MOSCOW, July 23 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Public Television network, which started broadcasting in late May, is now running out of money, the channel’s chief, Anatoly Lysenko, said Tuesday.
“Our budget is about to run out,” he said.
The channel received more than 1.5 billion rubles ($45 million) in state subsidies last year and is due to get 3 billion rubles in 2014 and 2015. Its management said earlier this year that the channel had enough money to last only until July.
The idea of setting up a public television network whose policy would be governed by the public rather than by the state or the channel owners was put forward in late 2011 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev. Most of Russia’s central television channels are currently owned and controlled by the state.
The Public Television channel, which does not run any commercials, went on the air on May 19 and is currently available free of charge on all Russian cable services as well as via satellite and Internet television. The channel can also be watched on its website: otr-online.ru.
