Russian opposition to launch online TV, paper says

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Russian opposition intends to set up an online television channel with political content as an alternative to the state-controlled federal channels, RIA Novosti reported citing the Izvestia daily.

Journalists from federal channels have already shown interest in the project, which is expected to go on the air in the fall.

“Our stake will be on good content quality and the picture – this is the way to win people’s sympathies, which will determine the funding of the project,” said an opposition leader and Duma member Dmitry Gudkov. “They will be able to identify the topics and vote for anchors.”

Gudkov said the channel would cost 100 million rubles a month to run. “I think there will be a million people in our country who are ready to chip in 100 rubles each a month for independent and unbiased television,” he said.

Although the programs will be available online only, they will be covered by free copyright, which means any federal or regional channel will be able to use the programs.

“There is a group of professionals who have either been fired or they cannot stand what is happening on the federal channels,” Gudkov said.

The project has attracted the interest of celebrated television personalities such as journalist Andrei Loshak, celebrity Ksenia Sobchak, who is the daughter of President Vladimir Putin’s late St. Petersburg boss, and opposition leader and anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny.

“The people are fed up with entertainment programs, propaganda and senseless trash. And I think there is a demand for sharp political satire, and politicized or pressing social content,” Loshak said.

Ruslan Gattarov of the ruling United Russia party, however, expressed skepticism about the television idea. “The idea sounds great… but it has to be real hard work rather than sheer PR, … which is why I am afraid it might all remain only on paper,” he said.