| Headquarters | Moscow |
|---|---|
| Ownership | |
| Owner | RIA Novosti |
Russia Today TV, more often known as Russia Today, is a global English-language news channel from Russia, owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia's state news agency, RIA-Novosti. It is available around the world via satellite and it started broadasting almost three months late[1] on December 10, 2005. The broadcast is also available online from the Russia Today TV homepage. (After the channel started broadcasting, a US-based online Russian news service Russia Today, unrelated to the TV channel, changed its name to The Russia News Service.)
The channel 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. A major part of Russia Today air time is devoted to Russian and world news but it also airs business and sports news. In addition, Russia Today features documentaries and commentaries on present-day life in Russia and Russian history.
Russian viewers can receive the English-language channel as a part of the NTV Plus basic package. In the UK and Ireland, it is available on the Sky platform's channel 516. In Italy is available on the Sky Italia Channel 954. In the US, it is available to digital customers of Time Warner Cable of New York and New Jersey, Channel 135.[2] The first all-digital Russian TV channel, Russia Today cost about $30 million in 2005 to set up - before it even started broadcasting.[3]
Like Al Jazeera English, France 24, Iranian Press TV and Germany's DW World, the channel can be seen as an attempt to provide an alternative to the Anglophone point of view on international news, dominated by CNN International and BBC World.
However, criticism has been raised against Russia Today for being a "breathless cheerleader" for the Kremlin[4] and for being to much "in the hands" of the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.[3][5][6][7]
Achievements
In 2007, Russia Today's share of monthly audience among NTV-Plus viewers in Moscow exceeded those of CNN and Bloomberg.
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.
In August 2007, Russia Today, for the first time ever in the history of world television, had a 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.
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.
In January 2008, Russia Today was 6th in YouTube's Most Viewed Partners rating, leaving behind CBS, BBC World, Al Jazeera English, and France 24.
Professional awards
In November 2007, Russia Today's report on the anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe received a special prize from the international 2007 Media Excellence Awards in the News Coverage category. Other nominees included major international broadcasters, like 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 awarded Russia Today with the Prize for Professional Skillfulness.
In June 2007, the 11th "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival 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 awarded Russia Today's documentary People of the Bering Straight in the Etnography and Travel category.
Programmes
- News
- Weather
- Business Today
- Entertainment Today
- Media Mirror
- Spotlight
- Russia Close-Up
- XL Reports (Documentary since 2006)
- In Context
- Technology Update
- Wayfarer (Russian Travel Programme)
- IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)
News presenters
- Sophie Shevardnadze
- Bill Dod
- Kevin Owen
- Karen Roberts
- Marina Dzhashi
- Alice Hibbert
- Yulia Bokova
- Yevgney Sukhoi
- Yulia Shapovalova
--
- Olga Masalkova (Business Today)
- Laura Emmett (Business Today)
--
- Anna Fedrova (Entertainment Today)
- Martyn Andrews (Entertainment Today)
--
- Dave Garratt (Sport)
- Andrew Farmer (Sport)
- Pete Oliver (Sport)
--
- Al Gurnov (Spotlight)
- Evgeny Belenky (Media Mirror)
- Martyn Andrews (Wayfarer)
- Anne Smith (Russia Close-Up)
- Paul Tadditch (Tech Update)
Past presenters
- Amanda Burt (Press TV)
- Maryam Nemazee (Al Jazeera International English)
- Jess Dunsdon (Channel M)
- Natacha Butler (France 24)
- Jason De La Pena (France 24)
- Sasha Twining (Sky News)
How to watch Russia Today
By satellite
- Thaicom 5
- Asiasat 3S
- Yamal 202
- NSS 806
More details: http://www.russiatoday.ru/satellite
See also
References
- ^ "Russia Today tomorrow". Broadband TV News. 2005-09-15. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
- ^ "Corporate profile". Russia Today. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
- ^ a b "Russia Today Built on Kremlin Ties". Kommersant. 2005-09-16. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ "Russia Pumps Tens of Millions Into Burnishing Image Abroad". Washington Post. 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ "KREMLIN MOVES TO REPAIR DAMAGED INTERNATIONAL IMAGE". Eurasia Daily Monitor. 2007-02-26. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ "New Global TV Venture to Promote Russia". Voice of America. 2005-07-06. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- ^ "Russian News, English Accent". CBS News. 2005-12-12. Retrieved 2008-04-14.