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Russia’s public TV to increase its audience up to 22% by July - expert

A public opinion survey has found the project is a success - VTSIOM deputy chairman

VTSIOM deputy chairman Iosif Diskin ITAR-TASS/Sergei Karpov

VTSIOM deputy chairman Iosif Diskin

© ITAR-TASS/Sergei Karpov

MOSCOW, January 21. /ITAR-TASS/. The deputy chairman of the Scientific Council of the national public opinion studies center VTSIOM, analyst and member of Russia’s Public Chamber, Iosif Diskin, announced the results of the first year Russia’s public television channel, OTR, has been in operation. He was speaking at the Chamber’s hearing on Tuesday. He said around 20 to 22% of Russia’s population would be watching the channel within six months' time from now.

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“A public opinion survey has found the project is a success. Some 14% of the population watch the OTR channel, though with a different gradation rate, while some 2-3% watch it three-four times a week”, said Diskin. He added that, regarding the tendencies which had already formed in July 2013, he could quite confidently forecast around 22% of the country’s population would be watching the OTR channel and some 6-7% would be its regular audience.

In Diskin’s opinion, launching the channel turned out to be successful despite the fact that the public demand was completely different a year ago. “The OTR channel’s audience is more educated, highly profitable and socially active, it is really worth something. So our civil responsibility is to protect such a valuable asset”, he said.

Diskin is certain that “we should pull our socks up to prevent the miraculous project from collapsing, otherwise a public disappointment awaits us all.” He suggested writing a request to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on the results of Public Chamber’s hearings in order to express the members’ attitude to the issue and to ask for assistance. The analyst also added that OTR issues should be discussed on a regular basis within the framework of the Chamber’s hearings.

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