Current Time TV (Russian: Настоящее Время, romanized: Nastoyashcheye Vremya) is a Russian-language television channel with editorial office in Prague, created by the US organisations Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America. The channel – via RFE/RL – is funded through grants from the US Congress through the US Agency for Global Media.[1] The media sees its task in "promoting democratic values and institutions". RFE/RL launched Current Time, in October 2014.[2] The official round-the-clock broadcasting began on February 7, 2017.[3][4][5]
Current Time was instituted as an alternative to Kremlin-controlled media and Russian propaganda.[6][7] Despite the fact that Current Time was intended to counterbalance Russian official news coverage, Kenan Aliyev,[8] executive editor of Current Time, told Reuters that C.T. was not counterpropaganda at all.[9]
In December 2017 Russia's Ministry of Justice added the outlet to the so-called list of "foreign agent". It, alongside 8 other American public broadcasters, was the first mass media outlet to be included to the so-called list of "foreign agents".[10]
Current Time is available on cable, satellite and digital platforms in Russia, the Baltics, Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasus and central Asia.[9] It had over 1,500,000 followers on Facebook and 1,300,000 subscribers on YouTube in August 2020.[5]
On 27 February 2022, Roskomnadzor blocked the website of the channel for its coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[11] On January 5, 2024, a Belarusian court declared the Internet pages of “Current Time” extremist.[12]
References
- ^ "Current Time: About Us Current Time TV English". Current Time English. October 15, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Current Time Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty". RFE/RL. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Current Time TV Channel Новости, видео и репортажи из России, Украины, стран Азии – Настоящее Время". Настоящее Время (in Kyrgyz). Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Current Time TV | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020.
- ^ a b "Current Time celebrates two years of impact and growth". USAGM. February 12, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "America's answer to Russian propaganda TV". The Economist. June 15, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "U.S. launches TV network as alternative to Russian propaganda". CBS News. Associated Press. February 9, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Kenan Aliyev". DOKweb. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ a b Lopatka, Jan (February 8, 2017). "Radio Free Europe, Voice of America launch new Russian-language TV channel". Reuters. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Russia Slaps Restrictions On 'Voice Of America' And 'Radio Free Europe' : The Two-Way". NPR. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Роскомнадзор уведомил "Настоящее время" о блокировке его сайта". Interfax. February 27, 2022.
- ^ "В Беларуси объявили "экстремистскими" сайт и соцсети Настоящего Времени". Voice of America (in Russian). January 12, 2024.
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