Project duration: February, 2012 – July, 2015

Funding level: $1,796,762

Implementing Partner: Internews Network in the Kyrgyz Republic

The Media Support Initiative (MSI) targets audiences and media communities in five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Within this project, Internews Network in the Kyrgyz Republic supports local TV stations around the country with the provision of small grants and technical assistance for the production of high-quality, socially-oriented programming. It also provides legal support through partnerships with local organizations to improve Kyrgyzstan’s media legislation and to protect the rights of media outlets and journalists when needed. The project educates journalists, government officials, and the public about the importance and watchdog role of a vibrant, independent media sector.

Project Activities:

• Supporting the production of high-quality programming – Internews provides local media stations and journalists with extensive support via production grants, technical assistance, and trainings, which help them to produce better content and improve staff competence. Field grants are provided to local stations around the country to produce various talk-shows, special reports, and informative programs in Kyrgyz, Russian, and Uzbek, which bring public attention to youth issues (The Truth,  Channel 7, Jalalabad), modern family issues (My Family,  DDD production studio, Osh), regional socio-economic problems (Nation, NTS, Bishkek), etc. 

• Content sharing – Internews helps local stations mitigate the deficit of objective TV coverage on social, legal and economic issues, offering them free quality content. As part of this component Internews produces Open Asia (a weekly TV program about people, events and developments in Central Asia) and M@trix (a youth-oriented program on the Internet and technology) in five Central Asian languages.  

• Strengthening the media legal-enabling environment – Internews works with several local media support organizations (Media Policy Institute, Media Law Center, and TV-Club) to promote freedom of expression and access to information; advocate for improvements in laws governing the media sector; educate media professionals, journalists, and the public about their rights and responsibilities in this sphere; and provide legal consultations and defense to journalists and media outlets in need of assistance.