Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has promised that presidential instructions concerning broadcasts of Russia’s premier league soccer matches will be implemented and soccer fans’ interests will stay unharmed.
“The presidential instruction will be acted on. It is this factor (the interests of fans) that will be seen as the cornerstone,” Medvedev told the media after a meeting of the presidential council for the implementation of national projects.
The dispute over soccer broadcasting rights will be addressed at a working conference with the participation of all parties concerned, Medvedev said.
Earlier on Wednesday Putin instructed Medvedev to look into a situation in which soccer fans might be denied a chance to see free soccer television broadcasts after the commercial satellite channel NTV-Plus had emerged the best bidder.
“NTV-Plus, the Russian Football Union and its chief Vitally Mutko have made yet another ‘mutilous’ decision, so to say, to try to strip us, ordinary fans, of the chance to watch football matches on free channels,” Putin said at a meeting of the council for national projects implementation.
“Please, discuss this with them once again,” he asked Medvedev.
MOSCOW, March 7 (Itar-Tass)
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