The government asks them to renew their licenses.
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Enlightenment and Youth suspended the broadcasting of 29 channels as they have failed to renew their licenses, according to a statement from the culture ministry.
The General Directorate of Information and Publishing of the KRG Ministry of Culture issued an administrative decree that bans the broadcasting of 29 local TV channels.
The decree dated today, January 16, 2023, issued under No. 112, states that pursuant to Article 3, paragraph 1, Point 5 of Directive No. 1 of 2014 of the Ministry of Culture and Youth on "Guidelines for Regulation of Space Frequency in the Kurdistan Region."
The Publishing and Information department says in the decree, “because the channels listed below have not renewed their licenses, we have decided to suspend normal broadcasting until they renew their licenses.”
There are many TV stations in the Kurdistan region that are largely unregulated and are owned by different political parties or large businesses. Many of them are local stations that generally air entertainment content such as foreign and locally produced, series, movies and music.
The decree includes the names of the following broadcasters;
1- Niga
2. Niga Minalan
3- Niga Film
4- Biaban
5- Biaban Film
6- Biaban Sports
7- Biaban Muzik
8- Never
9- Aso Sport
10. I Movies
11- Jihan
12- Minara
13- Khezan
14. Democracy
15- Best
16- Asman
17- Effect
18- Judy
19- Laww
20- Max
21- Srusht
22- Kurdin
23- Yakgrtu
24- Binin
25- Baby Panda
26- Kaziwa
27- Azadi
28- Azadi Sports
29- Zhyar.