Qazaqstan Radio and Television Corporation (RTRK)

The Qazaqstan Radio and Television Corporation (RTRK) remains among Kazakhstan’s most prominent state broadcasters. It oversees four national television channels—Qazaqstan, Qazsport, Balapan, and Abai TV—alongside four radio stations: Qazaq Radiosy, Shalkar, Astana, and Classic. Additionally, the corporation operates around 14 regional television outlets

Media assets

Television: Qazaqstan, Qazsport, Balapan, Abai TV

Radio: Qazaq Radiosi, Shalkar, Astana, Classic

State Media Matrix Typology

Ownership and governance

RTRK is wholly government-owned, with the Ministry of Information and Public Development of Kazakhstan as its sole shareholder. The highest governing entity is the Board of Directors, whose members are handpicked by the government. Daily operations are managed by the Management Board, which implements the corporation’s policies and plans in line with national legislation and RTRK’s charter. Day-to-day management rests with the Management Board, led since April 2019 by Lyazzat Muratkyzy Tanysbay.

Source of funding and budget

RTRK’s operations are financed predominantly through direct subsidies from the national budget. In 2017, RTRK received a state subsidy of KZT 19 billion (approx. US$ 57.3 million), the largest allocation to any media outlet that year. In 2020, its reported budget rose to KZT 22 billion (approx. US$ 52 million), according to the company’s annual report. No more recent publicly disclosed financial data was identified as of mid-2025.

Editorial independence

RTRK’s formal mandate is to implement the information policy of the Kazakh state. While the corporation operates under a charter, it contains no explicit safeguards for editorial independence. There is no independent oversight body to assess or guarantee editorial autonomy, and available evidence indicates that programming content broadly aligns with government narratives.

August 2025