Lad Channel live broadcast scandal to be continued

• 25.02.2008, 12:55

On Wednesday evening, February 20, hosts of the TV program “Belorusskoe vremechko” in a live broadcast were talking about how Belarusians ease the nerves. A man called to the television studio and complained that fishing put him on a verge of divorce with his wife. TV presenters asked him about his life, and how he settles nerves. Answering the question, the viewer told about his cherished dream: “I dream to walk with a grenade launcher and to meet Lukashenka”.

It goes without saying that the conversation was finished immediately. And now the TV viewer is to continue the conversation in a different place.

“Certainly, we will write an application to appropriate competent authorities, as this phone call can be equated to telephone terrorism,” the head of the channel “Lad” Syarhei Kukhto comments the situation to the “KP in Belarus”. “If he doesn’t know our laws, now he’ll have time and possibility to study it in detail”.

“Will the TV program be closed?”

“No. We shall certainly make some steps to minimize chances for such calls to appear on air. But the creative team is working, and it is to continue its work. They will simply become more experienced.

Actions of the TV viewer fall under at least two articles of the Criminal Code, “hooliganism” and “President’s honour insult”. If he would be brought to justice for hooliganism, he faces at least community works, and maximally an imprisonment for three years. In case his actions would be estimated as an insult of the president, the penalty ranges from a fine to a two-year imprisonment.

Though the TV viewer could perfectly well mean that he dreams to defend the president with a grenade launcher. You could remember president’s aide and a deputy Kuchynski, who was nicknamed “Grenade launcher firer”, as he promised to defend the president with a grenade-launcher in his hands. And now there will be two grenade launcher firers in Belarus.