Everyone interested in developments in Russia and in international
news from a Russian perspective now has the opportunity to keep up to
date. From 31 May the Russian news channel Russia Today is broadcast
via the Sirius satellite system to viewers in the Nordic and Baltic
countries.
Russia Today is broadcast free to air, i.e. unencrypted, so there
is no need for a smart card to be able to receive the channel. A
digital satellite receiver and a dish directed at Sirius at 5 degrees
east is all it takes. Russia Today will be available on the Viasat EPG
(Electronic Programme Guide). The broadcasts will be in English and
are aimed at an international audience.
"Russia Today is happy to have signed this contract for broadcasts
via Sirius. Through this agreement we will be able to get closer to
viewers in the Nordic and Baltic countries and in northern Europe,
which will strengthen our global coverage," says Sergey Maksimov,
Marketing Director of ANO "TV-NOVOSTI", the TV company behind Russia
Today.
CNN and BBC World are already available via Sirius. These channels
will now be supplemented by Russia Today, at a time when interest in
developments in Russia is at a peak.
"It feels good to be able to offer viewers in all the Nordic
countries a news channel that comes directly from Russia. The country
has been given a lot of attention in the media and it is interesting
to get the Russian point of view on everything happening inside - and
outside - Russia," says Bengt Lindholm, General Manager of SES SIRIUS
Ukraine rep office in Kiev.
Russia Today was launched in 2005 and broadcasts 24 hours a day.
It reaches millions of viewers in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Through the agreement with Sirius the channel will be available to
viewers in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Coverage includes
business, culture, sport and science and focuses on Russia's role in
the international economy.
Russia Today employs more than 700 professionals and its own
correspondents report from the main regions of Russia, the countries
of the former Soviet Union, and from Europe, the US and the Middle
East. This presence will be expanded to other regions of the world.
About SES Sirius
SES Sirius AB owns and operates the Sirius satellite system
(Sirius 2 and 3). Sirius is a leading satellite system in the Nordic
countries, the Baltic States and Central and Eastern Europe. It offers
cost-effective solutions for TV and radio broadcasts and broadband
services in these regions. The Sirius satellites are positioned at 5
degrees East and offer reliable communication links across Europe.
SES Sirius AB is 75-percent owned by SES ASTRA, one of the world's
leading satellite operators, and 25-percent by the state-owned company
the Swedish Space Corporation.
For more information see www.ses-sirius.com.