Info ministers: language on TV?

The Ministry of Information was asked about the fate of the Belarusian language on television. Although Belarus has two state languages, the number of programs in Belarusian is small. Some channels have no translations into Belarusian at all. In response, Marok Markov emphasized that Belarus lacks public broadcasting and mandatory subscription to RTV. Television channels receive their content mainly from advertising and viewer demand. According to a 2025 sociolinguistic survey conducted by the Institute of Sociolinquistics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, only 1.1% of viewers watch programs in the Belarusian language.

The Ministry of Information sees its role not as forcing an increase in language share, but as encouraging the creation of high-quality, interesting, and competitive content in Belarusian. The full response can be read via the link.

Context

Belarus has two state languages, but television offerings in Belarusian are rare. The television system reflects a market-driven approach by channels and advertising revenues.