 The Russia Today English-language news channel that broadcasts by satellite around the world plans to launch a new Arabic language network this autumn, a company official told AFP. The channel, to be called “Russia Al Yaum” -- the Arabic translation of “Russia Today” -- will start broadcasting in about eight months’ time, said Sofia Ranneva, a spokeswoman for the state-run Russia Today (RT). “It’s a new channel in Arabic,” Ranneva told AFP.
| Right up there with "Russia Al Chechnya". |
Russia Today is a state-funded broadcaster launched last December with the aim of changing negative perceptions of Russia. The new networkÂ’s producer will be the former Moscow bureau chief of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel, Akram Khazam, said Ranneva. The English-language version got off to a rocky start amid technical foul-ups and accusations that it was too close to the government. Russia Today can be seen on the NTV-Plus subscription in Russia and broadcasts to North America, Europe and Asia on the Intelsat Americas 5, Hotbird 6 and Taicom 3 satellites. |