European Radio for Belarus

European Radio for Belarus
Type Radio network
Country  Belarus
Availability International
Owner Independent
Launch date
 2005
Official website
 http://euroradio.by/

European Radio for Belarus (Eŭrapéjskaje Rádyjo dla Biełarúsi) is an international radio station based in Warsaw that provides independent news, information, and entertainment to the citizens of Belarus since February 2006. ERB operates on FM, OIRT FM, Internet, and Satellite in order to reach the widest possible audience.

The mission of the radio is to deliver factual, current, independent, trustworthy and up-to-date information to Belarusian listeners about events in Belarus and in the world, as well as to promote European democratic values. The project also aims to assist the development of a new generation of journalists, who will be able to work professionally in Belarus in the future during a transition to democracy and free market.

Organizational structure of ERB

European Radio for Belarus is a non-profit organization established in September 2005 in Warsaw, Poland. Its participants are Belarusian journalists as well as NGOs from Poland, Lithuania and Czech Republic. Members of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) actively participated in the creation of the Radio.

Programming is prepared by teams of Belarusian journalists working in Warsaw and in Minsk together with a network of reporters in the regions of Belarus.

The core of the Radio consists of experienced journalists, including those who previously worked at the popular Minsk Radio 101.2, which was shut down by the authorities in 1996, Radio Free Europe, Polish Radio, as well as Radio Racja.

The Format of the Radio

ERB is an entertainment and informational radio station. Its target audience is primarily young people in the ages of 15-35.

The Radio broadcasts 24 hours per day. Each hour starts with a news report of approximately 3 minutes in length followed by the short news update in the middle of the hour. In addition, the broadcasting consists of economic, cultural, and sports programs as well as experts’ commentary on the wide variety of issues. Guests and Interviewees on ERB’s daily programs include prominent politicians and other recognized public figures as well as representatives of independent Belarusian youth communities and organizations. ERB provides special news updates on breaking news as necessary.

A significant part of the broadcasting is taken up by world and Belarusian music. ERB realizes various projects to support Belarusian musicians including annual Right To Be Free festival in Ukraine.

ERB broadcasts a daily informational program EuroZOOM. This program, aimed at young people, presents the idea of the presence of Belarus in the political and cultural space of Europe.

Criticism

In December 2017, the European Radio for Belarus has been mentioned among several other Belarusian independent media that had allegedly removed old news stories about the 2015 arrest and ten months long imprisonment of the businessman Viktor Prokopenya from their websites. This was allegedly done after the media were approached by Prokopenya's public relations advisors. The situation has caused a wide discussion among Belarusian journalists and media professionals.[1][2][3][4]

References

  1. ↑ "«Пракапеня – герой, які ўскрыў гнайнік». Медыяаналітык распавёў, як заўважыў знікненне матэрыялаў у СМІ пра бізнесоўца ["Prakapenya is a hero who cut an abscess open". Media analyst tells how he discovered the disappearance of media articles about the businessman]" (in Belarusian). Belsat. 27 December 2017.
  2. ↑ Пілецкі, Алесь (27 December 2017). "«Ніхто нічога страшнага не зрабіў». Рэдактары незалежных СМІ пра выдаленьне матэрыялаў пра Віктара Пракапеню ["Nobody did anything terrible". Editors of independent media about removing articles about Viktar Prakapenya]" (in Belarusian). Radio Svaboda.
  3. ↑ "#Прокопенягейт: Социальные сети гудят, независимые медиа говорят "ничего страшного не случилось" [#Prokopenyagate: social networks buzz, independent media say "nothing terrible happened"]". Mediakritika.by (in Russian). 27 December 2017.
  4. ↑ Жерносек, Ольга (27 December 2017). "Цензура Прокопени. Кто и почему скрывает от нас правду? [Prokopenya's Censorship: who and why is hiding the truth from us?]" (in Russian). Belsat.
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