#11
gazeta.ru
March 29, 2002
Self-Censorship to Contribute to Democracy
By Ivan Chelnok

Founders of the non-commercial partnership Media-Socium have shared their vision of the new TV6 channel at a conference at the Ekho Moskvy radio station. Chairman of Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Yevgeniy Primakov, leader of the Russian business union Arkadiy Volsky and the star anchorman/chief editor of TV6 Yevgeniy Kiselyov promised to create a truly democratic TV channel subject only to ''internal self-censorship.''

The day after the Media Socium won the right to broadcast on the 6th channel and subsequent celebration of their triumph, sponsors and journalists of the new channel held a radio conference, whereat they promised that they would try to get the new station up and running as soon as possible. According to the TV6 chief editor, the channel may resume broadcasting “at the end of April – early May, provided things go well”.

However, earlier, in an interview to Gazeta.Ru correspondent TV6 chief editor admitted that before his team returns on air, a certain amount of legal paperwork needs to be done. The Press Ministry is about to grant Media-Socium a temporary broadcasting license shortly. Yet, the problem is that Russian law lacks legal procedures for issuing such thing as “a temporary broadcasting license”.

But apparently now that the bid is won, Yevgeniy Kiselyov is no longer concerned over the lawfulness of the Press Ministry’s actions. “I rely on the Press Ministry. What it decides, so be it,” said the chief editor of the future TV6. It is equally noteworthy, that ever since his team was pronounced the winner, Yevgeniy Kiselyov has changed the tune of his statements concerning the state authorities. Now he sounds more diplomatic.

“I have not changed my opinion concerning what was going on around TV6 and NTV. Of course, there was a political component in the TV6 case, and it was very strong,” Kiselyov said. “But in the end there was a court ruling that was not quite lawful. Still, we are law-abiding people: the ruling was made by the higher arbitration instance”.

When asked what happens if the court upholds the claim recently filed by the former TV6 owner Boris Berezovsky and cancels the earlier order on the TV6 closure, Yevgeniy Kiselyov suggested that however hard the tycoon tries, in the long run his moves will prove futile.

Now that the owner of his channel has changed, Yevgeniy Kiselyov is faced with a new challenge. He ought to establish and to maintain a good working relationship with Yevgeniy Primakov, to whom, beyond doubt, TV6 team owes the victory.

At the radio conference on Thursday Yevgeniy Primakov first raised the issue of censorship. “The partnership is to sign an agreement with the staff of journalists who will work on the TV6 channel”, Primakov said. “The agreement will outline the principles of the company’s work, and the areas in which this company will work. I hope it will make provision for a certain degree of censorship.”

TV6 chief editor immediately objected to that reminding that the censorship is prohibited by law.

“The censorship must be internal,” Primakov continued, seemingly oblivious to Kiselyov’s remark. “It will be internal censorship for the people who do the work. I don't think Kiselyov, a man who has earned his authority, a fine public speaker, will be taking his clothes off, while on air. He will exercise internal restraint over this. I say that internal censorship is necessary - internal censorship, not one imposed from outside, but internal censorship”.

“Call it self-censorship, if you like,” Primakov continued. “There is nothing dangerous about that, on the contrary, self-censorship is a guarantee against any danger”.

Sharing his ideas concerning the editorial policy of the new channel Yevgeniy Kiselyov underscored the importance of making “a clear-cut distinction between the news and views”. Neither Primakov, nor Kiselyov made a secret of the fact that their standpoints on certain political matters may differ, yet both are positive that such difference of opinion is not likely to stir up dissension between the partnership and the journalists.

In the end, Primakov and Volsky assured the audience that the new TV6 will be a truly democratic channel. The team must not be subject to any pressure from the state nor from the oligarchs, who sponsor the project, Primakov said.