Gorbachev Welcomes Turner Bid for Gusinsky TV Empire

Voice of America, February 14, 2001

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev says he would welcome U.S. media mogul Ted Turner if he were to become a shareholder in Russia's embattled independent television network, NTV.

Mr. Gorbachev said he would like it if such a well-known democrat become a shareholder.

He told Russia's Interfax news agency a foreign company may end up purchasing a stake in NVT. Mr. Gorbachev added that he believes his opinions are being taken into consideration because of his position as chairman of NTV's board of trustees. He stresses that the primary goal is to prevent the nationalization of NTV and to keep its staff.

The network's fate remains uncertain. It is facing a possible takeover from the state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom, which is seeking compensation for loan guarantees it made to the television station. NTV's owner, Vladimir Gusinsky, is in Spain fighting extradition to Moscow, where he is being investigated on fraud charges related to his dealings with Gazprom.

Mr. Gusinsky says the Kremlin is targeting his station because it has been critical of Moscow's military campaign in breakaway Chechnya.

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