Kazakhstan, Astana, April 27 / Trend, A. Maratov /
Kazakh Communications and Information Ministry proposes to restore the procedure for registering television and radio broadcasting companies, Deputy Minister Nuray Urazov said in Astana on Tuesday.
"As TV and radio channels are media outlets, we decided to return to definition 'TV and radio channel' media outlets, on the recommendations of OSCE experts. In accordance the recommendations, we offer registration for TV and radio channels. This is a service we had refused in the past," Urazov said at the roundtable for "State Regulation of TV and Radio Broadcasting and the Right of Citizens to Freedom of Information", which discussed a new draft law on "Television and Radio Broadcasting".
According to opinions of the developers of the draft law "On Broadcasting", the Ministry of Communications and Information, work on the document came into final completion. And the agency expects that this year it will be submitted for discussion to the Majilis.
Urazov said that the developers of the document took into account all comments made previously, making appropriate amendments to the draft law.
He said that now in principle, there is no difficulty in registering TV channels as the media outlets. The registration date, a minimum set of documents and a fee of six or seven thousand tenge will be set.
"Thus, any TV and radio broadcasting company could theoretically become the owner, including a whole range of brands as intellectual property - this could mean owning five or seven channels. It depends on the financial capacity of a broadcasting company," Urazov said.
He said such an approach will be important given Kazakhstan's intent to move to on-air digital broadcasting by 2015. Urazov said the Ministry expects this year to submit the draft law to the Majilis.