Culture Ministry supports Russian-language TV channel

TALLINN - Next year, a public Russian-language TV channel ETV3 is planned to be created and on the air in Estonia. However, before this happens, the existing Public Broadcasting Russian media channels need to be strengthened, the Russian-language information space development committee that convened on May 19 in the Culture Ministry decided, reports Public Broadcasting.

The committee included journalism professors, Russian language TV program hosts, TV experts and even the Security Police deputy director.
After three hours of discussion, it was decided to make a proposal to the Minister of Culture to form a Russian language TV channel on the basis of Public Broadcasting.

“Radio 4 is the only channel that has secured itself a permanent Russian-speaking audience and has achieved this with its continuous work. If we look at how ETV has cut Russian-language shows that have started out very strong, we see that there was potential. As far as I understand, money was the reason,” said Tartu University professor emeritus Marju Lauristin, who has taught hundreds of Estonian journalists.

Eesti Ekspress weekly newspaper journalist Viktoria Ladonskaja, who has hosted two Russian-language TV shows and one magazine, says that the problem was that the majority of those projects were ones supported by the Integration Fund – and since they were projects, they eventually came to an end.

Before launching a new TV channel, the current Russian-language capabilities of Estonian Public Broadcasting should be strengthened, said the committee’s chairman, Culture Ministry Chancellor Paavo Nogene.
The Commission’s views will be formed into a Ministry of Culture proposal to be presented to the government.