Kyrgyzstan Television monitoring will also commence in March 2026, where all 42 television channels will be expected to adhere to a law that requires at least 60 percent of prime time programming to be in the Kyrgyz language. The enforcement measures will come into effect at the end of 2026, Deputy Culture Minister Marat Tagaev said on January 15.
The announcement was presented during a meeting with the officials of TV channels, Kyrgyzfilm, and Kyrgyzserial representatives. Among the wide range of broadcasters of the country, two channels, NTRK and ELTR, are state-financed, and the rest are privately run.
Authorities indicated that inspections will be made to make sure that broadcasters are offering locally made products, with the authorities stating that some of the private channels are officially complying with the legal requirements and showing programs and movies produced over ten years ago, rather than ordering new products. The process of quality assessment of the content created within the framework of such initiatives will start in March 2026.
Although it is not planned to close any of them immediately, Tagaev threatened to implement measures no later than the end of 2026 against those channels that do not meet the requirements. He emphasized that broadcasters are at liberty to follow their own ways, but they should not violate language and content laws in consideration of the rights of the viewers.
In order to support the channels to fulfill the demands, Kyrgyzfilm and Kyrgyzserial were encouraged to sell their new content to the channel, which contains approximately 400 movies, over 40 animated pieces, and a number of TV series. Channels get a maximum of 1.5 months to contract, and after this time, the content can be handed over to state broadcasters. The ministry will also intend to provide program packages that have been created by independent studios.
There was an issue with the quality of certain domestic productions. Tagaev accepted the current problems; however, the criteria of selection will eventually be better since the market will evolve.
The Culture Ministry also announced that it would introduce a KGS 50mn ($571,755) tender in 2026 to create a Kyrgyz-language animated feature; the technical specifications permit the use of artificial intelligence. As well, a KGS 10mn ($114,351) tender will be unveiled to facilitate the print and online media content.
Kyrgyzstan is a country in which the regulatory framework of the media industry has been tightened recently. In August 2025, President Sadyr Japarov approved a revision of the Law on Mass Media that obligates all media houses to register with the government and also limits foreign holdings to not more than 35 per cent of the media businesses operating in Kyrgyzstan. The bill became parliamentary law on June 25, 2025.
In July 2025, Japarov also signed amendments that introduced administrative fines of up to KGS 65,000 for false or unreliable information in mass media or online (smaller fines are imposed on the individual) – an action that came in response to misinformation, supposedly, but is criticized by press freedom organizations.
