Demokrasi İçin Birlik (Unity for Democracy, DİB) has published a research paper revealing how far removed from impartiality television channels are. According to DİB’s research results that focus on the broadcast of 17 national channels including the state television, TRT; almost no time is allocated on discussion programs and news bulletins to those who argue for ‘No’ at the upcoming referendum. The research also reveals how all television channels overlook the HDP.
DİB has carried out a research project focusing on the broadcast of 17 national television channels including the state channel TRT 1, and also the private channels Kanal D, CNN Türk, Fox Tv, HaberTürk. Within the scope of the project that was carried out in March 2017 on the basis of the broadcast, for 10 and 20-day periods of 17 national channels; the duration allocated for four political parties, AKP, MHP, CHP and HDP, and also the president and his advisors on the news and on live broadcasts, interviews and discussion programs with guests was examined. The data that has emerged is quite striking.
470-and-a-half hours of live broadcast for the President and the AKP, none for HDP!
The outcome of the research project reveals how biased and impartial television channels are regarding live broadcast time. From 01 to 10 March 2017, on live broadcast programs, the presidency was allocated 169 hours, the 301,5 hours, while the MHP was given 15,5 hours. The CHP, which has declared it will vote NO in the referendum was allocated 45,5 hours. The HDP, the People’s Democratic Party was allocated no time at all.
136-and-a-half hours on the news for the President and the AKP, 33 minutes for HDP!
The partial and biased broadcast of television channels was visible in news bulletins as well. From 01 to 10 March 2017, on news bulletins on the referendum focusing on rallies and speeches, the presidency was allocated 53,5 hours, the AKP 83 hours, the MHP 14,5 hours and the CHP 17 hours. The HDP was allocated a mere 33 minutes...
No right to speak for HDP either
Not only on live broadcast and the news, but also on discussion programs, the HDP was not allocated a voice. From 1 to 20 March 2017, on live broadcasts, the President himself featured 3 times, his advisors 17 times, the Prime Minister twice, government and AKP representatives, MPs and mayors 113 (one-hundred-and-thirteen) times, the CHP Chairperson once, CHP representatives 19 times, and MHP representatives 7 times, whereas the HDP was invited to no live broadcast programs at all during this period.
No opposition on the TRT
The findings regarding the TRT, a public institution expected to impartially serve the public interest, reveal how impartial and biased the TRT’s broadcast policy has become. When live broadcasts, interviews, discussion programs with guests and parliamentary group meetings and news on political rallies are included, on the TRT News, during the period from 1 to 20 March; the president and his advisors were allocated a total of 20,8 hours, while 42 hours were allocated to the AKP. Thus, while a total of 62,8 hours were allocated to the president and the AKP in 20 days, the MHP was allocated 48 minutes, and the CHP 3,2 hours. The HDP was given not even a single minute.
You may find the details of the DIB research (in Turkish) here.
23 March 2017