For the first time, Dmitry Medvedev publicly mentioned the need to create a TV channel with the name "Public Television" in the summer of 2011. In winter, he touched upon this topic in the president's message to the Federal Assembly, and on December 28 instructed the head of the administration and the prime minister to present options for implementing the idea. Today the creation of the Public Television is in full swing - the necessary laws have already been passed and the governing bodies have been appointed.
Officially, the position of the first person in Public Television is called “General Director of the autonomous non-profit organization Public Television of Russia”. The functions of the editor-in-chief are also assigned to him. The appointment of the head of the new TV channel should be carried out by his decree by the President of the country - such a norm is included in the law, which was approved by the Federation Council of Russia in the second half of July 2012. However, the president should choose this person not at his own discretion, but from the list presented by the Public Chamber, created in 2005 for better interaction of public associations with the authorities. The Public Chamber drew up a list of 75 candidates for this position and reduced it to 25 persons by secret rating ballot. The list was handed over to the President of Russia, who in July 18, by his decree, appointed Anatoly Lysenko as General Director of the Public Television of Russia. All other candidates from the “list of 25” became members of the governing body of the new channel - its council.
Anatoly Lysenko - President of the International Academy of Television and Radio, and professor at the Higher School of Economics. He is 75 years old, in Soviet times Anatoly Grigorievich worked for more than 20 years in the youth editorial office of Central Television, including the head of the "Vzglyad" program and the deputy editor-in-chief. From 1990 to 1996 he was the head of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, and then served as chairman of the committee on mass media in the Moscow Government. Lysenko was awarded orders three times, became a laureate of the State Prize and has the title of Honored Art Worker.
The TV channel headed by Anatoly Lysenko should start broadcasting from January 1, 2013. August is set aside for the formation of the team, and the creation of pilot programs is planned for the fall. A distinctive feature of Public Television should be the absence of advertising and independence from any state or political bodies. Although in the initial period of its work, state funding of the new TV channel is planned.
