BBC Monitoring

Text of report entitled "Four private satellite TV channels and seven terrestrial ones to be set up in Kurdistan", carried by twice-weekly Pro-Kurdistan Democratic Party newspaper Hewler Post on 27 May

    An official in the Kurdistan regional government Ministry of Culture has said: Four more private Kurdish satellite TV channels and seven new terrestrial channels will be launched in the near future. All these TVs have submitted their application [for a licence] to the Kurdistan regional government's Ministry of Culture.

    Lawyer Siraj-al-Din Muhammad, of the Ministry of Culture's legal department, told Hewler Post: These TVs will be given licence in accordance with the ministry's Guideline-13 of 2005.

    The satellite TVs that are waiting to be granted a licence are: Sali, Kurd TV, Razvan TV and Musiki Kurdi and the terrestrial ones are: Qalat, Ahang, Sali, Sima, Aro, Hana, Aso and Sports.

    These are in addition to some which were granted licence in the past two years, including: Chra, and Sbay [note that this is not related to the media company or website of former deputy leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Nawshirwan Mustafa], Cable Kayvi, Avesta, Vin, Ava and Turkoman Reform Movement. However, some of these have not begun transmission.

    The official said that there were some radio stations under way too, adding: The radio stations which have applied for a licence include: Sali, Sima, Dangi Koran-i Piroz [Voice of Holy Koran], Peshkawtin, Niga, Bahra and Ahang. The radios that have been granted a licence are: Dangi Makhmur, Dangi [voice of] Democracy, Zin, Hataw and Akre.

    It is noteworthy that apart form these TVs and radios, 737 publications have been granted official licence.

    Source: Hewler Post, Arbil, in Sorani Kurdish 29 May 07