Russia to Fund Crimean Tatar TV After Forcing Independent Tatar Channel to Close

[pampango]

A member of the local Tatar community waving a Ukrainian flag in protest of secession from Ukraine.

An independent television station run by Crimean Tatars that was taken off air this month will be replaced by a Russian government-sponsored channel, Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov said this week. The Tatar channel ATR, which broadcast in Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar, went off air on April 1 after its attempts to register for a broadcast license with Russian authorities were repeatedly rejected. The channel had occasionally been critical of the new authorities.

Given the Russian government's practice of keeping a tight grip on television news, the new channel could be used as a powerful tool to mollify Tatars, many of whom reject Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine last year.

In the run-up to ATR's closure, Aksyonov said the existence of a channel that created social tension by giving hope that Crimea would return to Ukraine was “unacceptable.” He said former ATR employees would be welcome to join the project — provided they toe the political line.

The entire Tatar population was deported from Crimea by the Soviet government in the 1940s. The community was not allowed to return until the late 1980s.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-to-fund-crimean-tatar-tv-after-forcing-independent-channel-to-close/519133.html

[snooper2]

1. Asshole Pootie strikes again!

Well, at least Maduro is proud of him LOL

[SidDithers]

2. Surely this is the fault of the West, somehow...

probably something to do with "Virginia" Nuland's cookies.

Sid

[DetlefK]

3. +1

[NuclearDem]

4. It's the Tatars' fault.

They decided to be non-Slavic in a place Russia wants control over.