RUSSIA/BELGIUM: RUSSIAN PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE STARTS LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE 'KUKLY' TELEVISION SATIRE SHOW.

Record ID: 230456

  • Title: RUSSIA/BELGIUM: RUSSIAN PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE STARTS LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE 'KUKLY' TELEVISION SATIRE SHOW.
  • Date: 12th July 1995
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA/ BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (JULY 12-18, 1995) (REUTERS TELEVISION - ACCESS ALL) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JULY 18, 1995) 1. GV: RUSSIAN TV HEAD IGOR MALASHENKO THAT THERE IS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THE INVESTIGATION AND THE COMING ELECTIONS 0.07 2. GV: PUPPETS OF YELTSIN AND GAYDAR -- BROUGHT BY NTV REPRESENTATIVES TO THE MEDIA CONFERENCE 0.13 3. MV: MALASHENKO SPEAKS (ENGLISH) 0.36 4. GV: NEWS CONFERENCE 0.43 5. MV: NTV PRESENTER YEVGENY KISELOV SAYING THAT THE INVESTIGATION WAS AN ATTEMPT TO INTIMIDATE RUSSIAN MEDIA (ENGLISH) 1.00 (JULY 17, 1995) 6. GV: EXTERIOR OF STUDIO WHERE PUPPETS ARE MADE 1.04 7. GV: INTERIOR STUDIO - ATRIST WORKING ON PUPPETS 1.21 8. CU: PHOTOGRAPHS OF POLITICIANS AND PUBLIC FIGURES ON STUDIO WALL (3 SHOTS) 1.31 (JULY 12, 1995) 9. GV; ACTORS SHOWING HOW PUPPETS ARE OPERATED 1.46 10. CU: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN PUPPET 1.50 11. GV: GRACHEV (DEFENCE MINISTER PAVEL) PUPPET IN COSTUME 2.11 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (JULY 17, 1995) 12. GV:RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANDREI KOZYREV SPEAKING BEFORE ENTERING E.U. MEEETING. 2.24 TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 3: MALASHENKO: "I THINK THERE IS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THIS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION BY THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AND THE COMING ELECTION CAMPAIGN. WHAT WE HAVE IS AN ATTEMPT TO INTIMIDATE THE RUSSIAN MASS MEDIA ON THE EVE OF ELECTIONS." TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 5: KISELOV: "THE AUTHORITIES THEY WANT TO REMAIN IN POWER AND THEY WANT TO WIN THE ELECTIONS. WELL IT'S A TYPICAL REACTION OF RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES TO TRY AND TIGHTEN THEIR CONTROLS OF TELEVISION, WHICH IS THE TRUE MASS MEDIA OF THIS COUNTRY." TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 12: GRACHEV: "I'M NOT A DOLL. THEY MAKE DOLLS THERE IN RUSSIA OUT OF POLITICAL LEADERS. I WELCOME DOLLS BUT I AM REAL." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 27th July 1995 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA/ BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
  • City:
  • Country: EUROPE Belgium ASIA Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVA1PNMU84BDTGMTJPMM4SSZDGGG
  • Story Text: Russia's major independent television network has been practising the art of political satire but the government is not amused. The Russian Prosecutor General's office has started legal proceedings against the popular programme 'Kukly', saying the show insults top politicians.

    'Kukly' (puppets) airs weekly on the NTV channel, using life-size puppets to poke gentle fun at Russia's leading politicians. The Prescutor General's office objects to an episode which featured top officials including president Boris Yeltsin and prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin as a group of tramps living on the streets.

    The president of NTV, Igor Malashenko told a Moscow press conference on Tuesday (July 18) that there was a direct link between the criminal investigation led by the Prosecutor General's office and the run-up to Duma elections. He said that the attack on NTV could be seen as an attempt to intimidate Russian mass media on the eve of elections.

    Popular NTV presenter Yevgeny Kiselov told reporters the accusation of NTV was a "typical reaction of Russian authorities trying to tighten their control of the media in general.

    Government ministers are clearly sensitive about being lampooned. Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev arrived in Brussels on Monday, and as he arrived, he was asked if he favoured stronger French military action in Bosnia.

    He replied that he was in Brussels to discuss the issues, saying "In Russia we make dolls out of political leaders, I welcome dolls but, but I am not a doll, I am here."
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