Russian Federation

[RU] Decree on Public Broadcasting Signed

IRIS 2012-5:1/36

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

The President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev by his decree of 17 April 2012 set legal conditions to establish a TV channel “Public Television of Russia.” Its aim shall be to inform population “in a timely, trustworthy and all-sided manner on current affairs of domestic and foreign policy, culture, education, sciences, spiritual life and in other spheres.”

A Council on Public Television shall be established within three months to provide “public control over the activity of the TV channel.” Candidates for the Council will be put forward by the citizens, approved by the Public Chamber and then selected by the President from those presented by the Public Chamber. (The Public Chamber of the Russian Federation was created in 2005 by a federal law to facilitate interaction of citizens with the governmental bodies in order to take into account needs and interests of citizens as well as to protect their rights and freedom in the process of lawmaking.) The Council members will be appointed for the period of five years. Public officials, members of the parliament, and members of the Public Chamber shall not be appointed to the Council.

The government shall establish a non-profit autonomous entity to serve as the founder, the editorial office and the broadcaster for the TV channel “Public Television of Russia.” Its top administrative body will be supervisory council appointed by the Council on Public Television for a three-year term. The CEO of the entity, director-general, is to be appointed for a four year term by the President of the Russian Federation. Director-general also serves as the editor-in-chief. The by-laws of the entity are to be approved by the government.

The government shall see into the issue of allocating federal property to be transferred to the new entity. It will also form an endowment to finance the activity of the new TV channel. Initial financing shall come from budget allocations and bank credits.

The Ministry of Defence is to consider mechanisms that the new TV channel is enabled to use the existing distribution network of Zvezda TV company of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

In a separate decree the President amended the list of national mandatory free television and radio channels originally approved in 2009 (see IRIS 2011-7:1/41) to add the TV channel “Public Television of Russia.”

He also announced that the new channel would start broadcasting on 1 January 2013.