Cable TV operator threatened to turn off foreign channels.

Russian operators of cable television may deprive its subscribers a number of popular foreign channels, writes the newspaper Kommersant. For example, a group of companies Acad announced a possible waiver of the broadcast of certain channels of scientific and educational network of the Discovery of the fact that the purchase of content has become a cable operator to do more. This situation is due to the current financial crisis, including victims and the cause of the devaluation of the ruble.
Thus, as explained to the publication of the Vice-President, Academician Mikhail Silin, a company must decide - either raise prices or negotiate with suppliers of foreign channels on the reduction of licensing fees. If, before the crisis, the average exchange fees could reach up to 20-30 per cent of the cost of subscription packages (subject to transaction costs), but now the figure is 40 to 50 percent.
Kommersant has learned that the majority of Russian companies providing pay television services, negotiating with suppliers of foreign television content for a discount, offset by increased exchange rate against the ruble. However, as stressed Silin, has re-signed with foreign television contracts will not be - instead of the Russian companies try to achieve to make adjustments to the existing agreement governing the amount of fees for the broadcasting of foreign channels.
According to Alexander Silin, director of "Ascona", which in Russia TV channel Eurosport, the organization is ready to provide a respite, a redistribution of payments to its most reliable partners. However, according to the general director of "Stream" Cyril Legato, the refusal of the operator of a transmission rating of foreign channels ( "Stream-TV" broken relationship with Eurosport) does not lead to a significant outflow of subscribers.
According to the director of MBG (distributor of the five channels of Discovery Communications in Russia) Ekaterina Pereverzeva, the most effective way out of this situation could be a transition from a redemption fee in rubles for the calculation of the provision of cable television in conventional units.