A new TV station may start broadcasting in Belarus soon, Information Minister Alyaksandr Karlyukevich said in the wake of Tuesday’s meeting of President Lukashenka with representatives of state-run mass media.
“We discussed the establishment of a news TV channel as part of the Belarusian TV and Radio Company. It will be launched this year and go on air in late 2020 or early 2021,” he said.
Nearly two years ago, Alyaksandr Lukashenka came up with the idea of creating a special news TV channel in the mould of Euronews or BBC News in the country. Today he has touched upon the issue again:
“People are too busy to watch summarizing broadcasts like those BT or STV [Belarusian TV stations = Belsat] do in the evening… People want to see key information during the day. This is why we need in essence condensed, brief information accompanied by some footage,” news agency BelTA quotes the Belarusian leader.
All state-owned media outlets may become the contributors to the project, Ivan Eysmant, Director of the the Belarusian TV and Radio Company, stressed. According to him, it will be a ‘conventional news and analytical television channel.
“One might compare it Euronews or BBC, although it would be rather immodest; we have not yet established the channel. We think it will be broadcast from 7.00 to 24.00. [The channel] will be based at the Belarusian TV and Radio Company and the Television News Agency,” he added.
