One of the proposed changes would strip regional officials of the right to license outlets. Another would deprive freelancers of their status as journalists. Yabloko faction leader Sergei Ivanenko said that adoption of any of them would mean a return to the communist past. But even the Communists are not pleased with them. But he said his faction wanted to introduce a ban on any disrespect shown to the state anthem and flag.
Court seizes stock in Russian TV station.
A Russian court seized contested stock in NTV television Thursday, further bruising media tycoon Vladimir Gusinky's efforts to keep control of Russia's only independent nationwide network. NTV's chief creditor, state-connected natural gas monopoly Gazprom, claimed the decision gave it a controlling stake in the station, and moved to reshuffle NTV's board of directors. NTV is the only one of Russia's three major networks that is not state-controlled. I had a conversation with the president in which he said, 'Shares, finances, that is your prerogative. But don't touch the journalists.