Public Television of Russia (Общественное Телевидение России, OTR) is a Russian television station that began broadcasting in 2013.
Media assets
Television: OTR
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
OTR was established through a presidential decree signed in 2012 by the then President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev. The declared intention was to create an independent public service media in Russia. In the end though the station got under the control of the authorities. President Vladimir Putin approves the members of the OTR’s Supervisory Board and the station’s Director General, according to Russian media experts interviewed for this report.
Source of funding and budget
OTR is supposed to be financed through a combination of state budget allocations and public donations. From its early days, the station got into financial troubles as the state didn’t approve significant financing for the broadcaster. OTR doesn’t publish financial data. According to information from Russian experts corroborated with various media reports, OTR received a state budget allocation of roughly RUB 3bn (US$ 41.6m) in 2020. In 2021 and 2022, OTR received a state budget of RUB 4.9bn and RUB 5.5bn, respectively, according to media reports.
Editorial independence
Although OTR was planned to operate as an independent public media provider, it got under the government’s strict editorial control right after it was set up. The opposition doesn’t have access to the station and, to avoid clashes with the government, OTR is limiting its programs to non-controversial topics. Overall, the station is also supporting the interests of the government, which could be clearly seen also during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
No domestic statute and no independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate OTR’s editorial independence have been identified.
October 2023