A programme for the development of regional electronic media will be developed in Belarus
26/11/20100 views
26 November, Soligorsk /Olga Shvaiko - BELTA/. A programme for the development of regional electronic media will be developed in Belarus. This was announced today by the Minister of Information, Oleg Proleskovsky, at an off-site meeting of the Collegium of the Ministry of Information, held at the editorial office of the Soligorsk Television Channel, BELTA correspondent reports.
According to the minister, the attention paid to regional electronic media will continue next year. He noted a positive trend – the republic is seeing an increasing number of good regional TV channels that enjoy great authority among their audiences and produce high-quality programming. "I think it would be expedient to develop a programme for the development of regional electronic media, for example, for 2011-2013," said Oleg Proleskovsky, adding that the ministry awaits proposals for the development of the document from representatives of regional media.
As reported by Vladimir Yadrentsev, Head of the Department of Electronic Mass Media of the Ministry of Information, regional media have developed dynamically in recent years, with regional TV channels making a significant impact. According to data as of November 1, 77 television broadcasting programmes are registered with the Ministry of Information, 55 of which are regional. Moreover, 20 of them are state-owned and 35 are non-state-owned. Compared to last year, the number of regional television broadcasting programmes has increased by 6. The own broadcasting of regional TV channels ranges from 25% to 60% of their total volume.
"A positive trend is not only the increase in the content of our own broadcasting but also the production of high-quality television products," emphasized Vladimir Yadrentsev, adding that the programs of many regional television channels can compete with national ones. This is confirmed by the fact that over the 6 years of the "Televershina" competition, 50 regional television studios have participated, many of whom have become winners and laureates. At the same time, a number of unresolved issues remain. In particular, it is necessary to solve the problem concerning high rates for signal transmission, especially during the transition period when both digital and analog broadcasting will need to be paid for. "The transition to digital broadcasting may complicate the work of regional television channels if it does not involve all stakeholders," believes Vladimir Yadrentsev. Moreover, there are regions that are not yet ready to switch to "digital." In addition, not all regional media can produce truly high-quality information products; there is a shortage of personnel and funds. "In order to increase program content and improve the quality of program products, local authorities should develop a plan of specific measures and strengthen work on personnel selection and training," believes the head of the ministry's department.
The issue of regional radio broadcasting was also touched upon at the meeting. In particular, questions were discussed regarding the transition of radio broadcasting from wired to FM, changes in the broadcast times of regional radio studios, and others.
Heads of some regional television channels made proposals to include preferential lending in the program to be developed, which would be provided to such television companies for further development, for example, for the purchase of equipment. In addition, participants in the event raised issues concerning the exchange of programs with other television channels, the development of cooperation with foreign media, and the training and retraining of qualified specialists, among others.
Summarising the board's work, Oleg Proleskovsky noted: "All the problematic issues raised today can be resolved. The main thing is that people need it and you are producing a quality product." The Minister returned once again to the issue that a programme for the development of electronic regional media will be developed in the near future. He reminded that by 2015 television will switch to digital broadcasting and regional TV channels need to prepare for this. Regional radio will also be included in the programme as a full and equal participant.
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