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gazeta.ru
February 6, 2002
Minister Admits Threat To Press Freedom In Russia
By Ivan Chelnok
Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin made two sensational statements. Firstly, he admitted that there is threat to the freedom of press in Russia, and this threat comes from the private owners of media outlets. Secondly, he said that the director general of Gazprom’s media holding Boris Jordan together with a Russian banker, has bought Vladimir Gusinsky’s share in NTV. Boris Jordan, however, immediately refuted the minister’s statement as “not true” and expressed regret the public is being misled by rumours.
On Wednesday the Press Minister appeared before the lower house to answer the deputies’ questions. Addressing the house, the minister admitted that there is a real threat to the freedom of speech in Russia, adding that the freedom of speech remains heavily dependent on the issue of ownership.
Mikhail Lesin is convinced that the threat to the press freedom emanates from private owners, who introduce censorship in their media outlets.
In the minister’s opinion, one of the key mistakes of the past years is the failure of the state leadership to work out its own strategy of media market development. The political interests pursued by the state in that sphere often prevailed over the economic component, he said. But, he remarked with satisfaction, now the situation improves gradually.
Lesin denied rumours that the fate of the TV6 channel, or more specifically, the frequency on which it used to broadcast, has been predetermined. Such statements are nothing but "lies and slander", he said.
The minister pledged to apply all efforts to ensure that the work of the tender commission set up by the Russian government would be transparent so as to avoid speculations.
The minister did not even rule out the possibility of public control over the commission's activity, including supervision by deputies.
Answering questions from deputies critical of the state-owned television, the minister reminded them that editorial policy is defined by the chief editor of the media in question. As a minister, he has no right to interfere or to use administrative resources in dealings with an editor.
His second statement came after the minister left the Duma conference hall and appeared before the press.
Mikhail Lesin told reporters that the director general of Gazprom’s media holding Boris Jordan together with a Russian banker, has bought Vladimir Gusinsky’s 30% share in NTV. Gusinsky had retained the stake in the channel, after Gazprom took over the most of his media empire over debts in April last year.
Asked by Interfax how true the information was, Lesin said: "If I didn't believe it, I would not be talking about it”.
But almost as soon as he said that Boris Jordan refuted the minister’s statement. It is not true, Jordan said, adding: “It’s a pity that the public is being mislead”.
In an exclusive comment for NTVRU.com web-site Vladimir Gusinsky called the minister’s words “wishful thinking”. “Neither I, nor my partners know anything about an offer to sell part of media assets to Mr.Jordan and to a mysterious “Russian banker”,” Gusinsky said.
Earlier, media repeatedly named among the possible future owners of the NTV such figures as the chief of Mezhprombank Sergei Pugachev, Alfa-Bank’s chairman Mikhail Fridman, and Boris Jordan, whose brother Nicholas Jordan heads a representation office of the Deutsche Bank in London.
Mezhprombank’s Sergei Pugachev, who has become a senator recently (he represents the Republic of Tuva in the Federation Council), is said to be one of the president Vladimir Putin’s closest friends, and, according to some sources, has played an important role in the NTV conflict last year.
Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper wrote that in many respects namely owing to Pugachev the Kremlin and the gas giant adopted a more “careful and balanced” approach to evaluation of assets of the media empire that once used to belong to Gusinsky.
Gazeta.Ru wrote that Alfa-Bank also could be one of the possible buyers. Gazeta.Ru sources said that Fridman had authorized the first chief of the Kremlin staff Vladislav Sourkov to represent his interests in negotiating the deal. Sourkov used to work for that bank before.
Moreover, in 2001 Alfa-Bank extended a $12 million loan to NTV, arousing speculation that that in the long run the bank would like to take control over the channel.
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