MOSCOW — President Dmitry Medvedev has pledged government funding for a new public television network free from government control.
Since the early 2000s, all of Russia’s existing national television networks have been brought under control of Kremlin or government-friendly businesses.
Opposition has accused the Kremlin of silencing government critics and manipulating the public opinion.
Medvedev’s decree, published Tuesday, said the new network will initially be funded by the government. It will then be financed from a government endowment trust and donations.
