| RT | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | December 10, 2005 |
| Owned by | RIA Novosti |
| Broadcast area | Worldwide, via Cable, Satellite and Internet |
| Headquarters | Moscow |
| Sister channel(s) | Rusiya Al-Yaum, Vesti |
| Website | www.RT.com |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview (UK) | Channel 85 (0600-0800, 1800-2200 only) |
| Satellite | |
| NTV Plus (Russia) | |
| Viasat | |
| SKY Italia | Channel 531 |
| GlobeCast World TV | |
| Sky Digital (UK & Ireland) | Channel 512 |
| Freesat | Channel 206 |
| Cyfra+ | Channel 146 |
| Yes (Israel) | |
| Dream Satellite TV (Philippines) | TBA |
| Cignal Digital TV (Philippines) | TBA |
| Indovision (Indonesia) | TBA |
| Astro (Malaysia) | TBA |
| TrueVisions (Thailand) | TBA |
| Cable | |
| Global Destiny Cable (Philippines) | Channel 7 |
| Cablelink (Philippines) | TBA |
| SkyCable (Philippines) | TBA |
| StarHub TV (Singapore) | Channel 174 |
| First Media (Indonesia) | TBA |
| Rogers Cable (Canada) | Channel 887 |
| IPTV | |
| Hypp.TV (Malaysia) | Channel 2008 |
| now TV (Hong Kong) | TBA |
| mio TV (Singapore) | Channel 45 |
RT, previously known as Russia Today, is a globally broadcast English-language channel from Russia, and the first all-digital Russian TV network, sponsored by the state owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti.[1]
The network, which cost about $30 million in 2005 to set up and $60 million for its first year of operation,[2] started broadcasting on December 10, 2005 with nearly 100 English-speaking journalists reporting for it worldwide.[2][3] It is available around the world via cable, satellite, and online for free from the RT website.
Contents |
Objectives
RT sets out to present the Russian point of view on events in Russia and its 'near abroad' and give the viewers an opportunity to get acquainted with Russian views on world and domestic events. Margarita Simonyan, RT's editor-in-chief, says the station was born out of the desire to present an "unbiased portrait of Russia".[1]
A major part of RT's airtime is devoted to Russian and world news, but it also airs business, sports and culture news. In addition, RT features documentaries, travel shows and commentaries on present-day life in Russia and Russian history.
Achievements
In 2007, RT's share of monthly audience among NTV Plus viewers in Moscow exceeded those of CNN and Bloomberg.[4]
In December 2007, RT programmes were displayed in New York on America's main information video walls, NASDAQ and Reuters. On New Year's Eve, RT's New Year's programme from Moscow and St. Petersburg was displayed live on the NASDAQ and Reuters screens for the thousands of people celebrating in Times Square.[4]
In August 2007, RT had television's first ever live report from the North Pole, which lasted 5 minutes 41 seconds. An RT crew participated in the Arktika 2007 Russian polar expedition, led by Artur Chilingarov on the Akademik Fyodorov icebreaker.[5]
In June 2007, RT was one of the first Russian TV channels to have its own channel on YouTube, the leading video hosting site on the Internet. In January 2008, the total number of views for RT videos on YouTube was over 3 million, and RT was sixth in YouTube's Most Viewed Partners rating, leaving behind CBS, BBC World, Al Jazeera English, and France 24.[4]
Professional awards
In January 2009 Silver World Medal for Best News Documentary “A city of desolate mothers” from the New York Festivals
In November 2008 Special Jury Award in the Best Creative Feature category for a Russian Glamour feature story at Media Excellence Awards in London.
In September 2008 Russia's most prestigious broadcasting award TEFI in Best News Anchor category.
In November 2007, RT's report on the anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe received a special prize from the international 2007 AIB Media Excellence Awards[6] in the News Coverage category. Other nominees included major international broadcasters such as BBC, France 24, Deutsche Welle, CBS, Al Arabiya, and others. There was only one story by CBS News which rated higher than RT and it received the Grand Prix.
In September 2007, the Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio[7] awarded RT with the Prize for Professional Skillfulness.
In June 2007, the 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival[8] awarded its Grand Prix to RT's Meeting with Nature series. There were 284 entries competing in 10 categories, including a work by German TV channel Deutsche Welle.
In September 2006, the 10th "Golden Tambourine" International Festival for Television programmes and films[9] awarded RT's documentary People of the Bering Strait in the Ethnography and Travel category.
