One more outrageous attempt to curb mass media in supposedly democratic Kyrgyzstan was made last night. This time an assault was aimed at the facilities of the TV station Pyramid in Bishkek. According to RFERL newsagency 3 people wearing masks stormed Pyramid’s transmitting tower, where technical stuff was installing new equipment that was earlier stolen from the TV company, which thus was forced out of air for a couple of months. Assaulters attacked Pyramid’s technicians and injured them plus they put on fire equipment worth $200 000 that has recently been purchased by the company wiling to resume regular broadcasts.

In fact, Pyramid (the oldest independent channel in Kyrgyzstan) started experiencing problems 2 years ago. At that time the channel had a reputation of an unbiased independent TV company that was extremely popular among viewers and respected by colleagues. In the light of upcoming elections at that period the government of Askar Akaev was not favoring any indications of free thinking and expressing any ideas other that official ones.

In March 2004 Pyramid got attacked for the first time. The scheme than was very similar to what happened on September 27,2006- company’s equipment at the transmitting tower was disabled and Pyramid went off air for 2 month. The broadcasting was resumed when American financier George Soros visited Kyrgyzstan, allegedly, asking Akaev to stop being hard on independent broadcaster. In the course of the past 2 years Pyramid has been shifting loyalty several times in an attempt to survive in rapidly changing political conditions. The reputation of the company was ruined, most prominent journalist have left Pyramid, not willing to comply with new rules.

And even in this situation Pyramid continued being chased. After the tulip revolution it was announced that freedom of the press remains valued in Kyrgyzstan though officials hurried to dissociate themselves from any problematic issues in this area. Problems of Pyramid that within a year was sold to the close affiliates of Aydar Akaev (son of the ex - president of Kyrgyzstan) and than was resold, after Akaev’s family fled the country, started being characterized as purely commercial issues, having nothing to do with politics. Though, observing the dynamics of the extermination process one could hardly believe that it is all about money and individual spheres of influence. Even though commercial interest are definitely at stake in the case of Pyramid TV station.

The latest incident with destroying recently purchased Pyramid’s equipment may signify two things:
A) Authorities are still scared stiff of the influence of the company and thus don’t want to let Pyramid on air (which is unlikely, because Pyramid’s content and programming quality at the present shape can hardly pose any challenge to ruling elites due to the low quality of the coverage and the lack of qualified personnel)
B) Chaotic after-revolution period has produced a situation where all arguments are only solved by the criminal means. There are evidences backing this version, since multiple criminal assaults and cases mainly remain uninvestigated and unpunished in Kyrgyzstan since the new regime took over. Thus it is not even about the authorities imposing restrictions on the freedom of speech (which is becoming the vaguest notion) but rather about official power being unable to deal with criminal in all spheres of life.

We can also opt for merging these options and than we get one more, rather scary explanation. Variant C- authorities are so unwilling to hear any alternative viewpoints and opinions that they use criminal means to curb mass media all around the place.
Concluding, it’s necessary to emphasize the incident with Pyramid is not just an incident with one TV station that fell out of favor at the given period of time. It is a testimony for the fact that the press in our “free-spirited” society currently has two existential choices: to function under the criminal pressure (not necessarily having political ties) or to not exist at all.