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Turkmenistan Stops Russian Radio Broadcasts
From Radio Free Europe / Radio LibertyTurkmenistan on 11 July halted broadcasts of Russiaâs Mayak radio station -- the last Russian news outlet to reach the Central Asian country. For all practical purposes, Turkmenistanâs President Saparmurat Niyazov has now cut off his citizens from the outside world. Turkmen without access to a satellite dish or shortwave radio are now living in a total information vacuum. .... At issue are not only the estimated 300,000 ethnic Russians living in Turkmenistan -- many of whom listened to Mayak -- but the fact that most of the countryâs 5 million citizens are now cut off from all outside sources of information, with the exception of a minority who own satellite dishes or shortwave radio sets. In 1998, the Turkmen authorities pulled the plug on Russian television broadcasts provided by ORT television, and in 2002, all foreign newspaper and magazine subscriptions were halted. Mayak provided Turkmen with their last source of easily accessible outside news. .... Those [Mayak radio] frequencies -- at least in Turkmenistan -- are filled this week with government-sponsored bulletins of good news about a record grain harvest, bulging state coffers, and President Niyazovâs latest project -- building an ice palace in the desert outside the capital, Ashgabat. Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-07-14 |
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