According to some Russian publications, the Gazprom-Media has been preparing to launch a new terrestrial TV channel under a working title TNT-2.
According to the Kommersant newspaper, starting from January 1, 2016, the TV channel 2×2 disappeared (owned by the Gazprom-Media) will disappear from the Russian air, it moves to the cable television networks. It will be replaced by a new TV project, its name is not known yet, but its airtime will be formed by the media content of TNT.
According to the Vedomosti newspaper’s sources within the Gazprom-Media, the channel 2×2 will be available to subscribers both of cable and satellite television. And its broadcasting frequencies will be taken by a new TV channel indeed, the content of which consists of old TNT programs. That decision has been already taken, and today there are discussions held about new name of the channel, as well as its broadcasting content.
The history of the TV channel 2×2, the content of which actually consists of so-called cartoons for adults, has its origins as far back as 1998. Then it was created as an entertaining channel. Later on, it was purchased by the media holding Rambler and afterwards by the holding Profmedia, which was merged by the Gazprom Media Holding in 2014.
It is worth saying that now there already exists a TV channel, broadcasting TNT content. It is a thematic TV channel TNT Comedy, which started broadcasting in September of the past year in the networks of cable and satellite television in Russia and CIS countries. In addition, in February this year, the channel’s international version TNT-International started operating via the satellite Eutelsat Hotbird (13°E), but its content grid is the same as the one of the TNT Comedy.
