Corporate profile

With first channel launched in December 2005, the RT network now consists of three global news channels broadcasting in English, Spanish and Arabic, RT America broadcasting from RT’s Washington studio and a documentary Channel RTDoc. With a global reach of over 430 million people, or 22% of all cable subscribers worldwide, RT news covers the major issues of our time for viewers wishing to question more. The best of our broadcast can be found at RT’s YouTube channel, where the number of views has already exceeded half a billion, making RT the first TV news channel to break this record in YouTube’s history.

Now RT has 21 bureaus in 16 states, with a presence in Washington, New York, London, Paris, Delhi, Cairo, Baghdad, Kiev and other cities and employs over 2,000 media professionals around the globe.

Audience and distribution

RT’s signal is carried by 22 satellites and over 230 operators, which allows some 430 million people to watch the channel in at least 100 countries. RT has over 7 million viewers in six European countries, including Germany, France, and Italy according to Synovate Research (Synovate research, 2009). In Great Britain, RT’s audience is over 2 million people, according to a Kantar Media survey (Kantar Media research, 2010). Moreover, in July 2010, RT began broadcasting 24/7 through Freeview, Britain’s largest digital terrestrial television network with an audience of over 55 million.

In the USA, about 50 million people in key urban areas can watch RT in English and Spanish via cable or satellite. In February 2011, RT began round-the-clock broadcasting in San Francisco and Chicago via U.S. cable TV operator Comcast, adding 6 million viewers to potential audience. In October 2011, round-the-clock broadcasting in Philadelphia added another 5 million people to RT’s U.S. audience reach. A Nielsen Media Research survey indicates that viewers in Washington and New York prefer watching RT to other international news channels such as the EU’s Euronews, France 24, Germany’s Deutsche Welle, the Middle East’s Al Jazeera English, or China’s CCTV News (The Nielsen Company Research, 2010). In Washington, for example, RT’s audience is 6.5 times that of Al Jazeera English and 5 times that of Deutsche Welle (The Nielsen Company Research, 2009).

In Asia and Africa, RT is just as popular. According to Synovate data, RT’s daily reach in the Republic of South Africa is 4.5 bigger than those of Deutsche Welle, France 24, and TV5 Monde taken together (Synovate EMS Africa, 2010). In Bangkok and Taipei, the Russian channel is watched more than Al Jazeera English (Synovate PAX ECI Q4´09).

Apart from regular news updates, RT offers a unique insight into many aspects of Russian history, culture and opinions. Our special projects are specifically tailored to accustom the international audience with the Russian perspective.

Hotel Partnerships

RT is also available in more than 1,7 mln. hotel rooms throughout the world. During 2010, the number of hotels carrying RT’s broadcast doubled to over 8,000, including over a thousand four- and five-star hotels in the USA. RT is available in the world’s top hotel chains including Hilton, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott International, Hyatt, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Kempinski, Renaissance Hotels, Taj Resorts and Palaces, Holiday Inn, Four Seasons Hotels, Starwood Hotels, Best Western, and Sofitel. We run a special Partner Program with Hotel owners to promote your business with RT. The channel also broadcasts on mobile platforms through a free application for Iphone, Blackberry, and Android. More details on where to watch RT is available at Where to Watch.

RT on Youtube

RT’s total view count on YouTube exceeds half a billion, making RT a world record setter. No other news TV channel boasts such reach on the world’s biggest online video platform. YouTube Trends analysts estimate RT viewing figures are growing at an average rate of 850 thousand per day. RT was watched more than VEVO in March 2011, which is again, a first for any news channel on YouTube. RT on YouTube was nominated for a Global Communication Award in 2011. RT delivers stories often missed by mainstream to create news with an edge for the world’s biggest online video audience. Described by YouTube as ‘astonishing’ and‘one of the, if not the biggest news provider on YouTube worldwide’ (YouTube’s director of video partnerships Patrick Walker about RT during YouTube Presentation on MIPCOM 2010), RT’s YouTube platform is core to the ongoing emphasis on multi-media news-delivery across the RT family.

