RTVI is a global Russian-speaking multi-platform media, which includes a news website (about 4 million users per month) and other digital platforms (2.7 million subscribers): 6 YouTube channels, 2 Telegram channels and accounts in all major social networks.

RTVI
CountryUnited States
Germany
Israel
Sweden
Broadcast areaWorldwide
HeadquartersMoscow[1]
New York[2][3]
Programming
Language(s)First languages
Russian
English
Second languages
German
Hebrew
Spanish
Swedish
Ownership
OwnerMikayel Israyelyan[4]
History
Launched1 January 1997
Former namesNTV International (1997–2002)
Links
Websitertvi.com

As of 2023, it broadcasts in 159 countries.[5] It has more than 350 broadcasting operators around the world and 20 million viewers.[citation needed]

Old logo of RTVi
Subsidiary in Israel

History

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1990s

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In 1997, the channel was founded as NTV International by Vladimir Gusinsky, where it would serve as the "international, license-cleared version" of the NTV channel.[6] Its main audiences were the Russian-speaking diasporas of Israel, the United States, and Europe.[7]

2000s

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Following the Kursk disaster, numerous independent media outlets became very critical of Vladimir Putin who later would support an agenda for the state to gain control of these outlets.

In the early 2000s Kiselev sold a majority stake in the network to a group of Russian and foreign investors. The change brought about shifts in editorial direction and programming.[citation needed]

In April 2002, two independent broadcasters the Andrey Norkin and Vyacheslav Kriskevich associated Echo (Russian: "Эхо"), which is the television version of the radio station Echo of Moscow, and the Yevgeny Kiselyov associated TV6, which aired the program "Grani" (Russian: "Грани") by Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was an advisor to Vladimir Putin opponent Boris Nemtsov, and would rename itself as TVS, began offering their products to the NTV-International channel, which planned to change its name to RTV or "Russia Televion".[8] Both Vyacheslav Kriskevich, who was a presenter of "Today on TV6" «Сегодня на ТВ-6», which later was renamed "Now" (Russian: «Сейчас»), and Andrey Norkin, who both had been employed by TV6, moved their support to RTV instead of TVS.[9][10]

From 2004 to 2012, Vladimir Kara-Murza who received strong support from Mikhail Khodorkovsky, directed the Washington bureau of RTVi until Ruslan Sokolov took ownership of RTV which led to Kara-Murza's dismissal.

2012, 2017, and 2019 ownership changes

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RTVI was owned by a former director of the Russian state TV channel Zvezda the Russian businessman Ruslan Sokolov (Russian: Руслан Соколов) who bought the channel from Gusinsky in 2012.

A group of Israeli private investors purchased RTVI International channel in 2017. In June 2017, The channel, which planned to enter the Russian market, was relaunched with the liberal Dozhd TV's pink colors in its new logo, new presenters and editors some of which were from Dozhd or from former NTV's independent editorial board.[4] Alexey Pivovarov, who had worked as a manager at STS and is a strong supporter of the old NTV, headed RTVI International until 2020 when he left RTVi to run his 2019 established YouTube channel.[4] Vasily Brovko, Sergey Chemezov and Rostec also were supporting the relaunch.[4] In the Spring of 2019, Yulia Moskvitina chaired the board of directors and Tatyana Druzhnyaeva headed RTVI as the executive director.[4]

In October 2019, the Armenia-born American Mikayel Israyelyan was named the new owner of RTVI.[4][11][12]

Staff

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RTVi's News Director till June 2020 was Ekaterina Kotrikadze. Russian journalist Alexey Pivovarov was appointed editor-in-chief in 2016. Pivovarov remained in this position till 25 June 2020.[4][13] On 10 March 2022, the general producer of RTVI Sergey Shnurov announced the temporary termination of cooperation with RTVI.[14]

References

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  1. ^ Maksim Gorozhanko (9 August 2022). "Телеканал, связанный с «Ростехом», продолжает вещание в США • «Агентство»". «Агентство» (in Russian). Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  2. ^ "RTVI разрешили вещать на Украине. С 2018 года телеканал был под запретом". rtvi.com. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  3. ^ "Телеканал RTVi". kommersant.ru. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Сотников, Даниил (Sotnikov, Daniil); Чуракова, Ольга (Churakova, Olga); Баданин, Роман (Badanin, Roman); Рубин, Михаил (Rubin, Mikhail); Сурначева, Елизавета (Surnacheva, Elizabeth) (25 December 2019). "Друзья по особым поручениям. Рассказ о том, как Сергей Чемезов связался с либералами" [Friends on special missions. The story of how Sergey Chemezov got in touch with liberals]. Проект Медиа (Proekt) (in Russian). Retrieved 30 December 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "RTVI.TV". rtvi.tv. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. ^ New owner
  7. ^ "Вечное НТВ. Как новый инвестор планирует развивать бывший телеканал Владимира Гусинского RTVi. Репортаж Ильи Жегулева". Meduza. 2 November 2016. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  8. ^ "В России создается мультимедийный проект "Эхо"" [Multimedia project "Echo" is being created in Russia]. news.ru (in Russian). 15 April 2002. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  9. ^ "ВЫБРОСИТ ЛИ ТВ6 ИЗ ЭФИРА И "ЭХО МОСКВЫ"" [WILL TV6 ALSO THROW ECHO OF MOSCOW OFF THE AIR]. "Утренняя газета" "Утро.ру" (utro.ru) (in Russian). 22 January 2002. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2024. "Утро.ру" is closely associated with Alexander Nazarov (Russian: Александр Назаров).ТАСС Экономика и бизнес (12 февраля 2014), Холдинг РБК продал "Утро.ру" группе частных инвесторов из Сибири: Сумма сделки могла составить 300-370 млн рублей, ТАСС, Alexander Petrakovsky (Russian: Александр Петраковский) associated EDevelopment gained control of "Утро.ру" from RBC in March 2014.Новым владельцем «Утро.ру» стала EDevelopment: Инвесткомпания выкупила интернет-издание у РБК, sostav.ru, 06 Марта 2014
  10. ^ "Леонид Невзлин скупает российские интернет-СМИ" [Leonid Nevzlin buys up Russian online media]. Golden Telecom (rol.ru) (in Russian). 6 May 2005. Archived from the original on 9 May 2005. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  11. ^ "U.S. businessman buys New York-based Russian-language broadcaster RTVI". Reuters. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  12. ^ "U.S. Businessman Buys Russian-Language RTVI Broadcaster". The Moscow Times. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Алексей Пивоваров покидает пост главного редактора RTVI" [Alexey Pivovarov leaves the post of editor-in-chief of RTVI]. rtvi.com (in Russian). 25 June 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Сергей Шнуров временно сложил с себя обязанности генерального продюсера RTVI" [Sergey Shnurov temporarily resigned from his duties as the general producer of RTVI]. rtvi.com (in Russian). 10 March 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
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