Gun FM: How do you Determine Viewer Profile?

Cemal Dogan, the director of Diyarbakir's Gun FM radio station and Gun television station asked these questions about the "Regulation for Broadcasts in Different Languages and Dialects."

According to Dogan, the regulation was prepared within the framework of European Union harmonization reforms, and was defined as "a means of allowing Kurdish broadcasts.

Dogan, who answered Bianet's questions, thinks that the new regulation is even more backward than a previous draft that had been annulled after objections by the Foreign Ministry.

The regulation has an article that says: "If local and regional televisions have such a demand, RTUK can compile a profile of the viewers and listeners in the region where that broadcasting organization operates."

Cemal thinks this article is intentional.

Through this article, "they are providing legal ground for not allowing broadcasts," said Dogan. He added this was against the equality principle of the constitution.

"Look at the criteria of those that broadcast in Turkish"

The director answered his own question and said, "80 percent of those living in eastern and southeastern Turkey speak the Kurmanci dialect of Kurdish."

Dogan said the regulation brought about certain limitations:

* They will evaluate whether a news director and presenter have the necessary qualifications. Then, please apply these criteria to Turkish programs; to those singers who become presenters in one day, or those models who become program directors in one day.

* There are also obstacles for those who want to open Kurdish courses. They say the door has to be 1.90 centimeters, there are regulations about the size of the room, the fire exit, etc. So you have to overcome tens of bureaucratic obstacles to be able to do something that is purely legal. (EO/EA/NM)