| Russia Today | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 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.RussiaToday.com www.RTarabic.com |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 85 (06.00 - 08.00 and 18:00 - 22:00) |
| Satellite | |
| Sky Digital | Channel 512 |
| SKY Italia | Channel 531 |
| NTV Plus | |
| Kosmos TV | Channel 37 |
| DStv | Channel 405 |
| Freesat | Channel 206 |
| Cable | |
| Time Warner Cable of New York and New Jersey | Channel 135 Channel 525 |
| Elisa | Channel ? |
| Comcast Cable | Channel 193 |
| Cox Cable | Channel 476 |
| Channel 194 | |
| IPTV over ADSL | |
| Total Peripherals Group | ? |
| Akado | Channel 605 |
| Verizon FIOS TV | Channel 458 |
| Internet television | |
| Official Stream | Watch (Free, 508 Kbit/s) |
| Livestation | Watch (Free, 502 Kbit/s) |
Russia Today TV, also known as Russia Today and simply RT, is a globally broadcast English-language news channel from Russia, and the first all-digital Russian TV channel, sponsored by the state owned Russian news agency RIA-Novosti.[1]
The channel, 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] and is available around the world via satellite. The broadcast is also available online for free on the Russia Today homepage.
Contents |
Objectives
Russia Today 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, Russia Today's editor-in-chief, says the station was born out of the desire to present an "unbiased portrait of Russia".[1]
Like Al Jazeera English, France 24,NHK World, Iranian Press TV and Germany's DW World, the channel can be seen as an attempt to provide an alternative to the point of view on international news, dominated by CNN International and BBC World News.[citation needed]
A major part of Russia Today air time is devoted to Russian and world news, but it also airs business, sports and culture news. In addition, Russia Today features documentaries, travel shows and commentaries on present-day life in Russia and Russian history.
Achievements
In 2007, Russia Today's share of monthly audience among NTV Plus viewers in Moscow exceeded those of CNN and Bloomberg.[4]
In December 2007, Russia Today programmes were displayed in New York on America's main information video walls, NASDAQ and Reuters. On New Year's Eve, Russia Today'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, Russia Today had television's first ever live report from the North Pole, which lasted 5 minutes 41 seconds. A Russia Today crew participated in the Arktika 2007 Russian polar expedition, led by Artur Chilingarov on the Akademik Fyodorov icebreaker.[5]
In June 2007, Russia Today 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 Russia Today videos on YouTube was over 3 million, and Russia Today 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 «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, Russia Today'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 Russia Today and it received the Grand Prix.
In September 2007, the Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio[7] awarded Russia Today with the Prize for Professional Skillfulness.
In June 2007, the 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival[8] awarded its Grand Prix to Russia Today'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 Russia Today's documentary People of the Bering Strait in the Ethnography and Travel category.