FreeVideo

In 2009, RT launched a unique project for media professionals: FreeVideo, Russia’s first English-language video agency, which gives users free online access to broadcast quality RT footage. All FreeVideo files are available in several formats and come with detailed descriptions in five languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, German, and French. Today, over 8,000 TV channels and agencies from 185 countries, including CNN, Fox News, ABC News, AP, and Reuters, avail of the service. FreeVideo gives global channels the chance to cover events in Russia and the world using RT’s footage. Join the FreeVideo community.

The RT family

Arabic broadcasting

A year after the English-language channel launch RT Arabic service set up began. On the 4th of May, 2007 Rusiya Al-Yaum went life on air. At present over 350 million viewers in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe can watch RT in Arabic. According to Nielsen research over 5 million people watch RT in 7 Arab countries, more than leading European channels Deutsche Welle Arabic, France 24 Arabic and Chinese CCTV Arabic all together (The Nielsen Company Research in 7 Arab countries, 2010). You can watch RT Arabic live as well as on Rusiya Al-Yaum’s YouTube channel or follow Rusiya Al-Yaum on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

Spanish Broadcasting

The Spanish Channel started broadcasting in December 2009. Drawing on the experience and resources of our English and Arabic channels it has quickly won an audience. In less than a year, leaders of over 10 Latin American countries gave interviews to the channel, including the presidents of Ecuador and Venezuela, Rafael Correa and Hugo Chavez respectively. The RT Spanish launch was rewarded with a nomination for a prestigious British Broadcast Digital Award (2010) for Best Channel Launch. The channel also won six prizes in a prestigious television marketing and design competition in Latin America, the Promax / BDA Latin America Competition 2010. RT live broadcast is available at actualidad.rt.com, you can also follow latest updates on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

RT America

In January 2010, RT began broadcasting from its own studio in Washington, joining the club of international channels targeting audiences in different regions of the world. RT America goes on air during America’s prime time and covers stories no one else from the mainstream media dares to touch. The first authored political show to appear on RT America together with the launch of the channel is The Alyona Show, hosted by Alyona Minkovski. Alyona offers a fresh perspective on U.S. and world politics. According to SOMA magazine, “The Alyona Show on RT might not be the best-known primetime news and commentary program, but it’s one of the most refreshing, and not just because its 25 year old host is instantly charming”. RT America broadcasting is available on Youtube and at the RT website. The channel also can be followed on Twitter and Facebook

RTDoc

RTDoc is the youngest member of the RT family; it started broadcasting 24/7 in English in June 2011. The bulk of RTDoc broadcast will be exclusive documentaries about Russia, produced in-house by RT. Among them films that have won international prizes such as Media Excellence and New York Festivals Awards. The new channel’s open signal coming from the Hot Bird (RTDoc’s broadcast on Hot Bird satellite: Hot Bird 8, 13°E (frequency : 12015 Mhz, polarization: H, symbol rate: 27500, FEC: ¾)) satellite will be received by 120 million households across Europe as well as in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Strong interest has been shown by cable operators all over the world. RTDoc’s reach covers network subscribers in Germany, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Bulgaria and Macedonia. In the United States and Canada, more than a million viewers can watch RTDoc on the IPTV Roku system. Viewers can also watch RTDoc online.

RT awards

Our dedicated team of news professionals unites young talent and household names in the world of broadcast journalism. RT’s dedication to high-quality output and an insightful approach to a range of topics have been acknowledged by a number of international awards.

AUGUST 2010

RT has been nominated in the prestigious Emmy International Television Awards. It makes RT the first Russian TV channel to be nominated for an Emmy in the “News & Current Affairs” category.

JANUARY 2010

RT’s QUESTION MORE campaign won the British Awards for National Newspaper Advertising (ANNAs) “Ad of the Month” in January 2010.

JUNE 2010

RT has won three gold awards at the industry’s standard-setting competition in television design and marketing, the Promax/BDA World Gold Awards 2010. Two gold awards went to the posters of RT’s QUESTION MORE promotion campaign. RT Prime Time Russia’s promo video won yet another gold in the Image Promotion category.

JANUARY 2009

Silver World Medal for Best News Documentary “A city of desolate mothers” from the New York Festivals

NOVEMBER 2008

Special Jury Award in the Best Creative Feature category for “Russian Glamour” feature story at Media Excellence Awards in London.

SEPTEMBER 2008

British television presenter at RT, Kevin Owen, has been awarded Russia’s most prestigious TV award for Best News Anchor.