Julian Assange's television chatshow, The World Tomorrow, is to broadcast its first episode on state-run news channel Russia Today on 17 April.

According to a statement issued by WikiLeaks on Friday, Assange has completed filming 12 episodes of the chatshow, which will be broadcast online and by the Russian broadcaster.

Russia Today said the "notorious" identity of the show's first guest would be revealed at a later date. The first episode will coincide with the 500th day of the financial blockade of WikiLeaks.

Although guests have not been named, WikiLeaks said Assange has interviewed an "eclectic" selection, including politicians, revolutionaries, artists and intellectuals.

In a separate pre-show interview on the Russia Today website, Assange took aim at those who questioned the independence of his ambitious chatshow over its links to the state-controlled broadcaster.

A promotional video for Assange's World Tomorrow programme was published on YouTube on Friday.

"A lot of the things that we have been trying to report have not been carried accurately in the mainstream press. There are many, many fine exceptions but when we look at international networks there's really only two that are worth speaking about, and that's RT [Russia Today] and al-Jazeera," Assange said.

The Russia Today editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan, added: "RT is rallying a global audience of open-minded people who question what they see in mainstream media and we are proud to premiere Julian Assange's new project.

"We provided Julian a platform to reach the world and gave him total editorial freedom. He is absolutely the right person to bring alternative opinions to our viewers around the globe."

Assange, who is on bail awaiting a British court decision on his appeal against extradition to Sweden, is in discussion with other broadcasters about licensing rights to the show, according to the WikiLeaks statement.

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