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A bill forbidding foreigners to own more than a fifth of all the Russian mass media, the State Duma passed through an accelerated procedure may be adopted by the final on Friday. MPs and close to the government experts do not deny that such an urgent adoption of the document explains the policy – the need to ensure information security of Russia in the confrontation with the West. In this situation, the text of the document is accepted without much discussion – it can only make a technical amendment.
A bill restricting the share of foreign investors in the Russian media 20%, can be adopted by all three readings before the end of this week, not exclude RBC source close to the leadership of the State Duma. About this rapid adoption knows and federal official. The first reading of the bill is scheduled already on Tuesday, September 23. Amendments for the second reading will probably be of a technical nature, believes one of the interlocutors RBC Duma. The fact that the document will be made quickly and without change, RBC sources close to the leadership of the lower chamber, warned last week, when he was introduced.
Consideration of the bill from the beginning passes under an accelerated procedure. On the day of publication on Wednesday the document was sent to the newsletter to interested agencies. On Friday, the Committee on Information Policy recommended the State Duma to pass a bill in the first reading, indicating only a few technical flaws. The first reading was scheduled for the next meeting of the lower house.
Now comes the sanctions confrontation, which makes the Russian leadership to think about the protection of the space, including the information, explains the relevance of the bill head close to the Kremlin’s Civil Society Fund Konstantin Kostin.
A bill introduced by deputies of opposition factions – Vadim Dengina of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Socialist-Revolutionaries and the Communist Vladimir Parakhina Denis Voronenkova, limits the maximum possible share of foreign participation in all Russian media 20%. Now foreigners are not allowed to establish in Russia a TV and radio. In support of the document has already publicly expressed the United Russia party, including the chairman of the State Duma Sergei Naryshkin and Deputy Speaker of the House, a member of the Committee on information policy Sergey Zhelezniak. First vice-president and the likely new head of the Information Policy Committee Leonid Levin also supports the initiative: by such rules are already living other countries, he said RBC. Their support indicates a rapid adoption of the law and its approval by the Kremlin source told RBC, close to the leadership of the State Duma and the presidential administration.
At Friday’s meeting, the relevant committee voted against the only MP Eser, chief editor of “6 acres “Andrew Mists. According to him, the bill has caused a surge disturbances in journalism, and that was the reason for his writing, despite the fact that the nuts for the media in the country and so twisted, – is unclear. The reason the events surrounding the Russian border and the “huge information attack on the country’s leadership,” explained Dengin. According to him, even if the media are purchased as a business, as a result of still falling into the policy. “For me, the country’s security is primary, and business – is secondary” – he said.
The bill will also be a measure to deofshorizatsii Russian media said Dengin. The document will bring out of the shadows of the final beneficiary and to understand who is the customer publications in the media, notes Parahin. According to Levin, the majority of beneficiaries of the Russian media – Russian businessmen owning companies through offshore companies, nothing prevents them from re-register them in Russia.
Amendments to the law “On mass media” affect the four essential broadcasters (STS, “Home” “Pepper” and Disney), the Russian-language version of the Western television channels distributed via cable networks (Discovery, TV 1000, Eurosport, Cartoon Networks, and others.), as well as major publishing houses (Burda, Hearst Shkulev Media, Sanoma Independent Media, Bauer Media “Edipress-Konliga”, etc..). Moreover, if the current version of the Act prohibits a foreigner only direct ownership of media over the stipulated standards, amendments suppress and indirect ownership through a chain of Russian legal entities.
Amendments there right now as a continuation of war by sanctions, tried to explain the logic of the authorities last week top managers of the two media companies. According to them, the main thing now – to give its response to the West, against this background the fate of magazines or TV channels very few people care. Prior to 2016, you may be able to find some sort of solution, there is still time, says an employee of one company with foreign participation.
Svetlana Bocharov, Michael Rubin, Serhiy Sobolev
September 22, 2014
RBC
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