The International Television and Radio Company Mir (Межгосударственная телерадиокомпания Мир) is a multinational state-run broadcaster that offers Russian content to all countries within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The concept of establishing Mir was conceived by former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. In 1992, eight heads of state from CIS countries made the decision to establish the broadcaster. Of all CIS members, only Ukraine did not sign the agreement to establish Mir and subsequently banned the channel in its territory (since 2015). This was due to the fact that the channel’s programming was perceived as calling for changes in the country’s political system.
The company’s current portfolio includes the flagship television channel Mir, a cinema channel, the all-news television broadcaster Mir 24, and Radio Mir.
Media assets
Television: Mir, World Premium TV Channel, Mir24
Radio: Radio Mir
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Mir is a multi-state-owned broadcast company in which the Russian government holds the largest stake, according to Russian experts interviewed for this report in March 2023 and June 2024.
Source of funding and budget
Mir is financed through an interstate agreement, with each participating government contributing funding. Russian experts interviewed for this report in March 2023 and June 2024 indicated that the Russian government contributes the largest amount of funding, based on their experience gathered over the past few years.
Editorial independence
Mir is known to be a promoter of the interests of the founding governments, refraining from engaging in criticism of authorities in the CIS region. Additionally, the channel is heavily influenced by the Russian government, which also serves as its main financial backer, according to Russian experts.
To date, no domestic statute or independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate Mir’s editorial independence has been identified.
September 2024