National State Television and Radio Company of Belarus

The National State TV and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (Belarusian: Нацыянальная дзяржаўная тэлерадыёкампанія Рэспублікі Беларусь, Russian: Национальная государственная телерадиокомпания Республики Беларусь), Belteleradio (Russian: Белтелерадиокомпания), is the state television and radio broadcasting service in Belarus. In 1993 it was admitted as a full active member of the European Broadcasting Union under the name Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC).[3]

National State TV and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus
TypeBroadcast radio and television, online
Country
Belarus
AvailabilityNational; International
HeadquartersMakayonka St. 9, Minsk
OwnerGovernment of Belarus
Key people
Ivan Eismont (Chairman)[1]
Launch date
1 January 1956 (1 January 1956) (Television)[2]
Former names
Belteleradio (1 January 1956 – 25 September 1991)
Official website
http://www.tvr.by/

Belteleradiocompany gives particular importance to the development of international cooperation and is partnered with broadcasting companies all over the world. The company has concluded a total of 63 cooperation agreements with foreign broadcasters.

Broadcasting tower of the BTRC at 6 Kamunistychnaya st.

Television

Belteleradio operates six television channels, of which five are distributed nationally and one is distributed internationally.[2][4]

  • Belarus 1 – News, current affairs, and general interest programming
  • Belarus 2 – Entertainment and sports programming
  • Belarus 3 – Cultural programming, mostly broadcasts in Belarusian language
  • Belarus 4 – Regional news, entertainment and cultural programming. Broadcasts separately for Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk and Mogilev regions
  • Belarus 5 – Sports channel
  • Belarus 24 – International channel catering to viewers outside of Belarus
  • NTV Belarus – Belarusian version of NTV Russia; programming consists of content from NTV Russia and other Russian channels[5]

Radio

Belteleradio operates two national radio services and three regional FM services.[6]

  • First Channel – The largest nationwide radio channel in Belarus
  • Radio Station "Belarus" – National and international service with programming in seven languages (Belarusian, English, French, German, Polish, Russian, and Spanish)[7]
  • Channel "Culture" – Regional FM service, cultural and musical programming.
  • Radio "Stolitsa" – Regional FM service, local programming.
  • Radius-FM – Regional FM service, youth-oriented music station.

Censorship and propaganda
See also: Censorship in Belarus

International experts and the Belarusian opposition traditionally name the state TV as one of the main instruments of propaganda by the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko. It is being accused of misinformation, advocating political repressions and rigging of elections, smearing regime critics.[8][9]

Employees and top managers of state TV channels, including channels of BTRC, have several times been subjects to sanctions from the EU and the United States.[10]

References
  1. "Administration". Belteleradiocompany. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. "TV Channels >> Television >> Belteleradiocompany". Belteleradiocompany. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  3. "EBU-UER / Active Members". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  4. "Тэлеканалы >> Тэлебачанне >> Белтэлерадыекампанiя" (in Belarusian). Belteleradiocompany. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  5. "NTV-Belarus >> Television >> Belteleradiocompany". Belteleradiocompany. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  6. "Radio Channels >> Belteleradiocompany". Belteleradiocompany. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  7. "About Radio | Radio Belarus". Belteleradiocompany. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  8. Посол Польщі Генрик Літвін: Втратити добрий час – це великий ризик для України - СЕРГІЙ ЛЕЩЕНКО, Ukrayinska Pravda, 8 November 2011. Henryk Litwin, former ambassador of Poland to Belarus: "Television in Belarus is exclusively state propaganda"
  9. Edward Lucas Podcast: Belarus propaganda - 20.01.2017. Edward Lucas, editor at The Economist: “in Belarus the state television maintains Soviet levels of venom and mendacity.“
  10. Поўны спіс 208 беларускіх чыноўнікаў, якім забаронены ўезд у ЕС [Full list of 208 Belarusian officials banned from entering the EU] - Nasha Niva, 11 October 2011
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