KazMedia Center building epitomizes mass media transparency
This glass skyscraper in the Kazakh capital perfectly epitomizes the pillars of modern-day journalism - openness, accessibility and transparency of information. Head of the Central Communications Service Assel Ibrayeva says it was done intentionally. 
The KazakhMedia Center occupies an area of 68,000 square meters that is two buildings of the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation taken together. The building has everything in place for smooth functioning of TV channels, radio stations and producer companies - even a helicopter pad, just in case.
"The building can accommodate up to 4,000 people simultaneously. It's a city within a city," Assel says proudly. 
Presently the building is a home to eight TV channels and three radio stations, namely Khabar Agency JSC (Khabar TV Channel, Khabar 24 TV Channel, Kazakh TV TV Channel), Kazakhstan Republican Television and Radio Corporation (Qazaqstan TV Channel, Balapan TV Channel, KazSport TV Channel, Kazakh radio, Shalkar Radio and Astana Radio), Eurasia TV Channel, and MIR Television and Radio Company. 
The building is modernly equipped. Some 400 highly skilled specialists work on TV and radio shows for top-ranking Kazakhstani TV companies and private production companies round the clock. It has 14 studios, four news studios, two series studios, two sky studios, a virtual studio, a small production studio, four big production pavilions where TV shows are made.
KazMedia Center also boasts a huge sound-recording studio, which has been second to none in the CIS until 2017. Both solo singer and a big orchestra can create a musical masterpiece in the studio with the help of 96 (!) sound tracks.
The building also has a fully automated studio which is used by the 24-hour Khabar 24 TV Channel. 
According to Erlik Karazhan, Deputy General Director for Strategic Development and International Cooperation, the studio has no analogues in the CIS. It used to take dozens of people to make a news show, and now there is only a TV host and a producer. The studio does all the work," he adds.
Two sky studios on the 22nd floor and a conference hall on the 21st floor are considered to be the most spectacular rooms in the building offering a sweeping view of the left bank of Astana city. 
The largest pavilions are located on the first floor. This is where the most popular TV series and talk shows in Kazakhstan are made.
A 888-seat cinema theater can be found on the first floor of KazMedia Center as well. It plays a host to concerts, forums, official meetings. For instance, it hosted the nationwide teleconference with President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the awarding ceremony of the Altyn Sapa Presidential Award, Eurasian Media Forum, and Astana Media Week. 
The awarding ceremony of the first national television award Tumar was held there as well.
The building is also a home to the Central Communications Service of the Ministry of Information and Communications which regularly holds press conferences of ministers, public figures, government officials and more.
Acting General Director Raikhan Abdesheva says when the building was put into service and rented out there was a lot of vacant space and now there no spare room. "A lot of private production companies want to move into the building to be close to all TV channels. This is the place where you bump into anyone from media faces to TV stars to public figures," she adds.
