Journalists from Russia's embattled television network NTV are urging people to join a protest to support their fight against new owners.

The demonstration planned for Saturday will take place as CNN founder Ted Turner continues his efforts to buy into NTV. The journalists, fighting against new owners from state-dominated Gazprom, who they accuse of being used by the Kremlin to take over the only independent national TV station, have called for people to gather near the Ostankino TV tower in the north of the city.. In a press release, Turner said on Friday, "It is my sincere hope that the journalists and employees of NTV, who comprise the true value of this company, remain patient and calm while we work to finalize a transaction that will ensure the long term independence of their network." On Tuesday, Turner representatives reached agreement with NTV founder Vladimir Gusinsky to purchase his holdings in NTV and other media outlets. Turner's team is currently in talks with NTV's other major shareholder, the partially-government-owned Russian gas monopoly, Gazprom. In his statement, Turner said his goal is to "structure a transaction under which no one company will have majority control over NTV, and we are committed to including a number of European and Russian investors as shareholders." The statement was released as a newly-formed "conciliatory commission" meeting in Moscow failed to resolve a stand-off over control of the network. The current editorial leadership of NTV and its journalists have been involved in a protest movement since Tuesday, when an emergency NTV shareholder's meeting removed the old leadership and installed a new director, chairman of the board and editor in chief. The NTV staff refuse to recognise the new team, claiming the shareholder meeting was illegal.