June 24, 2003 Posted: 12:22 Moscow time (08:22 GMT)
"MOSCOW - The closure of a private Russian television station was just one element of a government campaign to make the media more obedient ahead of parliamentary elections, analysts contended Monday."The Press Ministry pulled the plug on TVS on Sunday, citing the station's "financial, personnel and management crisis." But opponents of the government said the station, created last year from the remains of two other television stations that came into conflict with state-connected companies, was shut down for political reasons."