Criticism
Western state and commercial media claim that Russia Today has close ties with the Russian state authorities[10][11][12][13][14] and a few years after the channel started broadcasting, for being a "cheerleader" of the Kremlin,[12] applying positive spin to reports about governmental institutions, refraining from criticizing Prime Minister and former Russian president Vladimir Putin or the government, and deliberately and incessantly engaging in US/NATO/EU-bashing through "interviews" in which only Russian ultra-nationalists or highly critical, anti-western "experts" are interviewed--without any probing questions or challenges by the RT reporters, and without even bothering to hear opposing points of view.[2] A CBS News story contains allegations that Russia Today is "a continuation of the old Soviet propaganda services".[2] Western commercial media, including The New York Times, routinely call it "state-run".[15]
Its foreign journalists have stated they are under no more pressure than in Britain or the United States to conform,[11] and its executives insisted that the channel should have an independent editorial policy.[16] Also at the same time, 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 Russia Today TV 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]
During the 2008 South Ossetian conflict, William Dunbar, a journalist at Russia Today, resigned, claiming pro-Russian bias on the channel. He told the Moscow Times that a series of video satellite links that he had scheduled for 11 August had been cancelled because he had mentioned Russian bombing of targets inside Georgia earlier that day. “The real news, the real facts of the matter, didn’t conform to what they were trying to report, and therefore, they wouldn’t let me report it. I felt that I had no choice but to resign.” However one senior journalist at Russia Today called his 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 Russia Today 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."[17]
According to the June 2009 Freedom House report, Russia Today "mixes sophisticated production with a resolutely upbeat tone on Russia’s image and an invariably pro-Kremlin take on political events."[18]
Satellite, Internet and Cable broadcasts
Russia Today is transmitted on thirteen satellites, covering Europe, Asia, the Americas, southern Africa and Australia.[19] Of these, eleven transmit the channel free to air, enabling it to be received without a subscription.[20]
Viewers in the Russian Federation can receive the English-language channel as a part of the NTV Plus basic package as well as COSMOS. 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 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.[21]
News clips and a free live stream of the broadcast are also available via the Russia Today homepage. In some countries, Russia Today can also be received by the IP-TV program Zattoo.
Russia Today can also be viewed in high quality for free using the Livestation software.
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)
Presenters
News anchors
- Sophie Shevardnadze
- Bill Dod
- Kevin Owen
- Karen Roberts
- Marina Dzhashi
- Alice Hibbert
- Yulia Bokova
- Yevgney Sukhoi
- Anna Fedorova
- Yulia Shapovalova
Business Today presenters
- Clare Garnett
- Laura Emmett
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)
- Ann Smith (Russia Close-Up)
- Ryan Dollard (Tech Update)
Past presenters
- Ahron Young (Sky News Australia)
- Amanda Burt (Press TV)
- 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)
- Jason de la Pêna (Sky News)
- Sasha Twining (Sky News/BBC News Interactive)
- Alicia Young
- Melissa Stock
- Hazeem Sika (Al Jazeera English)
- Nina Warhurst (Channel M)
- Dmitry Glukhovsky
- Carson Scott (Sky News Business Channel)[22]
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 on 2008-05-06.
- ^ a b c d e "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 on 2009-01-04.
- ^ "Russia Today tomorrow". Broadband TV News. 2005-09-15. http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/archive_cen/160905.html. Retrieved on 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 Today Built on Kremlin Ties". Kommersant. 2005-09-16. http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=609300. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ a b c "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 on 2008-05-06.
- ^ a b "Russia Pumps Tens of Millions Into Burnishing Image Abroad". Washington Post. 2008-03-06. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030503539_pf.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ "New Global TV Venture to Promote Russia". Voice of America. 2005-07-06. http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-07/2005-07-06-voa33.cfm?CFID=285357866&CFTOKEN=42597376. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ "Russian News, English Accent". CBS News. 2005-12-12. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/11/uttm/main1115914.shtml. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ Stephan Heyman. A Voice of Mother Russia, in English. New York Times May 18, 2008.
- ^ "KREMLIN MOVES TO REPAIR DAMAGED INTERNATIONAL IMAGE". Eurasia Daily Monitor. 2007-02-26. http://jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2371947. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ "Russia claims media bias". 2008-08-12. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990468.html?categoryid=14&cs=1.
- ^ Undermining Democracy. 21st Century Authoritarians, pp. 59-60. Undermining Democracy website. June 2009
- ^ "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 on 2007-07-26.
- ^ "The Team Carson Scott". Sky News Business Channel. http://www.businesschannel.com.au/team/biog.aspx?page=45. Retrieved on 2009-06-24.
External links
- Russia Today website (English)
- Live stream with windows media player(24-7 508 kbit/s) (English)
- Live stream with adobe flash player
- Official Russia Today YouTube Portal (English)
- How to watch Russia Today for free via Satellite in North America
- Official Russia Today Dailymotion Portal (English)
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