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© EPA/ERIK S. LESSER
Federal broadcasting authority Roskomnadzor has issued American news channel CNN with the first of two licences required for a return to the airwaves after a two-month break in transmission.

Accreditation now needs support from a general broadcasting licence from the Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media before the channel's output is back on Russian screens.

"Accreditation for Russia has been signed off," said Roskomnadzor representative Vadim Ampelonskiy, noting the two-stage approval process.

CNN announced in November it would stop broadcasting on Russia's cable network at the end of the year. "Turner International is assessing distribution options for CNN in Russia in light of recent changes in Russian media legislation," it said at the time, without naming the changes.

In July last year, Russia's State Duma lower house of parliament voted to ban advertising on pay TV channels from January 2015.