Versions ranged from Izvestia's -- that President Boris Yeltsin is trying to establish firm control over the most influential branch of the media before next year's elections -- to the one supplied by Kommersant Daily, namely, that the president was merely thinking aloud, without realizing the full implication of his words.
At issue is a possible merger of Ostankino and Russian Television, or RTR, into one company controlled by the state.
Although both channels would continue to broadcast, programming decisions would be centralized.
Television sources say that RTR would become a "commercial" channel, meaning that it would show films and other entertainment programs, leaving news and information to Ostankino.
The press reaction was overwhelmingly negative.
"A truly democratic government does not need administrative control over television," wrote Izvestia.
"The television channels should be kept the way they are, with all their differences."
"Then we will at least have the appearance of democratic television, which would be irretrievably lost if the channels are merged," wrote Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
Kuranty named Mikhail Poltoranin as the "ideologist" behind the merger plan. Poltoranin, former minister of press and information, now heads the Duma Information Policy Committee. He is the author of an equally controversial bill on support for the press, which the Duma approved Wednesday.
Yeltsin first spoke about the plan Friday, provoking a storm of protest from both RTR and Ostankino. On Tuesday he confirmed that the plan was being discussed, but chastised the press for being too hasty in its condemnation.
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