkanov then accused Azattyk of airing "dirty,
unprofessional content." Eshimkanov cited several examples
of programming that he found objectionable, including an
April episode of "Inconvenient Questions" with opposition
leader Omurbek Tekebayev, which KTR refused to air because
Tekebayev called President Bakiyev a "criminal." (Comment:
At the time of the incident, Eshimkanov refused to provide
the Embassy with an explanation for not airing the episode.
According to Azattyk, what Tekebayev said in the un-aired
episode was that Bakiyev had installed a "criminal
government." End Comment.)


6. (SBU) Eshimkanov further argued that Azattyk's content

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violates the June 2008 media law. He cited Section 20.2 of
the media law, which states that TV and radio organizations
that rebroadcast programs are responsible for ensuring that
the content of the programs complies with the legislative
requirements of the country. He said that Azattyk's content
does not comply with Kyrgyz legislative standards and that
he, the KTR director, is legally responsible.


7. (SBU) Thatcher asked Eshimkanov how the parties could work
out a solution and get Azattyk back on air. Mr. Eshimkanov
said, "I am not morally or emotionally ready to continue this
business relationship." He told the delegation to "speak
with the leaders of our country, who are more diplomatic than
I am."

KYRGYZ STATE SECRETARY EXPRESSES SUPPORT
--------------


8. (SBU) The delegation next met with State Secretary Dosbol
Nur Uulu and Dosaly Esenaliev, Deputy Chief of Staff of the
Presidential Administration, who assured the delegation that
they support Azattyk. They expressed concerns about
religious extremism in the country and that the extremist
group Hizb ut-Tahrir has been on the airwaves. They said
they welcome Azattyk because they believe independent media
counters Islamic extremism. They also said that they had
spoken by phone to Eshimkanov and believed that "if the
payment issue is resolved, there will be no problem getting
Azattyk back on the air." They called Eshimkanov an "unusual
and unique" person, and said the problem would need to be
solved with Eshimkanov directly.

PRESS CONFERENCE WELL-ATTENDED AND OPTIMISTIC
--------------


9. (SBU) The delegation held a short press conference, which
was attended by about 40 journalists, including stringers
from the AP, Reuters, Deutche Welle, Interfax, and Agence
France Presse. Thatcher blamed the problem on "technical
errors" and said that he would work intensively with KTR to
resolve the problem. He said he was optimistic that the
problem would be solved and Azattyk would resume broadcasting
on KTR.

SUPPORT FROM NON-MAJORITY PARTIES IN PARLIAMENT
-------------- --


10. (SBU) The delegation met with the non-majority factions
of parliament -- the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan
(SDPK) and the Communists. Ak Jol, the pro-presidential
majority party, had asked for a meeting with the delegation,
but then canceled. Both SDPK and Communist Party
representatives expressed support for Azattyk, and an SDPK MP
even complained that Azattyk has been in recent months "too
soft" on the government.

ONE LAST PITCH: KTR REFUSES TO EXTEND AGREEMENT
-------------- ---


11. (SBU) After a full day of meetings, the delegation met
again with Eshimkanov. Thatcher apologized for the letter
from the IBB contracting office and pledged to correct the
payment issue. Thatcher urged Eshimkanov to sign a prepared
contract that would extend the agreement between KTR and IBB
through the end of 2009. Eshimkanov refused to sign, saying
he would not make a decision without President Bakiyev's
agreement. When Thatcher reminded Eshimkanov that the
president's administration had said that he was "independent"
and had the power to sign the contract, Eshimkanov said he
plans to resign in 10-14 days and it should be the next KTR
director's decision. Thatcher then asked Eshimkanov, "If we
solve the payment issues, will you put us back on the air for
the duration of our current contract?" Mr. Eshimkanov

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responded flatly, "No. I would need a guarantee that the
content would not be offensive."

COMMENT
--------------


12. (C) The outcome of the meetings with KTR and the
government is disappointing, but not surprising. Pressure
against independent media has increased over the past year.
(See, e.g., Ref B) While Radio Azattyk is still available in
parts of Kyrgyzstan via private FM stations, KTR provided
nationwide coverage. When the mercurial Eshimkanov became
KTR director a year ago, he claimed to want to reform KTR,
but acknowledged to us that he was under pressure to make
sure that news broadcasts "toed the (government) party line."
(Ref C) We think it is likely in this case that Eshimkanov
was again under pressure to control content or suspend
Azattyk broadcasts. It appears that resolving the situation
so that broadcasts resume will require a political decision
from the Kyrgyz administration. We will continue to raise
our concerns with members of the government and urge
resumption of Azattyk programming on state television and
radio channels. End comment.


13. (U) The IBB and RFE/RL representatives did not have a
chance to clear this cable.
LITZENBERGER