Thursday, 26 January 2012Julian Assange is to host his own TV show, where he will interview "key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries from around the world", Wikileaks said in an announcement.
According to unconfirmed information the show will be broadcast on RT, a Russian state satellite channel, which is believed to be close to Kremlin.
Reporting plans for Assange's TV show, Wikileaks said it would begin airing in mid-March, in 10 weekly half-hour episodes.
Of Assange, it said: "Both a pioneer for a more just world and a victim of political repression, he is uniquely placed to catalyse a global discussion on how to go forward."
Julian Assange himself was quoted as saying: "Through this series I will explore the possibilities for our future in conversations with those who are shaping it.
"Are we heading towards utopia, or dystopia and how we can set our paths?"
On Wednesday, the RT website announced: "Cyberspace's most famous activist, Julian Assange, is launching his own talkshow, to be broadcast exclusively on RT.
"The program, written and hosted by the founder of whistle-blowing site Wikileaks, will focus on his favorite topic: controversy."
Margarita Simonyan, the channel's editor-in-chief, tweeted: "Assange will record the programme under house arrest.
"I am sure it will be an amazing show."
Reports that Assange would be appearing on RT, an English-language satellite TV channel funded by the Russian state, triggered an avalanche of mixed feelings on Twitter.
"So, how exactly will Assange reconcile his belief in transparency/freedom with selling a show to the Kremlin?" asked Miriam Elder, Moscow correspondent for the UK's Guardian newspaper, which reported much of the secret material released by Wikileaks.
Claudia von Salzen, a journalist with Germany's Der Tagesspiegel, tweeted: "Has Julian Assange ever heard the story of the Russian whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky? He died in jail after accusing officials of fraud."
Some Russian journalists expressed admiration for RT's apparent media coup.
Ashot Gabrelyanov, CEO of Russia's News Media group, joked: "I expect to hear opposition supporters shouting: 'Assange is Surkov [ie Kremlin] propaganda'."
Assange is fighting extradition from the UK to Sweden over sexual assault allegations, which he denies.
Wikileaks website published a mass of material from leaked diplomatic cables, embarrassing several governments. |
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Novinite
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