Russia’s two leading broadcasters Channel One and VGTRK are to each receive an additional R3.5 billion (€56.8 million) in state subsidies.
According to Kommersant, the funding was approved by the Duma budget committee following a proposal from Leonid Levin, the head of the committee on information policy.
In it, he explained the necessity of “a substantial increase in information broadcast” channels and to provide Russian citizens with an objective picture of what is happening not only in their own country but also around the world.
The committee on information policy believes the channels should be helped as there is an information war.
The additional subsidy will see RTR’s state funding for 2015 increased to R23.38 billion.
Meanwhile, Channel One’s state subsidy will almost double.
