Kurdistan - Medya-TV

The TV station that has replaced Med-TV, the station that used to drive the Turkish government wild. Med-TV was the voice of the Kurdish rebel movement: the PKK. To the acute embarrassment of the British government it was broadcast from London. The station was named after the Medes (the ancient name for the Kurds). But the guys overstepped the mark when Osman Ocalan got on the blower-after his big brother was snatched by the Turks-and in typical Ocalan family style ranted and raved that everything was a "target." The Brits quickly closed it down on the grounds of "incitement to violence." As you may have guessed from the name, Medya-TV is a similar operation, but only broadcasts eight hours a day and has two nice men from Britain's Independent Television Commission checking all the programs for content.

For millions of Kurds, though, the TV station still defines them and gives them a sense of cultural identity. Tune in any time and you'll be able to find out just how splendidly the PKK's latest offensive is going, combined with tirades of anti-Turkish polemic.

Medya Broadcasting Ltd.

The Linen Hall

162-168 Regent Street

London W1R 5AT

Tel.: [44] (171) 494-2523

Fax: [44] (171) 494-2528

E-mail: med@med-tv.be

Web Site: http://www.ibibe/med/www/intro.htm

MED-TV is broadcast on Intelsat and Eutelsat (ESC II F2 transponder 25, 10 degrees east; downlink frequency 10971.667 MHz [P-V] polarization vertical) between 1400 and 2300 GMT.