Russian Government banned advertising on pay TV

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law July 21 to ban advertising on pay-TV channels.This was reported on the official website of legal information.The law will come into force on 1 January 2015.Amendments to the law "On Advertising" on the inadmissibility of distribution of advertising in television, broadcasts on television channels, which are accessed only on a fee basis, and (or) with the use of technical devices decoding, was passed by the State Duma and the Federation Council approved in early July.According to the law, this requirement does not apply to mandatory nationwide public TV channels, as well as television channels distributed by terrestrial broadcasting. Thus, advertising is prohibited on paid cable and satellite TV channels, as well as on the channels broadcast on the Internet. Roscomnadzor made a list of 1.4 thousand pay TV, which, according to the new legal requirements, will be prohibited from distribution of advertising.This list was compiled by the Office on the basis of the analysis of broadcast licenses. It includes a "unique pay TV" is not propagated in the air and falling within the scope of the adopted law. Of caught up in the "ad free offer" registry about 300 channels are federal, that is distributed in most regions of Russia.At the same time, the Presidential Human Rights Council (HRC), spoke out against the law.According to the HRC, the amendments to monopolize the TV advertising market and inevitably entail not only an increase in the subscription fee, but the closure of many TV channels.