Media assets

Television: Qazaqstan, Qazsport, Balapan, Abai TV

Radio: Qazaq Radiosi, Shalkar, Astana, Classic

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

RTRK is wholly government-owned, with the Ministry of Information and Public Development of Kazakhstan as its sole shareholder. The highest governing entity is the Board of Directors, whose members are handpicked by the government. Daily operations are managed by the Management Board, which implements the corporation’s policies and plans in line with national legislation and RTRK’s charter. Day-to-day management rests with the Management Board, led since April 2019 by Lyazzat Muratkyzy Tanysbay.

Source of funding and budget

RTRK’s operations are financed predominantly through direct subsidies from the national budget. In 2017, RTRK received a state subsidy of KZT 19 billion (approx. US$ 57.3 million), the largest allocation to any media outlet that year. In 2020, its reported budget rose to KZT 22 billion (approx. US$ 52 million), according to the company’s annual report. No more recent publicly disclosed financial data was identified as of mid-2025.

Editorial independence

RTRK’s formal mandate is to implement the information policy of the Kazakh state. While the corporation operates under a charter, it contains no explicit safeguards for editorial independence. There is no independent oversight body to assess or guarantee editorial autonomy, and available evidence indicates that programming content broadly aligns with government narratives.

August 2025

Media assets

Television: Khabar TV, Kazakh TV, El-Arna

News portal: 24.kz

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Khabar Agency is wholly owned by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information. In September 2023, Kemelbek Oishybayev took the helm as Chairman of the Board, as confirmed by the Ministry.

Source of funding and budget

As a state-funded entity, Khabar Agency relies heavily on government subsidies. In 2017, it was the second-largest recipient of state funding, receiving approximately 14 billion Kazakh tenge (roughly USD 42.3 million), which covered a substantial share of its operating costs, the most recent public data available on that front.

Editorial independence

Khabar Agency carries out the informational directives of the Kazakh government, and—based on the latest publicly available research—no domestic legal framework or independent oversight mechanism has been identified to safeguard its editorial autonomy.

August 2025

Media assets

Television: Eurasia Channel 1

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Eurasia Channel One is jointly owned by the governments of Kazakhstan and Russia. According to an AidData media ownership profile, Kazakhstan holds roughly an 80 % stake, with the remaining 20 % held by Russian interests via various entities (government of Russia, VTB Bank, National Media Group and Sogaz).

The Kazakh government has been planing since December 2023 to buy out the 20% Russian share in Channel One Eurasia as part of efforts to reduce reliance on Russian content and bolster domestic programming. This plan is still pending, according to journalists in Kazakhstan interviewed for this report in May 2025.

Source of funding and budget

Concrete figures on government subsidies to Channel One Eurasia remain unknown. Interviews with journalists in Astana conducted in April 2024 in Astana indicate the channel is entirely financed by public funds.

Editorial independence

There remains no evidence of statutory safeguards ensuring editorial independence for Eurasia Channel One. No oversight bodies or independent assessments have been identified in support of editorial autonomy. The channel continues to be widely regarded as a platform that advances content aligned with Russian government perspectives rather than serving as a robustly independent broadcaster.

August 2025

Kazinform traces its roots to the Orenburg‑Turgai department of the Russian Telegraph Agency (ROSTA). It underwent successive rebrands—from KazROST (from 1925), to KazTAG (1937), and, following Kazakhstan’s independence, ultimately became Kazinform in 2002. In 2019, a government decree merged it with Kazcontent JSC, forming Kazinform International Information Agency JSC. By 2022, it was brought under the aegis of the Presidential Property Management Department, and since 2023 it has functioned within the Television and Radio Complex of the President, which also runs the television channel Jibek Joly (formerly QazaqTV). The Complex also owns the Documentary Film Center, producing and archiving documentary content.

Media assets

News agency: Kazinform

Television: Jibek Joly

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Kazinform is owned and operated by Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (often abbreviated as the President’s TV & Radio Complex or TRK President).

Source of funding and budget

The activities of the media outlets run by the Television and Radio Complex of the President are fully financed from the government budget, according to information from the organization.

Editorial independence

According to interviews with Kazakh journalists in May 2024 and march 2025, Kazinform adheres strictly to government‑approved editorial lines. There is no domestic legal safeguard or independent mechanism to assess or guarantee its editorial autonomy.

August 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Kazakhskaya Pravda, Egemen Qazaqstan, Ana tili, Tenge monitor, Uygur avazi, Akikat, Urker, Liter

Radio: Radio NS

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

These outlets, among others, act as extensions of the state, with editorial direction flowing straight from the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Source of funding and budget

According to local experts interviewed in May 2024 and March 2025, government‑run print media are chiefly financed through state budget subsidies, leaving them financially tethered to the political establishment. This monetary lifeline gives the government considerable leverage over their content—effectively ensuring that editorial comfort stays locked in tune with the official line.

Editorial independence

Government‑run print media operate under a regime of state‑mandated regulations requiring strict alignment with government policies and interests. There is no domestic legislation guaranteeing editorial independence, nor is there any independent oversight to validate editorial autonomy—making these outlets a mouthpiece for state messaging by default.

August 2025

Media assets

State Media Matrix Typology: Removed in 2023

There is no domestic statute and no independent assessment or oversight mechanism for the media outlets run by the former president to validate the editorial independence of these outlets.

August 2024