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Voice of Russia rebrands as Radio Sputnik

MikeBrMikeBr Posts: 7,903
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in Radio and Podcasts #1
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/
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    vauxhall1964vauxhall1964 Posts: 10,364
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    #2
    Voice of Russia, Russia Today... both rebranding. Anyone would think 'Russia' has become a toxic brand.
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    446.09375446.09375 Posts: 961
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    #3
    I used to listen to the German MDR Sputnik on analogue Astra - not such a novel name really :)
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    Pablo79Pablo79 Posts: 200
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    #4
    446.09375 wrote: »
    I used to listen to the German MDR Sputnik on analogue Astra - not such a novel name really :)

    I listen to MDR Sputnik on TuneIn. Not a bad station.
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    Lone DrinkerLone Drinker Posts: 1,699
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    #5
    Pumping out unexpurgated left wing drivel all day will surely entice a few disgruntled listeners from LBC, who somehow perceive it leans to the right.
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    Colin_LondonColin_London Posts: 12,723
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    #6
    Lone Drinker wrote: »
    Pumping out unexpurgated left wing drivel all day will surely entice a few disgruntled listeners from LBC, who somehow perceive it leans to the right.

    You think Russian media spouts 'left wing drivel' nowadays?
    Communism is dead - nationalism is the order of the day now.
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    ACL777ACL777 Posts: 1,665
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    #7
    When does this officially happen? I was listening last night and although they were calling themselves Sputnik the scrolling text was still voice of russia with multiple language options on my internet radio. I assume RT will change as well soon.
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    hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,674
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    #8
    ACL777 wrote: »
    When does this officially happen? I was listening last night and although they were calling themselves Sputnik the scrolling text was still voice of russia with multiple language options on my internet radio. I assume RT will change as well soon.
    I think the TV rebrand was to RT?

    The new UK website is up http://uk.sputniknews.com/

    The old website has not closed yet?
    From the very heart of London, we bring you news, current affairs, arts, sports and talk on the major issues, events and personalities shaping the world.
    VoR UK Edition is live on DAB at 4-8pm on weekdays. You can listen to our shows online at ruvr.co.uk or download our podcasts.
    Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/uk/about/
    Is the VOR UK programming still on air as Sputnik?
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    ACL777ACL777 Posts: 1,665
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    #9
    Thanks for the link to the new site. I'm guessing the data for their streams will change eventually but it's all still listed as VOR at the present.
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    InkblotInkblot Posts: 26,889
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    #10
    Maybe someone pointed out that Vor is a rank in the Russian Mafia.
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    MikeBrMikeBr Posts: 7,903
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    #11
    ACL777 wrote: »
    When does this officially happen? I was listening last night and although they were calling themselves Sputnik the scrolling text was still voice of russia with multiple language options on my internet radio. I assume RT will change as well soon.

    Announced 1320 November 10 on the Voice of Russia UK Facebook page
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    ACL777ACL777 Posts: 1,665
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    #12
    Thanks
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    mfrmfr Posts: 5,626
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    #13
    vauxhall1964 wrote: »
    Voice of Russia, Russia Today... both rebranding. Anyone would think 'Russia' has become a toxic brand.

    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.
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    ACL777ACL777 Posts: 1,665
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    #14
    They may have rebranded but are still broadcasting as VOR at least as far as internet radio goes. I would have expected the streams to feature the new name by now.
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    wns_195wns_195 Posts: 13,569
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    #15
    Is the UK programming continuing? If so, when is it on?

    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.
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    MikeBrMikeBr Posts: 7,903
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    #16
    wns_195 wrote: »
    Is the UK programming continuing? If so, when is it on?

    This is an innovative move. I can't think of any international public radio station that doesn't have a geographical name........Most international broadcasters just focus on their own countries.

    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.
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    Andrew RogersAndrew Rogers Posts: 520
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    #17
    MikeBr wrote: »
    The Soviet Union used to have Radio Station Peace and Progress...

    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.
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    wns_195wns_195 Posts: 13,569
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    #18
    I tuned in at 16:00 and the programming appeared to be aimed at a US audience. The people had US accents, and the cities mentioned in the weather were all US citties. London wasn't mentioned despite the station's availability on DAB. I presume the UK doesn't have a separate content stream, though Russia Today has a UK stream, a US stream and an international stream.
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    hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,674
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    #19
    Wohnort reports Sputnik has now left the London 2 DAB muxnow owned by News Corp so presumably is online only.
    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
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    TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,417
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    #20
    mfr wrote: »
    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.

    To be frank, the only thing it sounds like is Putin's supine mouthpiece.
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    wns_195wns_195 Posts: 13,569
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    #21
    hanssolo wrote: »
    Wohnort reports Sputnik has now left the London 2 DAB muxnow owned by News Corp so presumably is online only.

    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?
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    LeeBoy19LeeBoy19 Posts: 1,149
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    #22
    446.09375 wrote: »
    I used to listen to the German MDR Sputnik on analogue Astra - not such a novel name really :)
    That was a good station with some really interesting music well it was for me. I remember listening to it on the astra satellite too.
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    mw963mw963 Posts: 3,082
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    #23
    MDR is actually quite a well kept secret (he says veering off topic). They run a radio station called MDR Klassik (Astra 1, with all the others) which actually manages to play masses of classical music, whilst most of the other German classical radios increasingly seem to think that what is wanted is chatter. The music is also - in my humble view - very well chosen, none of it terribly challenging but stuff that one doesn't hear so much this side of Europe, and the sort of thing that Radio 3 *used* to do before it went so downmarket.
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    hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,674
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    #24
    MDR is part of the German pubic regional ARD system now using DAB+ and has MDR Sputnik aimed at a youth audience.
    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/
    The last published list for Switchdigital shows the service carrying Absolute Radio 70s, BBC Radio London, Jazz FM, Kerrang!, LBC London News, Mi-Soul, Asian FX, Radio Sputnik, Sout Al Khaleej, Spectrum, talkSPORT London. Thames Radio and The Arrow.
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    wns_195wns_195 Posts: 13,569
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    #25
    hanssolo wrote: »
    It's still unclear whats happening to the Russian financed Radio Sputnik which also has a German outlet online only?

    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?
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    omnidirectionalomnidirectional Posts: 18,822
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    #26
    hanssolo wrote: »
    Wohnort reports Sputnik has now left the London 2 DAB muxnow owned by News Corp so presumably is online only.
    On the same mux Chris Country and Asian FX have reduced bandwidth but there seems to plenty of space.

    I wouldn't be surprised if it launched on Digital One to aid Russia's propaganda war.
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