Kazakh TV, Kazakhstan’s national 24-hour satellite channel, debuted 13 new projects for 2013, a record figure by the standards of Kazakhstan television. Some of the new projects have been years in the making; others have been set up to adjust to the growing evolution of media and the enormous opportunities it now has to reach ever-larger audiences here and abroad.
Kazakh TV has been on air for 11 years now (known as Caspionet in the past). It is developing rapidly and changing its objectives as it grows. However, these are more evolutionary than revolutionary changes. From the very beginning, the principal mission of Kazakhstan’s first national satellite channel was to give a full-scale picture of Kazakhstan as an up-and-coming country undergoing dynamic social, economic and political development.
Now, the main mission of Kazakh TV is to become the main hub of information for the entire Central Asian region. The “Central Asian Report” programme was set up particularly for this objective. The programme provides up-to-date reports on political and domestic topics about Central Asia, events of national importance and the lives of ordinary people and their everyday concerns.
Another new project, “Infinite Science,” relays information about the current developments and present, sometimes pioneering, achievements of Kazakhstan’s science and technology. Viewers are given an inside look into research laboratories and can become direct participants in complex experiments while watching the programme. “Travel Guide” was set up shortly after “Infinite Science.” This programme presents detailed information about tourism opportunities in specific regions of the country, including hotel and rental car prices and the best tourist routes for travellers. Interviews with top professionals in the tourism industry, stories and tips from experienced travellers are also presented.
“Astana—City of the World” is about the city that is home to some of the world’s most unique buildings, many of which have no analogues anywhere else. The stories behind the capital’s remarkable architecture are presented in this programme.“Kazakhstan: International Vectors” is a programme that talks about Kazakhstan in the framework of various international organisations. The authors of the programme cooperate with experts to assess the results of the state’s membership in various inter-state associations.
The “EXPO 2017” programme is a weekly report on how the people of Kazakhstan are preparing to host one of the world’s most important international exhibitions. “Kazakhstan through Life Stories” is a documentary series about famous personalities around the world for whom Kazakhstan became a place of inspiration and site of success. “Accent” is a series of programmes about the lives of multi-ethnic communities in Kazakhstan. Today, more than 130 nationalities live in the country.
Kazakh TV has a potential audience of up to 800 million people in more than 90 countries. The audience is divided into two categories: Kazakh people within the country and around the world, and people who are not connected with Kazakhstan but have an interest in knowing more about the country.
A whole line of programmes has been created for this second group. “Adebiet Alemy” reveals the world of Kazakh literature and explores some of the best works by Kazakh authors. “Ulttyk Encyclopaedia” presents popular phenomena of the Kazakh culture and traditions with a focus on history and aesthetics. The “Heritage” programme provides viewers with more background about the history and heritage of the country. Currently, the channel has more than 40 programmes in a spectrum intended to cover most spheres of life in the country and present Kazakh society in all its diversity.
Caspionet’s the first programme was broadcast in October 2002. The channel was rebranded Kazakh TV in 2012 to connect the channel more explicitly with Kazakhstan. It broadcasts in more than 90 countries in the Kazakh, English and Russian languages and strives to introduce the young state to the world. The formation of a positive image of Kazakhstan as a modern, dynamically developing country with a stable political system, attractive investment climate, developed economy and rich cultural heritage is the channel’s main objective.
