Russian Public TV denies canceling programme over Putin divorce jokes

(Interfax – Moscow, June 8, 2013) Russian Public TV is not planning to cancel its Social Network programme, the next episode will air on 10 June.

The channel’s press service told Interfax on Saturday (8 June) that the 7 June edition of the programme was not aired for technical reasons.

“No-one is closing the programme, it will continue to run. The report was not ready on Friday and the editors decided to push its airtime back to Monday,” the press service said.

“We know that host Vladislav Sorokin said on the internet that he decided to leave Public TV. The channel’s management has yet to receive official notification of this. If he announces his decision on Monday, it will be considered,” the press service said.

At the same time, the press service categorically denied reports that the programme was taken off air because of a report linked to the President Vladimir Putin’s divorce.

“There are no links here,” the press service said.

Earlier, some media outlets reported that Public TV had taken the Social Network show off their after a comical report related to the Russian president’s divorce. The outlets quote host Vladislav Sorokin, who announced this on his Facebook page.

The journalist wrote that the programme was taken off air and that he and his colleague Yekaterina Voronina decided to quit the channel.

Public TV started operating on 19 May 2013. The Social Network programme airs daily.