Bayrak

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name = Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation

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foundation = 1963
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location = North Cyprus
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homepage = http://www.brtk.cc
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Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation (In Turkish: "Bayrak Radyo Televizyon Kurumu"), is the official radio and television broadcasting corporation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

History

The establishment of BRT dates back to the events of December 1963 when intercommunal violence between the Greek and Turkish communities effectively ended co-operative ventures. Until that time, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) had been jointly run by Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Therefore, in the eyes of the Turkish community, it became urgent for them to have their own radio station as the Greek Cypriots had taken over the CyBC, forcing out the Turkish Cypriot empoloyees in the process.

Bayrak Radio was established on December 25, 1963 to voice the cause of the Turkish Cypriot people following its exclusion from CyBC, and the Cypriot Government. Bayrak Radio actually began as a clandestine homemade station, put together with a few pieces of homemade electrical equipment, which was powered by a car battery. It started transmitting within a limited radius of 2.5 km from a small garage in the back yard of a house in Nicosia. By February 1964, Radio Bayrak’s transmission could be listened to from across the whole island.

Up to 1966 Bayrak Radio was broadcasting in Turkish, English and Greek on a single channel. After that, it had expanded to broadcast through two channels. Despite its limited means, Radio Bayrak continued to voice the Turkish Cypriot viewpoint in the face of repeated Greek Cypriot efforts to silence the station. Following the Turkish Military Invasion in 1974, Bayrak Radio was restructured into a corporation.

Carrying out its first black and white television broadcast on July 19, 1976 - with studio equipment dismantled and brought in from Diyarbakir, Turkey - Bayrak Radio took on its current name of "Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation". The transmission went to (PAL) colour in 1979. As from March 1983, it began transmitting in FM Radio stereo.

BRTK produces its own news with the aim of distributing information about the Turkish Cypriots throughout the world via satellite, also via the internet. The quality of its internet broadcasting has been increased accordingly. Interested persons can read and hear the news in English, Greek, Russian, German, and Arabic on certain hours of the day.

BRTK has been autonomous since 1983.

In addition to the Turkish language "BRT 1" and the mainly English language "BRT 2" Television channels, BRTK also operates five radio stations: Bayrak Radio, Bayrak FM, Baryak International, Bayrak Classic FM and Bayrak Turkish Music.

BRTK launched its internet website in 1997. In addition to the internet, BRT 1 TV, Bayrak Radio and Bayrak International can be watched and listened internationally via satellite.

Programming Information

BRTK broadcasts news, sports, arts, women's hour, talks, educational, cultural, entertainment and other social events programmes on both TV and Radio.

The radio transmits on three channels: Channel I for broadcasts in Turkish, Channel II for foreign language programmes (mainly English and Greek), and Channel III for music.

The radio transmission reaches the whole of the Middle East, while television transmission covers all of Cyprus, southern Turkey, Lebanon and western Syria.

Online Services

Bayrak's web site now has live feeds that enable internat users to watch Bayrak TV and listen to Bayrak radio channels.

Republic of Cyprus attitude to BRT

The internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus government regards BRT as a 'pirate broadcaster,' and prefaces any quotes from BRT in their own news releases with the phrase 'Illegal Bayrak Television.' [http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/]

External links

* [http://www.brtk.cc/index.php/lang/tr/ Official site] tr icon
* [http://www.brtk.cc/index.php/lang/en Official site] en icon
* [http://www.brtk.cc/index.php/lang/gr Official site] gr icon
* [http://www.brtk.cc/index.php/lang/fr Official site] fr icon
* [http://www.bayrakline.com Bayrak ]