Dmitry Medvedev: Good afternoon,
Colleagues, we have been working on developing television and radio broadcasting and introducing digital format broadcasting for some time now. This is the road that all progressive countries are taking, and we will take this road too. But to do this we need an approved plan to guide our steps forward. We have just such a plan – the television and radio broadcasting concept. It has received the government’s approval. I was personally involved in this during my time in the post of deputy prime minister.
I think we now need to begin practical implementation of this plan, draft the relevant programmes and resolve a number of complicated social and technological issues. On the basis of this work, we can take all the necessary executive decisions.
The commission is currently headed by Sergei Sobyanin, and Minister for Telecommunications Igor Shchegolev is responsible for overseeing the whole process. Let’s discuss now the next steps to take. Our goal remains unchanged: we must create a quality television broadcasting system that will give our people broader opportunities for receiving interesting programmes, not narrow them. It is digital television that can expand these opportunities, and this is the goal of our work.
I would like to hear from you about the current state of progress and the steps you propose.