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New Crimean Tatar TV channel and radio station to be launched

Crimea’s Head Sergey Aksyonov has approved the composition of the Council of a new public Crimean Tatar television and radio company
Local residents hold a rally in support of ATR Crimean Tatar TV channel, March 31, 2015  Alexey Pavlishak/TASS Archive
Local residents hold a rally in support of ATR Crimean Tatar TV channel, March 31, 2015
© Alexey Pavlishak/TASS Archive

SIMFEROPOL, July 14 /TASS/. A new public Crimean Tatar TV channel — Millet (the people) — and the Vetan (Homeland) radio station will be launched in Crimea to replace the ATR channel that suspended broadcasts in April. Crimea’s Head Sergey Aksyonov has approved the composition of the Council of a new public Crimean Tatar television and radio company. A relevant instruction has been published on the Crimean government’s website.

"The Council’s main task is to exercise public control over the activities of the Crimean Tatar public television and radio company; work out the channel’s editorial policy and TV viewing grid; guarantee the rights of citizens to information, bring the independent opinion of TV audiences to the company’s leadership and protect the public Crimean Tatar television and radio company from any influences that contradict the interests of TV viewers," the document said.

The Council has 24 members including Mufti of Crimean Muslims Emirali Ablayev, who’s chairman of the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Crimea and Sevastopol; Eskender Bilyalov, a member of the presidential Council for inter-ethnic relations; Nariman Kazenbash, the head of the public organization of Crimean Tatar veterans; as well as scientists, writers, directors and members of public organizations.

The new public Crimean Tatar television and radio company is expected to start broadcasting on September 1, Remzi Ilyasov, the Crimean parliament’s vice-speaker, told journalist earlier on Tuesday. "In order to exclude obtrusion, pressure and Zombification, we have chosen the path of creating a public council, which is going to build an editorial policy and study it in all aspects such as politics, education, language and religion. The TRK team will build its work on the basis of these recommendations," Ilyasov stressed.

The authorities have allocated about 180 million rubles ($3.1 million) for the creation of the TRK company.