Khabar Agency is a media company in Kazakhstan that was established in 1995. It broadcasts in Russian and Kazakh. The company also runs Kazakh TV, a satellite channel that is available in English, Kazakh and Russian across Europe and Asia, as well as the television channel El-Arna.
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 a company fully owned by the Ministry of Culture and Information in Kazakhstan. In September 2023, Kemelbek Oishybayev was appointed Chairman of the Board of Khabar Agency, according to the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan.
Source of funding and budget
Khabar is the second largest recipient of state funding in Kazakhstan. In 2017, it was awarded a state subsidy of KZT 14bn (US$ 42.3m) that covered most of the company’s costs.
Editorial independence
Khabar Agency is a state company tasked to implement the information policy of the Kazakh state. There is no domestic statute and no independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the independence of Khabar Agency.
September 2023