Russia: Authorities closed independent television with the Siberian Tomsk – Interia

The independent TV2 television broadcasting Tomsk in Siberia withhold the issuance of the January 1, 2015, on the strength of the Russian government decision – announced on Monday, editor-in-chief Viktor Mucznik station. Also criticized the pressure on the independent media in Russia.

The local station TV2, the audience does not exceed 600 thousand. people at the beginning of 2014 has already been removed from the dish for two months due to unspecified problems with the local TV tower. This time the issue is to be withheld permanently from 1 January next year, and from February 1 to disappear TV cable network also.

Mucznik emphasized that television “was constantly subjected to pressure to change the editorial line”. He refused, however, to define television as a “channel of the opposition”. “Just give everyone the opportunity to be said – he explained. – It used to be considered normal, and then began to tell us who we can invite and who not.”

By Mucznika decision to suspend the issue “was made in Moscow”. Representatives of local authorities felt “offended” by TV2 broadcasts programs, and especially by the daily news program, which collected 50-thousand audience – he said. – The political situation has changed, and now all the media are in the process purges – summed up the head of the station.

About 200 employees television has already received the documents formalizing exempting them from work.

In early December, the independent Russian Internet TV Dożd was forced to leave the occupied premises and started broadcasting from a private dwelling. It was the second such case in recent months. Television was under fire for the materials on the 70th anniversary of the break lasting almost 900 days blockade of Leningrad. Sparked outrage survey, which asked whether there should rather give the town the Nazis to save people. The survey caused particular outrage deputies of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, but also fell criticism from representatives of other parties represented in the Duma.

An easy-TV since 2009 Dożd survey found a mistake and apologized to all those who feel touched him, but the largest operators of cable and satellite unilaterally declared the contract with the station.