Appendix 6 - International Music Council

State TV and radio have a fundamental position: In 1999 programs of the state radio
companies reached 96% of the population and 93% in 2001; whereas only 43.6% and
52.1% of the population had access to commercial stations in the same period.
Identity and subsidy
Despite the withdrawal of direct state support to the media, the state provides funds for the
production of cultural programmes, fostering cultural diversity. Particular broadcasting
companies with cultural channels are supported, e.g. the radio station Orpheus transmitting
classical music and reaching 8.6% of the population.
The promotion of Russian culture is one of the explicit objectives of cultural policy
(ericArts Russia, p.14)
Control Structures and Political Independence
There are control structures for the broadcasting sector, such as The Federal Service for
Supervising Observance of the Law in Mass Communications and Preservation of Cultural
Heritage. It has regional branches and implements state control over juridical issues in the
fields of mass media, export and import of cultural goods, heritage, museum collections and
all sorts of archives. It is also responsible for privatising heritage items, city planning,
authors' rights and neighbouring rights. The Federal Service is in charge of licensing in
broadcasting, audiovisual production, public screening, and restoration of cultural objects.
It provides cultural expertise, and supervises restoration works. Together with its territorial
branches, it acts as a registrar of media organisations (ericarts Russia, p.6).
In spite of the existence of control structures serious doubts about political and economic
independence of the broadcasting sector in Russia exist. There are complaints that the
government has utilized the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Press, Broadcasting and
Mass Media as a political instrument, especially in times of elections (ericarts, p.13, comp.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=8247;
http://www.freemedia.at/wpfr/Europe/russia.htm ).
Minority Issues
The legal instrument for independent cultural organisations is the "National Cultural
Autonomy" which was introduced by the relevant law in 1996. It supported 578 bodies in
2004. These organisations are encouraged and supported by regional administration and
also by federal funds. The most popular activities among the associations are amateur
performing arts, establishment of libraries and audio archives in mother tongues, and
organisation of courses for their study. Positive cultural presentation of diversity in the
mass media, especially in broadcasting is supported by the state as a means of social
integration and overcoming ethnic barriers (Ericarts Russia, p.12). Within Russia there are
radio programs in dozens of languages next Russian such as Abazin, Avar, Adygei, Azeri,
Altay (comp. CCult Russia),
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