Belsat TV
Encyclopedia
Belsat TV is a satellite television channel aimed at Belarus
. It is intended to provide an alternative to the censorship
of Belarusian state-run television. Its slogan
is "Belsat - your right to choose". The channel broadcasts in Belarusian
and Russian
, and is intended to provide entertainment and news of a standard comparable to the major TV channels of Central Europe
.
Based primarily in Poland
, where there is a significant Belarusian minority
, Belsat is run under the aegis of Polish public television company Telewizja Polska (TVP)
. It started broadcasting on 10 December 2007. The channel is run by about 70 journalist
s located in Poland, Belarus, and Lithuania
. The President of Belarus
, Alexander Lukashenko
, has called Belsat a "stupid and uncongenial project".
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. It is intended to provide an alternative to the censorship
Censorship in Belarus
Censorship in Belarus, although prohibited by the country's constitution, is enforced by a number of laws. These include a law that makes insulting the president punishable by up to five years in prison, and another that makes criticizing Belarus abroad punishable by up to two years in prison.-...
of Belarusian state-run television. Its slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
is "Belsat - your right to choose". The channel broadcasts in Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, and is intended to provide entertainment and news of a standard comparable to the major TV channels of Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
.
Based primarily in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, where there is a significant Belarusian minority
Belarusian minority in Poland
Belarusian minority in Poland is composed of 48,700 people according to the Polish census of 2002. This number decreased in the last decades from over 300,000 due to an active process of assimilation. Most of them live in the Podlaskie Voivodeship....
, Belsat is run under the aegis of Polish public television company Telewizja Polska (TVP)
Telewizja Polska
Telewizja Polska Spółka Akcyjna is Poland's public broadcasting corporation...
. It started broadcasting on 10 December 2007. The channel is run by about 70 journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s located in Poland, Belarus, and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. The President of Belarus
President of Belarus
The office of President of Belarus is the head of state of Belarus. The office was created in 1994 with the passing of the Constitution of Belarus by the Supreme Soviet. This replaced the office of Chairman of the Supreme Soviet as the head of state...
, Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has been serving as the President of Belarus since 20 July 1994. Before his career as a politician, Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm. Under Lukashenko's rule, Belarus has come to be viewed as a state whose conduct is out of line...
, has called Belsat a "stupid and uncongenial project".