Russia's Television In Disgrace

Meanwhile fears for political control over Russia's media are back again in Moscow as an arbitration court ordered on Thursday the liquidation of TV-6 - the channel which has become home to journalists who fled its main commercial rival after NTV's takeover by Russia's gas giant Gazprom in April. The suit was brought by Russia's oil corporation Lukoil, which owns 15% of TV-6 shares through its subsidiary - the Lukoil-Grant pension fund. Lukoil claimed that TV-6 is an unprofitable company. TV-6's net assets have been negative over the last two years. The fact contradicts the act "On joint-stock companies". TV-6 representatives say the situation changed after NTV journalists had come to the station. TV-6's rating has grown sharply and its balance is positive now. According to TV-6 press secretary Tatiana Blinova, the clause used by the court on Thursday has been applied only once in the court history when Media-MOST holding was liquidated this summer. She called this clause "archaic". TV-6 directors board member Igor Shabdurasulov told journalists that he considered the Thursday's court decision nonsense. When all TV-6's finance figure are up now it is absurdly demanding its liquidation, he said. TV-6 was founded by Russian self-exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky, a one-time Kremlin insider, but who has fallen out with President Vladimir Putin. Berezovsky owns more than 75% of TV-6 shares.