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The New Patriotic Channel
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=518&ncid=732&e=10&u=/ap/20050221/ap_on_re_eu/russia_military_tv
Russia Launches 'Patriotic' TV Channel
By MARIA DANILOVA, Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW - Russia's Defense Ministry has launched experimental broadcasts of a new TV channel intended to boost military prestige and counter negative reports of hazing, desertions and corruption in the armed forces, its creators said Monday.
The new channel — Zvezda (news - web sites) or "Star" — is aimed at developing "the feeling of national pride among its citizens ... a feeling of responsibility for Russia's fate and pride for the nation's great historic past and belief in its future," producers said in a news release.
The station was test-launched on Sunday and will initially be broadcast in the Moscow region, said Sergei Savushkin, the channel's director, at the opening ceremony Monday. Later this spring, Zvezda is expected to begin operating in many other of Russia's 89 regions.
"Zvezda is about the belief that our country is the most beautiful in the world, that our history is the most heroic and that the future is in our hands," said Ivan Kononov, a TV journalist and one of Zvezda's creators.
The demoralized and underfunded Russian military is plagued by numerous desertions, suicides and other violent incidents, including vicious hazing by older conscripts. Military officials, including Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, have sought to boost the army's prestige, and President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) has called for cultivating a sense of patriotism among Russia's youth.
Savushkin said the channel will dedicate 10 percent of its programs to military topics — movies, documentaries, talk shows and a planned reality show detailing the lives of conscripts in barracks. Savushkin added that Zvezda will also appeal to a broader audience with children's programs, sports coverage and music shows. No news programs are planned for the first year.
All of Russia's four television channels are either owned or tightly controlled by the government, prompting critics to express doubt over the need for yet another TV channel promoting state views.
But Savushkin stressed that Zvezda was not funded from state coffers other than using the Defense Ministry's technical equipment. He said Zvezda was a "commercial venture" operating on investors' money, but he didn't specify who the investors were.
Anna Kachkayeva, a TV analyst for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said the project's goals as well as its prospects were "very unclear."
"You cannot promote patriotism only on one channel," Kachkayeva told The Associated Press. "The project is either intended to serve someone's private interests or the Defense Ministry is trying to prove that it didn't get the frequency in vain."
Kachkayeva also questioned the claim that Zvezda would operate as a private channel, saying that the project would require massive state funding and resources, which could be put to better use — such as providing housing to cash-strapped officers.
Zvezda producers pledged the channel would not only praise the armed forces, but would also have coverage critical.
"But we won't paint the picture only in black colors as is usually done now — we will tell the true story," said Alexander Lebedev, head of the Defense Ministry's TV and radio operation.
Russia Launches 'Patriotic' TV Channel
By MARIA DANILOVA, Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW - Russia's Defense Ministry has launched experimental broadcasts of a new TV channel intended to boost military prestige and counter negative reports of hazing, desertions and corruption in the armed forces, its creators said Monday.
The new channel — Zvezda (news - web sites) or "Star" — is aimed at developing "the feeling of national pride among its citizens ... a feeling of responsibility for Russia's fate and pride for the nation's great historic past and belief in its future," producers said in a news release.
The station was test-launched on Sunday and will initially be broadcast in the Moscow region, said Sergei Savushkin, the channel's director, at the opening ceremony Monday. Later this spring, Zvezda is expected to begin operating in many other of Russia's 89 regions.
"Zvezda is about the belief that our country is the most beautiful in the world, that our history is the most heroic and that the future is in our hands," said Ivan Kononov, a TV journalist and one of Zvezda's creators.
The demoralized and underfunded Russian military is plagued by numerous desertions, suicides and other violent incidents, including vicious hazing by older conscripts. Military officials, including Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, have sought to boost the army's prestige, and President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) has called for cultivating a sense of patriotism among Russia's youth.
Savushkin said the channel will dedicate 10 percent of its programs to military topics — movies, documentaries, talk shows and a planned reality show detailing the lives of conscripts in barracks. Savushkin added that Zvezda will also appeal to a broader audience with children's programs, sports coverage and music shows. No news programs are planned for the first year.
All of Russia's four television channels are either owned or tightly controlled by the government, prompting critics to express doubt over the need for yet another TV channel promoting state views.
But Savushkin stressed that Zvezda was not funded from state coffers other than using the Defense Ministry's technical equipment. He said Zvezda was a "commercial venture" operating on investors' money, but he didn't specify who the investors were.
Anna Kachkayeva, a TV analyst for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said the project's goals as well as its prospects were "very unclear."
"You cannot promote patriotism only on one channel," Kachkayeva told The Associated Press. "The project is either intended to serve someone's private interests or the Defense Ministry is trying to prove that it didn't get the frequency in vain."
Kachkayeva also questioned the claim that Zvezda would operate as a private channel, saying that the project would require massive state funding and resources, which could be put to better use — such as providing housing to cash-strapped officers.
Zvezda producers pledged the channel would not only praise the armed forces, but would also have coverage critical.
"But we won't paint the picture only in black colors as is usually done now — we will tell the true story," said Alexander Lebedev, head of the Defense Ministry's TV and radio operation.
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