Criticism
A CBC News story contains allegations that RT is "a continuation of the old Soviet propaganda services".[2] One senior journalist at RT called these allegations of bias "nonsense". "The Russian coverage I have seen has been much better than much of the Western coverage," he said, adding, "My view is that RT is not particularly biased at all. When you look at the Western media, there is a lot of genuflection towards the powers that be. Russian news coverage is largely pro-Russia, but that is to be expected."[10] Also the head of the Russian governmental media watchdog Russian Federal Press and Mass Communications Agency, Mikhail Seslavinskii, denied there is any state censorship and stated that the RT works on its own as an independent editorial office.[11] Supporters say that putting forward a "positive view of Russia" is no different than what many other countries do.[2]
Satellite, Internet and Cable broadcasts
RT is transmitted on thirteen satellites, covering Europe, Asia, the Americas, southern Africa and Australia.[12] Of these, eleven transmit the channel free to air, enabling it to be received without a subscription.[13]
Viewers in Russia can receive the channel as a part of the NTV Plus basic package as well as Kosmos TV. In the UK and Ireland, it is available on the Sky platform's channel 512, including in the Freesat from Sky package. It is also available in the UK daily 0600-0800 and 1800-2200 on Digital Terrestrial platform Freeview channel 85. In Italy it is available on the SKY Italia Channel 531. In the US, it is available to digital customers of Time Warner Cable of New York and New Jersey, Channel 135.[14] Portions of RT are shown on MHz Worldview. Since MHZ Worldview is shown as a digital subchannel for some PBS stations (in addition to being available on DirecTV), this makes RT available on digital terrestrial television in the United States. MHz Networks, which owns MHZ Worldview, does a complete simulcast of RT on one of the digital subchannels of WNVC, one of the two stations it owns in Northern Virginia.
News clips and a live stream of the broadcast are available via the RT website.
Programmes
- News
- Weather (only graphics)
- Business Today
- Moscow Out (arts and culture show)
- Spotlight
- Sports
- Russia Close-Up
- XL Reports (Documentary since 2006)
- In Context
- Technology Update
- Wayfarer (Russian Travel and Adventure Programme)
- Primetime Russia (Evening "opt out" news show for only Russia/CIS audiences)
Presenters
News anchors
- Bill Dod
- Kevin Owen
- Marina Dzhashi
- Alice Hibbert
- Rory Suchet
- Staci Bivens
- Yulia Bokova
- Yevgeny Sukhoi
- Yulia Shapovalova
- Cary Jonston
- Matt Trezza
- Neil Harvey (Primetime Russia)
- Anya Fedorova (Primetime Russia)
Reporters
Business Today presenters
- Daniel Jones
- Laura Emmett (Now London Bureau Chief)
Sport presenters
- Andrew Farmer
- Pete Oliver
- Eunan O'Neill
Other presenters
- Al Gurnov (Spotlight)
- Peter Lavelle (In context — political show)
- Martyn Andrews (Wayfarer/Moscow Out/A Prime Receipe)
- Ryan Dollard (Tech Update)
- Alyona Minkovski (The Alyona Show)
- Sophie Shevardnadze (Culture Fair/News/Interview with...)
Past presenters (all)
- Karen Roberts
- Ahron Young (Sky News Australia)
- Amanda Burt (Press TV)
- Nina Warhurst(Channel M)
- Jenny Hammond (Press TV Shanghai/ICS)
- Louise Potter (Al Jazeera Sports London)
- Maryam Nemazee (Al Jazeera English)
- Jess Dunsdon (Channel M/Channel Television)
- Natasha Butler (France 24)
- Neave Barker (Al Jazeera Moscow Correspondant)
- Jason de la Pêna (Sky News)
- Sasha Twining (Sky News/BBC News Interactive)
- Alicia Young
- Claire Garnett (CNBC Europe)
- Melissa Stock
- Hazeem Sika (Al Jazeera English)
- Carson Scott (Sky News Business Channel)
- Ann Smith (ITV)
Past Reporters
- Roman Tokman
- William Dunbar
- Nina Warhurst (Channel M)
- Leah Ferguson
- Dmitry Glukhovsky
See also
References
- ^ a b "Russia Today to be 24-hour, English TV station". CBC News. 2005-06-07. http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/06/07/russiantv050607.html. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ a b c d "Journalism mixes with spin on Russia Today: critics". CBC News. 2006-03-10. http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/03/10/russia-today-critics.html. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
- ^ "Russia Today tomorrow". Broadband TV News. 2005-09-15. http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/archive_cen/160905.html. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
- ^ a b c News&events Retrieved: 05-10-08
- ^ Russia Today Retrieved: 05-10-08
- ^ AIB Media Excellence Awards
- ^ Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio
- ^ 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival
- ^ "Golden Tambourine" International Festival for Television programmes and films
- ^ "Russia claims media bias". 2008-08-12. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990468.html?categoryid=14&cs=1.
- ^ "Russia: New International Channel Ready To Begin Broadcasting". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2005-12-09. http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/12/24cd96c9-864b-4d7f-8431-541f7d6a4ade.html. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
- ^ "Russia Today:Satellite". 2008-09-17. http://www.russiatoday.ru/satellite.
- ^ "Free TV from Russia". 2008-09-17. http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/Russia.html.
- ^ "Corporate profile". Russia Today. http://www.russiatoday.ru/corporate_profile. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
- ^ "The Team Carson Scott". Sky News Business Channel. http://www.businesschannel.com.au/team/biog.aspx?page=45. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
External links
|
||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
