TV is the most popular source of information among Belarusian citizens, 92,2% watch it daily. It is monopolized by the government and managed by three biggest operator companies: STV, ONT, and BT-1. In the early 2000s, while the Russian mass media dominated in Belarus, it frequently invited Belarusian oppositioners and allowed criticism of Lukashenko. To avoid its influence, in 2002 a special presidential decree established the Second National Channel (BT-2) intending to replace Channel One Russia and also the amount of broadcast time allocated for the hugely popular Russian channels. Nowadays, the Media Law establishes a requirement for all editors of TV programs to ensure that the volume of TV programs of Belarusian (national) production is not less than 30%. Still, according to 2023 BBC analytics, Russian TV channels show higher viewership figures than Belarusian ones.
TV is the most popular source of information among Belarusian citizens, 92,2% watch it daily. It is monopolized by the government and managed by three biggest operator companies: STV, ONT, and BT-1. In the early 2,000s while the Russian mass media dominated in Belarus, it frequently invited Belarusian oppositioners and allowed criticism of Lukashenko. To avoid its influence in 2002 a special presidential decree established the Second National Channel (BT-2) intending to replace Channel One Russia and also the amount of broadcast time allocated for the hugely popular Russian channels. Nowadays, the Media Law establishes a requirement for all editors of TV programs to ensure that the volume of TV programs of Belarusian (national) production is not less ,than 30%. Still, according to 2023 BBC analytics, Russian TV channels show higher viewership figures than Belarusian ones.