1.  Here are some important points which, in my view, should be taken by the Committee into account whilst considering its recommendations about the future of the BBC World Service in Russia.

INTRODUCTION

  2.  I am a naturalised British citizen born in the Soviet Union. I have closely followed the work of the BBC World Service in Russia for the last 14 years. From 1993 to 2000 I worked at the BBC as a radio producer and a journalist, engaged at various times by the BBC World Service Trust, the BBC Central Asian Service, the BBC Russian Service and BBC Television (Panorama) before leaving journalism to become a specialist in financial marketing and public relations. Nevertheless, since then I have retained many informal personal contacts at the BBC, who kept me well informed of the progress made by the BBC World Service in Russia.

CONCERNS

  3.  There are serious concerns about the BBC World Service's strategy of broadcasting in Russia through state-owned media networks, which I believe inevitably puts the Corporation's reputation for impartial news at risk in Russia.

  4.  It is my view that the BBC Russian Service's output is generally more balanced and reliable than from the average Russian media outlet. However, it is often weaker than the main BBC News in reporting on Russia

  5.  Earlier this year, The Daily Telegraph published an article by Andrew Pierce giving a good summary of some recent claims, entitled "Dissidents say BBC caved in to Moscow". Here is an extract from the article:

  6.   "Leading dissidents from the former Soviet Union have demanded an investigation into the BBC Russian Service, which they have accused of caving in to pressure to be less critical of President Vladimir Putin's regime.

  7.   They have written to Mark Thompson, the BBC director-general, demanding an examination of what they claim is a string of examples of pro-Putin bias on the taxpayer-funded service, which has a weekly audience of two million. (...   )

  8.   The dissidents' letter states: "At a time when Britain needs a strong voice in Russia more than at any point over the past decade, the taxpayer-funded BBC Russian Service radio seems to have considerably mellowed in its tone towards the Russian government".

  9.   By design or by neglect, it has become more accommodating of Russian government views, dispensing with difficult questions and denying a platform to some critics.

  10.   Is the BBC Russian Service trying to soften up its news coverage mindful of the Kremlin's ever-watchful eye over the airwaves? The UK taxpayer funds the BBC World Service so that Britain can have a strong voice in the world and it should not be compromised."

   (Source: The Daily Telegraph, 1 January 2007)

  11.  Having following the Russian Service's news coverage around the time of the ruthless murder of Alexander Litvinenko, I totally agree with the claims.

  12.  The BBC Russian Service has this year commenced a joint venture with the Big Radio network and The Voice of Russia, a propaganda news radio station, both owned by the Russian government. For some years now, the BBC Russian Service has been signing re-broadcasting contracts with numerous Russian radio stations, all under the ultimate control of the Kremlin. It is not surprising that, according to my sources at the BBC Russian Service, its journalists have to be much more careful now of what they say in their reports. Having entrusted the transmission of its programmes to radio channels owned by the Russian authorities, the BBC faces a constant risk of being taken off the air by them when they consider it appropriate. This is exactly what happened during the Litvinenko crisis—the BBC Russian Service was silenced in Moscow and St Petersburg.

  13.  Another unfortunate problem faced by the Russian Service in the aftermath of the Cold War is the influx of professional Soviet journalists. During the Cold War the BBC World Service has operated, together with the relevant British government agencies, pre-employment screening in order to prevent KGB agents infiltrating the organisation. However, after the Cold War the BBC Russian Service started to actively recruit professional journalists from Russia, which gradually resulted in a few journalists with dubious past reaching key posts at the World Service. I am absolutely certain that they play a major part in routinely denying a platform to some of the biggest critics of the Kremlin, such as Akhmed Zakaev, the Chechen envoy in London and others.

  14.  The BBC has also censored critics in order to avoid problems with the Russian authorities. Moscow is known to delay or refuse visas to certain foreign journalists and restrict their access in other ways. In a memorandum to key news editors, Alan Quartly, asked "can we pass onto programmes not to use Akhmed Zakaev (Chechen envoy in London) as a guest... The Russians regard him as a terrorist and are seeking his extradition from the UK, where he currently has political asylum... The Russian government [sic] keeps an eagle eye on when the BBC talks to him and then tries to use it against us here in Moscow. There is currently a bit of an issue with the foreign ministry about a past interview with him on the BBC Russian Service website. It would be good not to aggravate this" (a copy of this memo is attached). [104]

OBJECTIVES

  15.  It is in Britain's interests to strengthen the BBC Russian Service. The bottom line must be that unless its broadcasts are as robust in examining the Russian regime as the main BBC News, they should not be funded by the British taxpayer.

  16.  Whilst developing relationships with local Russian radio stations was a good idea under the Yeltsin government, when the Russian media enjoyed relative freedom and editorial independence from the authorities, in Putin's Russia this approach no longer makes any sense. The BBC World Service must not be allowed to trade impartiality for access.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  17.  One way of strengthening the BBC Russian Service's independence from the Russian authorities is for the Corporation to invest considerably more in their medium wave transmitters (which are currently too weak) and step up its campaign for its own licence to broadcast on FM frequency in Moscow and St Petersburg—in line with its competitor, the US-funded Radio Liberty.

  18.  In addition, the Foreign Office, instead of distancing itself from the problem, should have the right of veto over the choice of re-broadcasters in Russia and reject any deals that could potentially put the BBC's editorial independence under pressure from the Kremlin.

  19.  Finally, the BBC World Service must re-think its policy of hiring career journalists in Russia and make sure that the integrity of its news output is properly protected by stringent editorial standards enforced by experienced BBC journalists who have been educated in this country.

Sergei Cristo

June 2007