The mystery of one deadline

Adventures of RT channel in the USA

Frame from the Cross Talk current show of November 15, 2017. Photo: screenshot with cn.ru

The American contractor of the Russian television channel RT (Russia Today) complied with the US Department of Justice to register as a foreign agent. Despite the warnings of the chief expense of RT, Margarita Simonyan that registration will create unbearable working conditions, the channel both broadcasts and continues to broadcast in the United States. For example, on November 15, the current Cross Talk was a broadcast, whose leading Peter Lavell and his guests vying said that the announcement of RT by a foreign agent was only the beginning of the advance of freedom of speech because “the American and British establishment hate and is afraid of us to death,” because we know: “We are on the right side of history, and they are wrong.”

Strange questionnaire

Much of what was in the documents attached to the application for registration by the ino -agent and published for public viewing caused a considerable resonance. For example, the fact that the name RT is not mentioned at all. Agreements were concluded between the customer represented by the CEO of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization (ANO) Tv-News Alexei Nikolov and the performer represented by the General Director and the only employee of the T&P Production Limited Liability Company Mikhail Solodovnikov. The first orders and pays, the second - produces "audiovisual products." At the same time, the customer controls the “move and quality” of the services provided, and also gives “justified instructions” to the contractor, but does not interfere in the current activity of the contractor. The contractor, in addition, is obliged to coordinate with the customer the candidacy of leading television programs.

Or here is a fact from the registration questionnaire: according to T&P Productions, “TV-News” “are largely funded by the Government of the Russian Federation, but the company does not have sufficient information to judge who owns this ANO, controls it, controls or subsidizes it.

Understand this is really sacred. Moreover, the general director of TV-News Alexei Nikolov said in a time in an interview that the organization is funded from the state budget and reports “for every penny spent”, but at the same time “we have no owners, we exist in the form of an autonomous non-profit organization. In fact, this means that there is no one over us who could carry out direct material pressure on us. This is very well perceived by foreign regulators and simplifies the receipt of licenses. ”

For simplification and done.

T&P Productions was registered in the Federal District of Colombia in April 2014. Who has made content for RT, existing since September 2005, the papers are not said

The following is said that the main task of T&R Productions is to produce news, talk shows and entertainment programs in order to “inform, and not influence” that the comments observe the balance of opinions and that the company's products basically does not aim to benefit any government or political party.

T&P Productions was registered in the Federal District of Colombia in April 2014. Those who have made content for RT, existing since September 2005, are not said in the papers. Mikhail Solodovnikov as a general manager and the only member of a limited liability company (which is paradoxical in itself: after all, the company is therefore called that its members are responsible for the obligations of the company in the amount of their share) hires personnel, rents or buys equipment, organizes shooting, and solely exercises editorial control. At the same time, people working in the frame use creative freedom "within reasonable limits." Therefore, Mr. Solodovnikov expresses “respectful disagreement” with the fact that his activity falls under the law on the registration of foreign agents.

The amounts due to T&P Productions for its products are lured out of documents. Over the past two months (September and October), the company received $ 350 thousand from the customer. At the same time, T&P Productions expenses for August and September amounted to $ 6,662,176, including $ 1,687,738 for salary and other payments, for production - $ 1 075 890, for construction work - $ 2,679,343.

Where did all these funds come from, is not written. Of course, Mr. Solodovnikov can say that he received money with an advance (the law does not oblige him to submit earlier financial statements), but all agreements with “TV-News” say that payment is made monthly, no later than five working days upon receipt of the already completed work from the contractor. Will the American Ministry of Justice satisfy such an accounting department? In any case, the law provides for strict liability for the presentation of knowingly false information.

