TV-2, one of Russia’s first independent commercial stations, will lose its broadcasting license on 8 February, only five weeks after its terrestrial signal was cut off by the local Tomsk monopoly responsible for broadcasting transmissions. The move will silence one of the last remaining independent broadcasters in the country just months before its 25th anniversary.
Local authorities have refused to review their decision despite a demonstration of more than 4,000 people showing their support for the broadcaster on 1 February.
On November 30, TV-2 was notified by the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network (RTRS), a local division of the state monopoly that owns broadcasting facilities, that it would not be renewing TV-2’s contract when it ended in December. RTRS turned off the station’s signal on 1 January 2015, leaving the company with only cable distribution.
This is not the first time that TV-2 has been involved in a conflict with RTRS. In 2014, TV-2 was not able to broadcast its signal because of repair works at RTRS’ facilities that lasted an unexpectedly long time.
“About a month after we had been switched off the air, because of the long repairs, we started to actively speak out in the press. There were rallies in support of us. Maybe, RTRS perceived that as political pressure and got offended,” Viktor Muchnik, TV-2 Editor-in-Chief told the BBC Russian Service.
Muchnik believes that politics is behind the threatened switch-off. “We can presume that some people do not like some of our reports. For example, the governor [of the Tomsk region]. But I cannot bluntly say that he is in charge of the termination of our broadcasts. I have no proof. I know that the local government often discusses our reports. And many of the reports on everyday issues are considered political. I cannot say who exactly is annoyed with our reports but certain law enforcement agencies send letters about us to the top,” Muchnik said in an interview with the BBC Russian service.
TV and Radio company TV-2 was founded in November 1990 and its first broadcast was on May 15, 1991. The company is the major asset of the Tomsk Media Group holding company which also runs cable channels, an advertising agency and a number of radio stations. Four of the TV-2 team are members of the Russian TV Academy. The company has a reputation for providing accurate and independent news reporting on important political and social issues. It has been awarded 22 TEFI awards by the Russian TV Academy.
RTRS is the Russian-government owned corporation, providing terrestrial air transmission of TV and Radio channels over the whole of the Russian Federation. RTRS was created in August 2001 by decree of Russian president Putin.