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Voice of Russia rebrands as Radio Sputnik
MikeBr
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Voice of Russia has now rebranded as Radio Sputnik, still labelled on London DAB as VOR.
Announcements heard "The Voice of Russia has reached new heights and changed to Radio Sputnik" "Telling the untold Radio Sputnik" No news on the hour, just gone into Living in Moscow.
Website annoucement
http://voiceofrussia.com/uk/news/2014_11_10/Voice-of-Russia-becomes-Sputnik-8149/
Announcements heard "The Voice of Russia has reached new heights and changed to Radio Sputnik" "Telling the untold Radio Sputnik" No news on the hour, just gone into Living in Moscow.
Website annoucement
http://voiceofrussia.com/uk/news/2014_11_10/Voice-of-Russia-becomes-Sputnik-8149/
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Comments
I listen to MDR Sputnik on TuneIn. Not a bad station.
You think Russian media spouts 'left wing drivel' nowadays?
Communism is dead - nationalism is the order of the day now.
The new UK website is up http://uk.sputniknews.com/
The old website has not closed yet? Is the VOR UK programming still on air as Sputnik?
Announced 1320 November 10 on the Voice of Russia UK Facebook page
In fairness Russia Today sounds like a news station about Russia, rather than an international news station based in Russia. It was a pretty poor brand name choice to begin with.
This is an innovative move. I can't think of any international public radio station that doesn't have a geographical name.
Other international broadcasters have moved to online only, embraced social media or increased online content, but apart from the BBC and VOA, none have localised their output and based their output in the countries they are targeting.
Most international broadcasters just focus on their own countries. They are more of an external service than an international service. Then there is the BBC, which is more global than British. I think Sputnik is trying to be somewhere in between, focusing on both Russia and the targeted country.
It is also very interesting that Sputnik will focus on reaching people via modern platforms. I think there is more chance of me hearing Sputnik on my DAB digital radio than there is of me hearing the Polish Radio External Service or Radio Sweden.
Western stations like the BBC World Service, VOA, RFI, DW and until it closed Radio Netherlands are more interested in building audiences in Africa and Asia. A gap has been left wide open for Sputnik. If any other international broadcaster follows Sputnik in this direction it will surely be CRI.
The US has plenty, Radio Sawa and Al_Hurrah TV, Sawa is 80% pop music, Radio Farda, Radio/TV Marti, Radio Farda, Radio Ashaal and Radio Mashaal, some of these have studios in their target countries.
The Soviet Union used to have Radio Station Peace and Progress, also Radio Magallenes to Chile.
Hah! That brings back some memories. Remember their spooky interval signal?
"This is Radio Station Peace and Progress, the voice of Soviet public opinion."
Back to Radio Sputnik: MDR in the former East Germany already has a Radio Sputnik, the former DT64 from Rundfunk der DDR.
On the same mux Chris Country and Asian FX have reduced bandwidth but there seems to plenty of space.
There are no reasons given but the studios have moved to Edinburgh and recently had a visit from the Daily Mail trying to work out what the station and agency are doing?
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3732324/amp/As-Kremlin-sets-propaganda-HQ-places-Edinburgh-Putin-s-beauties-secret-mission-break-UK.html
To be frank, the only thing it sounds like is Putin's supine mouthpiece.
This can't be for financial reasons. The move to Edinburgh is interesting. Are they trying to evade the branches of the state based in London?
http://www.wohnort.org/dab/
It's still unclear whats happening to the Russian financed Radio Sputnik which also has a German outlet online only?
The London 2 mux operator has advertised the space leftt by Asian FX and Chris Country reducing bandwith, but the press release today mentions Sputnik, which has left the mux, so more space to flll?
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/01/switchdigital-looking-for-dab-radio-providers-in-london/
Germany has been a major media priority for Russia, so I'm surprised the station isn't on DAB. Is there enough capacity if it does want to go on DAB?
I wouldn't be surprised if it launched on Digital One to aid Russia's propaganda war.