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 BISHKEK 00001254 001.2 OF 003 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 BISHKEK 00001254 002.2 OF 003 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 BISHKEK 00001254 003.2 OF 003 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