In a recent development, the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy will be drafting a new bill on mass media regulation. The announcement was made by the head of the ministry, Altynbek Masutov, during a meeting with the working group members.
Masutov stated that the work on the bill will be completed within two months, following which it will be submitted to the president's administration. He emphasized his opposition to complicating the registration process for media outlets and expressed readiness to collaborate constructively with the working group.
The working group tasked with developing the bill includes legal expert Nurberk Sydykov from the Media Policy Institute, Dina Maslova, the founder of Kaktus.media, Kubat Otorbaev from "Azattyk," and Dmitry Lozhnikov, the chief producer of Next TV channel. Additionally, the group includes parliament member Janar Akayev and lawyer Akmat Alagushev, with Deputy Minister Chyngyz Esengul Uulu leading the group.
It is worth noting that in early March, the country's president held a closed-door meeting with the heads of leading media outlets and prominent journalists. Among the issues discussed was the media law. Following the meeting, President Sadyr Japarov pledged to address the concerns raised.
On March 13, his press secretary Askat Alagozov announced that, at the president's directive, the media bill had been withdrawn. Alagozov stated, "Following the meeting and considering the suggestions received from media representatives regarding the bill, President Sadyr Japarov instructed to revise the said draft law."
