We urge you: Save Belsat

We call for the preservation of the separate broadcasting of the Belsat TV channel on the satellite, with the preservation of the Belsat brand on the satellite

We respect the wish and right of the Polish authorities to change the format of foreign broadcasting and are grateful for the long-term support of Belsat.

Thanks to it, today Belsat is the most influential Belarusian media centre and also one of the most influential media in the entire post-Soviet space. This would not be possible without the support of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TVP.

"Belsat" has an extensive media content distribution network - two information portals in several languages, 13 channels on YouTube, numerous profiles on social networks.

"Belsat produces 17.5 hours of programming, of which about 13 hours are in Belarusian. The signal is available via satellite and terrestrial transmission and, thanks to the satellite, in the cable networks of many countries in the region.

However, we must express our concern about plans to weaken Belsat. This will be detrimental to Polish and Belarusian interests, especially during Russia's open war against Ukraine. In this regard, we ask you to reconsider the concepts of change. In particular, we urge you to

To invite the management and the team of "Belsat" to create a new regulation of the media centre for abroad. We believe that the know-how of "Belsat" will help to strengthen and expand the new centre.

Maintain the editorial independence of the Belsat television channel, its own personnel policy and the position of the director of Belsat within the framework of the new Media Centre for Foreign Television. If this is not possible, then leave the position of two vice-directors for the management of "Belsat" among the positions of director of the centre and three vice-directors.

Save the separate broadcasting of the Belsat TV channel on the satellite, maintaining the Belsat brand on the satellite.

Do not reduce the duration of "Belsat" broadcasting from the current 13-14 hours of Belarusian broadcasting to 6 hours. This would mean halving the Belarusian language broadcasting.

The number of "Belsat" employees may seem large, but please take into account the fact that the channel has been forced to evacuate about 100 employees from the territory of the Republic of Belarus as a result of repression by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. 17 journalists are being held in Belarusian prisons. We encourage you to use the human potential of "Belsat" for the development of the Media Centre for Abroad.

We also urge you not to carry out mass overt and covert dismissals, layoffs of Belsat employees, including through the elimination of journalistic programmes, editorial offices, departments, including for their position on the future of the TV channel.