TV6 Russia
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TV6 was a commercial television station in Russia. It began functioning in 1993 and was closed by Russian authorities on Tuesday, January 22, 2002.[1][2]
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[edit] Closure
The station lost a court battle on January 11, 2002, over bankruptcy and was put into liquidation unanimously by 14 judges sitting in the supreme arbitration court, overturning a December 29, 2001 lower appeal court decision reviving the channel and ordering a new hearing of the bankruptcy application. Two lower arbitration courts had decided against the network last in the fall of 2001.[3] [4]
An arm of the partly state owned oil company Lukoil, which owns 15% of TV-6, filed the bankruptcy proceedings in 2001. Lukoil used a law that grants shareholders the right to dissolve a company if its net worth falls below a certain level for two years. TV6 stated that its net worth plunged in 1998 but rebounded last year, when the lawsuit was filed, and in 2002 exceeded the legal level. Under a new law which came into force on January 1, 2002, a minority shareholder such as Lukoil can no longer apply for a company to be declared bankrupt. But Lukoil argued that its appeal against the appellate court was valid because the ruling was granted three days before the law came into effect.[3][4]
The electricity was shut off just after midnight, Tuesday, January 22, 2002, in the middle of "Nightingale's Night" program, while a presenter was singing folk ballads with his guest. Within hours of TV6's closure, the station's frequency was allotted to an all-sports station which promised of live coverage of the 2002 Winter Olympics.[2][5]
The staff of the station got a license for a new station, TVS, but because of financial difficulties, this station was also shut down in June 2003.[6]
[edit] Organization
Oligarch Boris Berezovsky owned 75% of TV6's stock. Berezovsky was a political enemy of President Vladimir V. Putin. TV6 was staffed largely by journalists and other employees who resigned in April 2001 when NTV was taken over by the government gas monopoly Gazprom.[2] [3] [5]
[edit] International reaction
US state department representative Richard Boucher responded by stating:
"There's a strong appearance of political pressure in the judicial process against the independent media. Press freedom and the rule of law can be best served by keeping TV-6 on the air."[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ O'Flynn, Kevin (January 24 2002). "TV6's Reality Show Refuses to Accept Reality". The Moscow Times (2366).
- ^ a b c Daniszewski, John (January 23 2002). "Fight Is Vowed by Russian TV Staff; Media: But the mood is funereal as the outspoken station's frequency goes to another channel hours after its closure.". Los Angeles Times: 3.
- ^ a b c Boudreaux, Richard (January 12 2002). "Russia's Last Free Channel Dealt a Blow; Media: Higher court rules that the TV station is insolvent and must be liquidated. Critics say the Kremlin is cracking down on free speech.". Los Angeles Times: 3. States that their were "13 arbitration judges", not 14.
- ^ a b c Traynor, Ian (January 12 2002). "Kremlin's last TV critic silenced: Senior judges put independent station into liquidation". The Guardian: 15.
- ^ a b Nakoryakov, Michael (January 27 2002). "There Is One Russian TV Crew You Won't Be Seeing in S.L.". Salt Lake Tribune: AA3.
- ^ (October 2 2003) "Russia: Rosmediakom to sue former head of TV-6 over non-return of property". BBC Monitoring World Media. Text of report by Russian newspaper Kommersant on 24 September
