EcoTelevision in Eastern Kazakstan: On the Air with ORION

by Sergei Shafarenko

On April 14, 1996, residents of Ust Kamenogorsk, the regional center of the East Kazakstan region, witnessed the premier broadcast of the ecological TV channel ORION. Produced by ORION's team of local journalists, the broadcast featured programs such as "The World of the White Waters," a documentary about the natural beauty of the White Water River that flows from the Altai mountains into East Kazakstan. "Rakhmanov's Key" featured a state park not far from Ust Kamenogorsk. "Boomerang" discussed humanity's responsibility to the earth and environment. Concluding the broadcast was an "anti-commercial" documenting Ust Kamenogorsk's rubble-filled dumps, in hopes of stimulating a city-wide clean-up effort.

That broadcast, unbeknownst to viewers, was two years in the making. For some time, ecologists, biologists, local environmental activists, teachers and journalists in Ust Kamenogorsk had talked about the need for alternative programming in the East Kazakstan region. Because of low funding and inexperienced staff, many regional TV stations in Kazakstan rely on pirated videos to fill their air time. ORION's mission is to provide viewers an alternative, through responsible, stimulating and educational programs emphasizing ecological themes. On February 28, 1994, ORION registered with the Ministry of Press and Mass Media, establishing it as an independent, noncommercial and nongovernmental TV station.

Environmental issues are a very real concern to Ust Kamenogorsk's residents. The Semipalatinsk Polygon, less than 200 kilometers to the west, was the site of over 100 nuclear tests during the Soviet era. In addition to high levels of radioactive pollution introduced into East Kazakstan's environment as a result of the tests, the region is affected by emissions and solid wastes from its 47 factories, the majority of which produce chemicals and metals. Five years ago, a beryllium factory in Ust Kamenogorsk exploded, increasing atmospheric levels of beryllium in the city by a factor of approximately 1000. This event mobilized the local environmental community.

ORION's programs address local concerns about the environment in a variety of ways. It produces "Ecological Chronicle," aired weekly, which features interviews and investigative segments on regional environmental problems, and discusses citizen and governmental initiatives to understand and solve the problems. For example, a modest, yet successful effort this past year was a springtime campaign to clean up Ust Kamenogorsk. As the city thawed out from the long winter, ORION was on the spot, interviewing local government representatives about what they intended to do about the unusually large piles of garbage and junk peeking out from under the ice and snow. As a few local groups organized to clean up their neighborhoods, ORION did several small pieces on their efforts. The effort peaked around mid-April, when the Ust Kamenogorsk maslikhat (local municipal affairs committee) committed money and resources for the clean up effort. Those funds were funneled through the local committee for ecology, which in turn asked Ust Kamenogorsk ecological NGOs for help in organizing clean up crews.

Another segment of ORION's programming has been environmental education for children. ORION has produced reports on the activities of a city-wide children's ecology club. It has also produced educational segments based on materials and methodologies provided by the club's adult leaders.

Not wanting to overwhelm viewers with the negative aspects of local environmental conditions, ORION has produced a series of meditative films featuring the natural sights and wonders of East Kazakstan. Despite the heavy toll of industry and nuclear testing, the region is still rich in natural beauty and diversity. The Altai mountain range, whose glaciers and peaks rise majestically above the steppe, hills and plains of East Kazakstan, represents the biological border between Europe and Asia. Ridges running south from Mt. Belukha are the Eurasian version of Darwin's Galapagos Islands, each ridge representing a distinct ecological niche, where similar species of insects and flowers evolved into distinct hybrids. The result: a dozen or so "islands" of rich and distinct fauna and flora systems that meld the separate gene pools found on each side of the Altai.

Throughout the year, ORION's production crew can be found in the mountains and forests of East Kazakstan, producing films such as "The Living Waters" or "The Lake of Mountain Spirits," in hopes of promoting public awareness of these unique natural landscape and ecosystems.

Because it addresses the real concerns of residents while attempting to provide both the incentive and means for solving local environmental problems, ORION has slowly evolved into a community-oriented TV station. As ORION has expanded its community network, ecological activists and groups who had formerly worked separately have begun to stop by the office, offering to help produce programs on issues in which they have experience or interest. This informal cooperation has already led to a new group, the Ust Kamenogorsk division of the Moscow-based Socio-Ecological Union, which meets quarterly to discuss ways of networking resources and coordinating joint activities.

The recent successes of ORION have not come easily. Before receiving a grant through ISAR's Seeds of Democracy program, ORION relied on financial and moral support from the Ust Kamenogorsk Museum of Local History and Culture. The museum helped ORION purchase its first audio and video equipment, provided office space and employed several members of ORION's production crew. As ORION's activities expand and it begins to think about next fall's programming, its financial and organizational demands have become greater. Like public television stations in the US, ORION is frequently under pressure to reconcile its noncommercial status with its need to find sustainable sources of funding. In the US, however, support for public television is an institutional tradition among philanthropic organizations. Such traditions, much less organizations, have not yet evolved in Kazakstan. But perhaps because they are less exposed to quality public television programming, Ust Kamenogorsk viewers have warmly greeted ORION's programs as a fresh and stimulating alternative to the overly commercial, violent and stupefying imported fare offered by local commercial television stations.

The path traveled by the members of ORION for the past three years has been a complicated one. ORION's status is still fragile. Rich in enthusiasm, creative ideas, local contacts and experience, it has yet to purchase professional equipment and must rely on the generosity of local TV stations for air time.

In the end, ORION's success has been due to both the producers and the audience. The program creators understand the subtle and challenging task of presenting serious issues through an attractive and stimulating format, and the people of Ust Kamenogorsk are ready and eager to digest this information.

Sergei Shafarenko is the director of ORION. Translated by Andrew Yim.

ORION, Toktarova St. 65, Ust Kamenogorsk 492024, Kazakstan; ph: (3232) 65-24-80; <julia@east.ukg.kz>