Legal regulation of broadcasting in focus of OSCE roundtable discussion in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT, 9 September 2014 – Modern trends in the legal regulation of broadcasting were discussed at an OSCE-supported roundtable than ended in Ashgabat today.

The two-day event brought together 25 participants, including experts from parliament, the State Committee for Television, Radio and Cinematography of Turkmenistan, the Ministries of Communications and Justice and representatives from educational and research institutions, and national broadcast, print and online media.

“Broadcasting remains one of the most important medium of communication across the world,” said Christopher Hornek, Project Co-ordinator of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“An effective mechanism of broadcasting regulation should promote pluralism and independence of broadcast media while taking into account the specifics of broadcasting. We expect this discussion to provide a platform for sharing international and national practices, which will contribute to the efforts of Turkmenistan in developing its national mechanism of the legal regulation of broadcasting.”

The discussions focused on international standards and approaches to the regulation of modern audiovisual media and broadcasting licensing, as well as functions of regulation authorities and broadcasting rights. The participants also exchanged views on the specifics of the legal regulation of broadcasting and challenges of transition to digital broadcasting.