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 The channel, Current Time, is available on cable, satellite
and digital platforms and aimed at millions of Russian speakers
in Russia, the Baltics, Ukraine, the Caucasus, central Asia and
elsewhere.
Current Time is led by RFE, with Voice of America as a partner
contributing some of the content to the new channel.
"We believe our objective and balanced channel will serve as an
alternative to disinformation and lies that sometimes we see
coming from Russian state-sponsored outlets," Kenan Aliyev,
executive editor of Current Time, told Reuters.
"We are not counterpropaganda at all. We are objective and
balanced, verified news. We are an open platform for anyone who
wants to engage in a civilized discussion."
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty broadcasts news and other
programing in 26 languages to Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan,
Iran, and a range of other countries.
Current Time has about 100 editorial staff at RFE headquarters
in Prague and correspondents in the field, Aliyev said, and will
deliver news, debates and documentaries. The network's name in
Russian is "Nastoyashchee Vremya".
In Russia, which has narrowed the space for independent media in
the past years, RFE/RL Vice President and Editor-in-Chief Nenad
Pejic said digital platforms were the key strategy to win new
audience and overcome distribution difficulties.
"The only platform we have is digital, and social networks,"
Pejic said, adding some viewers would also have access via
satellite. "Cable providers do not want to put us on."
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RFE/RL said in a statement Current Time had 160 million views on
social networks last year under a trial operation.
Pejic said he saw no changes to the RFE/RL operations under the new
administration of U.S. President Donald Trump who has said he wanted
to improve ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"This company has existed for 60 years and we have a firewall
between us and the U.S. government," he said. "Nobody in the U.S.
government is allowed to tell us what to do."
Some officials in the State Department and the U.S. intelligence
community have said they were worried that Trump is not wary enough
of Putin, who considers RFE/RL's efforts "to promote democratic
values" an attempt to undermine his government.
Officials in Moscow say Russia has a free and independent media.
They deny using state media as a tool for political influence. They
say some Russian state media outlets provide a healthy counterpoint
to powerful Western media which, they argue, often push an
anti-Russian agenda.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Alison Williams)
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