Arkhangelsk boosts media financing
While major cuts are made in key social and economic budget posts, the Arkhangelsk regional administration in its 2011 budget proposes to almost double funding for its media policy.
The region will in 2011 spend 160.4 million RUB on its Media and Print Agency, which is close to a doubling compared with 2010. Of this sum, about 115 million RUB is planned spent on a public information programme, newspaper Kommersant reports.
Meanwhile, key budget posts like housing and agriculture and fish industry are cut with respectively 62 percent and 33 percent.
While the administration argues that the population needs to know more about regional economy and social affairs, analysts see the proposal rather as an attempt to boost the popularity of the governor in regional media.
Political scientist Andrey Churkov believes the increased media financing is triggered by a growing protest movement in the region, Kommersant writes. As reported by BarentsObserver, Arkhangelsk has been one of few Russian regions with recent opposition street rallies against the governor and his administration.
Read more: Opposition leaders arrested in Arkhangelsk
In addition, regional Governor Ilya Mikhalchuk has been under increasing pressure also from the regional Communist Party, which in September this year requested President Medvedev to dismiss the regional leader.
Arkhangelsk is not the only region where the regional administrations now increase their information budgets. Similar trends are seen in a number of regions.
According to Stanislav Belkovsky, leader of the Institute of National Strategy, the higher stress on information measures is linked also with the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in 2011 and 2012.
