OSCE media freedom representative commends appointment of supervisory board for Kyrgyzstan's public service broadcaster, urges swift reform

VIENNA, 30 August 2010 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, commended today the appointment of a supervisory board for Kyrgyzstan's public service broadcaster and called on the board to move rapidly to provide viewers with fair and impartial news coverage.

"It is hard to overestimate the importance of quality reporting by the public service broadcaster, particularly in light of the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Elections can only be credible if the voters are able to make informed choices based on objective news offered by an impartial and pluralistic media," she said.

"Additionally, a professionally run public service broadcaster can promote tolerance and understanding in a society by reflecting ethnic, religious, cultural and language diversity in its everyday work."

Kyrgyzstan's President Roza Otunbaeva appointed the 15 members of the Supervisory Board in a decree signed on 26 August.

"I look forward to working with the Board and its chair, media expert Elvira Sarieva," Mijatovic said, reiterating her Office's earlier pledge to provide legal advice and practical assistance to the board and the broadcaster. "I hope that Kyrgyzstan will take this opportunity to establish Central Asia's first well-functioning, politically and financially independent public broadcaster."