 Source: HRO.org (info) The Consumers’ Protection Society has filed a complaint with Moscow’s Ostankinsky court on behalf of cable TV subscribers concerning the alleged violations of legislation protecting consumer rights which resulted in a series of cable operators dropping the Dozhd TV channel. Rosbalt, citing the official website of the Consumers’ Protection Society, reports that the defendants in the case are the National Satellite Company operating under the brand Trikolor TV, NTV-PLUS, AKADO-Capital, and Vimpel-Communications operating under the brand Beeline. Multiple complaints from cable subscribers that in dropping the Dozhd TV channel operators broke the terms of their contracts constitute grounds for the suit. The Consumers’ Protection Society is asking that the defendants restore the broadcasting of Dozhd and Dozhd HD, and that information about the outcome of the forthcoming court decision is publicised in the newspaper Rossiiskaya gazeta within a ten day period from the moment the court decision enters into effect. If the judge upholds the lawsuit then all subscribers affected by the dropping of Dozhd and Dozhd HD could on a case-by-case basis claim compensation from cable operators for material and moral damages. From 10 February satellite operator Trikolor TV ceased broadcasting Dozhd, as stated on Facebook by an investor in the channel, Aleksander Vinokurov. According to Vinokurov, transmission was cut at 9:47am, during the broadcasting of a programme about Joseph Brodsky. Polit.ru reports that the decision by Trikolor to end broadcasting of Dozhd was taken at an extraordinary meeting of that company’s board of directors on 3 February. Information released by the company stated that cutting the channel “will be carried out within the terms of current subscriptions and in accordance with the operator’s duties to subscribers.” Spokespeople for Trikolor explained that the decision had been taken in response to “a conflict between the TV channel’s editorial policy and the guidelines for making up the subscription packages.” Following the scandal surrounding the opinion survey on the Leningrad Blockade, the operator only threatened to drop Dozhd, giving the TV channel time to improve its image. This decision was later revoked without any explanation. Translated by Holly Jones |
HRO.org in English >
