Moscow, 27 March 2002 (RFE/RL) -- A team of journalists from Russia's former TV-6 television channel today won back the license to broadcast on the same frequency as before. Russian Media Minister Mikhail Lessin announced today that the Federal Broadcasting Commission made a unanimous decision to award the license to the Media-Socium group led by former TV-6 General Director Yevgenii Kiselev.
There had been 13 candidates for the license.
TV-6 was Russia's last privately owned channel with a nationwide reach. Its closure by a state arbitration court earlier this year gave the state a monopoly of the airwaves.
The TV-6 journalists were often critical of the Kremlin in their reporting but some of the businessmen whose backing they accepted are considered close to the government.
There had been 13 candidates for the license.
TV-6 was Russia's last privately owned channel with a nationwide reach. Its closure by a state arbitration court earlier this year gave the state a monopoly of the airwaves.
The TV-6 journalists were often critical of the Kremlin in their reporting but some of the businessmen whose backing they accepted are considered close to the government.