Russia's Defense Ministry has launched experimental broadcasts of a new TV channel intended to boost military prestige and counter negative reports of hazing, desertions and corruption in the armed forces, its creators said Monday.
The new channel — Zvezda or "Star" — is aimed at developing "the feeling of national pride among its citizens ... a feeling of responsibility for Russia's fate and pride for the nation's great historic past and belief in its future," producers said in a news release. ...
"Zvezda is about the belief that our country is the most beautiful in the world, that our history is the most heroic and that the future is in our hands," said Ivan Kononov, a TV journalist and one of Zvezda's creators. ...
Does this sound familiar? A new network arises to give the "patriotic" view of current events, especially of wars the Homeland Motherland is conducting? In Russia, the government seizes a network. In the US, a political operative starts a pro-rightist network with oligarch money and then the government seeds propaganda funds among hungry pro-regime pundits. In Russia, the government arrests media executives. In the US, pro-regime elves whip up calls for media heads to resign. So, the Russians are just a tad more heavy-handed. Do you think Bush envies his soulmate Putin?
Zvezda producers pledged the channel would not only praise the armed forces, but would also have coverage critical.
"But we won't paint the picture only in black colors as is usually done now — we will tell the true story," said Alexander Lebedev, head of the Defense Ministry's TV and radio operation.
Yep, fair and balanced.
Remember this?
Posted by: iocaste | February 21, 2005 at 11:16 PM
Oooooh, I had forgotten about that. I call it "The Tom Clancy Channel."
Posted by: Mithras | February 21, 2005 at 11:38 PM