A new Russian-language TV news program that launched today will provide audiences in countries bordering Russia with a balanced alternative to the disinformation produced by Russian media outlets that is driving instability in the region.
"Current Time," or "Nastoyashchee Vremya" in Russian, is a joint production of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Voice of America undertaken in partnership with public and private broadcasters and Internet portals in Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine. Drawing on a network of reporters in the region, European capitals, RFE/RL's headquarters in Prague, and VOA in Washington, D.C., it presents a daily, 30-minute mix of live news coverage, interviews, original features, and political satire. It offers content that is not otherwise available on state-controlled Russian media to provide a “reality check” on local events.
Watch the first program:
"With this show, U.S. international media is stepping up to push back against an outrageously cynical and reckless media campaign that is fueling aggression and violence in Ukraine and other areas of the former Soviet Union," said Jeff Shell, Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees RFE/RL and VOA. "The show will provide unbiased, verifiable journalism. Facts, not lies."
"Current Time" is one part of U.S. international media’s efforts to respond to official propaganda in and around Russia. In addition to television audiences, the program will reach viewers on YouTube, Internet news portals, and social media. The producers plan to expand programming, market presence in the region, and satellite and online distribution throughout 2015.