Strange delay

In general, in this whole story there is some obscurity with registration. Firstly, the chief of RT itself Margarita Simonyan, and other officials, including the official representative of the Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, carefully avoided the name of the contractor-they spoke every time about the "company serving RT in the United States." In the known report of the Atlantic Council (Atlantic Council), two limited liability companies - RTTV America and RTTV Studios, with the same legal address and the same owner - Alexei (Alex) Yazlovsky are named as contractors. The first was registered in 2005, the second-in 2009. In 2014, Yazlovsky managed to trial for tax evasion. Margarita Simonyan then stated that RT was terminating the contract with Yazlovsky, that he is only one of the hundreds of “counterparties” RT and that “RT has no right and technical ability to check how they pay taxes and conduct economic activities.” She also expressed the belief that if the companies of Yazlovsky were not RT contractors, it would never have occurred to anyone to fan the “wild scandal”. In order to avoid severe punishment, Yazlovsky gave a confession and escaped with public works and a fine. Whether the contract was broken with him is unknown, but it was in 2014 that the T&P TV-News ANO “TV-News” was registered and signed. It is possible that in Moscow they weighed which of the two contractors to make a foreign agent.

If RT pulled time, then why? You can fill out the registration form in half an hour. Perhaps a certain event was expected - for example, a meeting of Presidents Putin and Trump at the APEC summit in Dannan?

Secondly, Ms. Simonyan initially, September 11, 2017, and later said that the deadline for registration established by the US Ministry of Justice was October 17. The editor -in -chief of RT did not make a reservation - she repeated this date repeatedly. Now it turned out that it was necessary to register until November 13th. Was the deadline consciously expired or pushed back due to some negotiations and good reasons? If RT pulled time, then why? You can fill out the registration form in half an hour. Perhaps a certain event was expected - for example, a meeting of Presidents Putin and Trump at the APEC summit in Dannan?

Another detail. The issue of the oppression of the Russian media “in some countries” was discussed at a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on September 29 with the participation of Vladimir Putin. The Russian Foreign Ministry scared foreign media with “mirror measures”. Some of them received a warning. Given the tense relations of President Trump with the head of the US Ministry of Justice, Jeff Saeshens, the president could well besiege the minister (which, of course, would have incur criticism, but he never thinks about it).

But the full meeting of the presidents in Vietnam did not take place. In Dranny, Putin said: “The attack on our media in the United States is an attack on freedom of speech, without any doubt ... And what is now being discussed in the State Duma - I saw it yesterday, maybe too harshly, but it is natural.” And then again the promise of a mirror response.

A harsh, but natural amendment to the law “On Media” was considered in the Duma according to an accelerated procedure. The project was made on September 29, and on November 15 was adopted immediately in the second and third readings. It seems that the Duma was also in a hurry to the deadline of the American Ministry of Justice. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it is too early to judge the degree of rigidity of the law, since "the practice of application is not yet there." This is a signal that law enforcement can be both tough and soft.

Reflection in a crooked mirror

The bill has not yet been adopted by the Federation Council and has not been submitted to the president, and the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on November 16 has already sent the warnings to the Voice of America and Radio Liberty that they can be included in the register of foreign agents.

Can this answer be considered mirrored? Rather, a reflection in a crooked mirror.

Indeed, in order for the answer, as Putin warned, to become mirror, American information resources should be provided in Russia as the same as RT uses in the United States. This was stated by the representative of Radio Liberty Joanna Levison, commenting on the warning of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. According to her, it is incorrect to consider the law as symmetrical measures, since Russian media have the right to freely disseminate their information in the United States. On the other hand, “RSE/RS lost partners in broadcasting in Russia due to administrative pressure and does not have access to cable channels. Reporters of the RSE/RS are subjected to oppression in Russia and physical violence. ”

The largest PR agencies are registered in the US Ministry of Justice as agents of many foreign governments, and this does not affect their reputation

Two laws

Finally, the endless links of Russian officials to the "American analogue" cannot but amaze. Russian and American laws on foreign agents have nothing to do with each other. The Russian one is aimed at suppressing NPOs with foreign financing. The American does not forbid the American NPO to receive funding from abroad. You can not take donations only from donors appearing in the list of terrorist organizations, and finance the election campaigns of candidates for elected positions. Foreign contributions and grants themselves do not mean that NPOs are working in favor of a government or, worse, carries out subversive activities. In the USA, there is nothing dangerous, suspicious or shameful in working for a foreign government - such work is not avoided, but they are looking for it with fire in the afternoon. The largest PR agencies are registered in the US Ministry of Justice as agents of many foreign governments, and this does not affect their reputation.

In Russia, a “foreign agent” is a stigma akin to a spy. And the current government does everything to make it indelible.

* Vladimir Abarinov is a Washington journalist, a regular author NT.