RT (TV network)
Russia Today (Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization TV-News) was established in spring 2005 as a branch of Russian News and Information Agency Novosti.
The goals of Russia Today TV are to present information about Russia, to give the viewers the opportunity to get acquainted with Russian views on world and domestic events. The major part of Russia Today TV air time is devoted to Russian and world news, business and sports news as well as documentaries, which are so popular in the world, on the present-day life of Russia and its history.
During the course of three months the company went through major organizational stages to set up its business operations. Russian and foreign staff were hired and trained, equipment was obtained and installed, working premises were arranged, work to ensure complete transmission of the broadcast signal is still under way. Also the correspondent's bureaus in London, Paris, Jerusalem and Washington were set up. A Cairo bureau will follow soon.
From September 15, 2005 RTTV started its test broadcast within TV complex and the channel worked 24 hours a day at full capacity before going on air.
On December 10, 2005 Russia Today went on air.
Staff:
The TV channel employs 539 employees. There are 353 employees involved with editorial output, including 79 foreigners.
Among them - there are both experienced Russian and foreign journalists with huge experience at major TV channels (Liz George, Sasha Twining, Alexander Gurnov) as well as young professionals with an excellent command of the English language.
Budget:
The company budget comes from the governmental funds and the commercial banks' loan funding.
Russia Today broadcasts via IA5 satellite to the territories of the United States and Canada, via Hotbird 6 to the territories of Europe and via Thaicom 3 satellite to the territories of Asia, Africa and Australia.
More detailed information on satellites is as follows:
- IA5(97 W) satellite (US and Canada) frequency 11.966 MHz FEC - 3/4; symbol rate: 22.000 Ms/sec. polarization - H
- Hotbird 6(13 E) (Europe) frequency 10.971 MHz FEC - 3/4; symbol rate: 27.500 Ms/sec. polarization - H
- Thaicom 3(78,5 E) (Asia, Africa and Australia) frequency: 3.640 MHz FEC - 3/4; symbol rate: 28.066 Ms/sec. polarization - H
In Russia viewers can watch RT as a part of the NTV-plus basic package