RT (TV network) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
RT
Programming

Type	State media, news channel, propaganda
Country	Russia
Broadcast area	Worldwide
Headquarters	Moscow
Language(s)	News channel: English, French, Arabic & Spanish Documentary channel: English, French, Russian Online platforms: German
Picture format	1080i (HDTV) (downscaled to 16:9 480i/576i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner	ANO "TV-Novosti"
Sister channels	RT America (2010–2022) RT France (2017–2023) RT UK (2014–2022) RT DE (2014–2022) RT en Español RT Arabic RT Documentary Ruptly (including Redfish and Maffick)
History
Launched	10 December 2005; 19 years ago (2005-12-10) (registered on 6 April 2005)
Former names	Russia Today (2005–2009)
Availability

Terrestrial
Sky New Zealand	12394 H
Foxtel	LCN 658
Mongolsat	LCN 63
CBTV Sat	LCN 78
LaoSat TV	LCN 123
Airtel digital TV	LCN 398

RT's first logo from 2005 to 2009

RT (which used to be called Russia Today) is a global news TV network. It is controlled by the Russian government and gets its money from them. RT broadcasts TV channels and online content to people outside of Russia. It shares news in many languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, and Arabic.

RT is part of an organization called TV-Novosti. The Russian government created this organization in 2005. In 2008, the Russian government said TV-Novosti was very important for the country. RT has channels in five languages. The first English channel started in 2005. Other channels like RT America and RT UK used to make local news. RT also owns a video agency called Ruptly.

Many people, including experts and reporters, have said that RT spreads information that supports the Russian government. They also say it sometimes shares false information or ideas that are not proven. Media regulators in the UK have found that RT has broken rules about being fair and unbiased. They have also said RT broadcast misleading content.

In 2012, RT's editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan, said the channel was like the Russian Ministry of Defence. She said it was fighting an "information war" with the Western world. In 2017, RT America had to register as a "foreign agent" in the United States. This meant it had to tell the government that it was working for a foreign country.

Many countries have banned RT. Ukraine banned it in 2014. Latvia, Lithuania, and Germany also banned it later. After the 2022 conflict in Ukraine, the European Union and Canada officially banned RT. Many social media sites also stopped showing RT's content.

How RT Started and Grew

Starting the Channel

The Russian government created RT in 2005. They wanted to improve how Russia was seen around the world. At that time, many people in the West only thought of Russia with words like "communism, snow, and poverty." RT wanted to show a more complete picture of life in Russia. The Russian government's Federal Agency for Press and Mass Media provides money for RT.

In 2005, a news agency called RIA Novosti started ANO TV-Novosti. This was the main organization for RT. The channel, called Russia Today, began broadcasting on December 10, 2005. It had 300 journalists, with about 70 from other countries. Margarita Simonyan became the editor-in-chief. She was 25 years old at the time.

Some journalists compared RT to other news channels like CNN when they were starting. They said RT had many young, excited staff members. RT and other channels like France 24 wanted to offer different news from Western media like CNN and the BBC.

Growing and Expanding

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visiting RT offices with Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan

Over the years, RT launched more channels. These included an Arabic channel in 2007, a Spanish channel in 2009, and RT America in 2010, which focused on the United States. They also launched RT Documentary in 2011.

In 2007, RT was the first TV channel to report live from the North Pole. In 2008, RT gained attention for its coverage of the conflict in South Ossetia. RT said that Georgia was the attacker. Margarita Simonyan said RT was the only English-language media showing "the other side of the story."

In 2009, Russia Today changed its name to "RT." This was to make it seem less connected to the state. Simonyan said the name change was to attract more viewers. She said, "who is interested in watching news from Russia all day long?"

In 2010, RT started an advertising campaign with the slogan "Question More." One ad showed U.S. President Barack Obama changing into Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It asked: "Who poses the greatest nuclear threat?" This ad was banned in American airports.

In 2011, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. was "losing the information war" to foreign channels like RT. She felt these channels were becoming more popular than Voice of America.

From 2012 to 2021

In 2012, RT launched a new show called World Tomorrow. It was hosted by Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. His first guest was Hassan Nasrallah, a leader from Hezbollah. This interview made headlines because Nasrallah rarely spoke to Western media. Assange said RT allowed his guests to talk about things they could not say on other TV networks.

In 2013, RT announced that famous American TV host Larry King would have a new talk show on RT. King said he would rather ask questions to powerful people instead of speaking for them.

Vladimir Putin visiting the new RT broadcasting centre

In June 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited RT's new broadcasting center. He said that when RT started in 2005, they wanted to create a strong player in international news. He said they wanted to "break the Anglo-Saxon monopoly on the global information streams." He also said that RT was funded by the government and would reflect Russia's official views. But he stressed that RT was not meant to be an "apology" for Russia's policies.

In 2014, RT launched a special news channel for British audiences called RT UK. In 2016, a bank in the UK said it would stop working with RT. This decision was later changed.

In 2018, some RT staff started a new project called Redfish.media. It claimed to be "grassroots journalism." However, it was criticized for not being clear about its connection to RT. Another similar project, In the NOW, also started in 2018. Facebook temporarily blocked In the NOW because it felt viewers were being misled about who was behind it. Facebook later unblocked the page after it added information about its funding.

In December 2021, RT launched a TV channel in Germany, RT DE TV. A week later, it was removed from European satellites at Germany's request.

2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine

On February 27, 2022, the European Union announced it would ban RT and Sputnik. This meant they could not operate in the 27 EU countries. This ban also affected countries like the UK and Singapore because they relied on EU companies for the signal. Canadian TV companies also stopped offering RT. Canada's Minister of Heritage called RT the "propaganda arm" of Vladimir Putin.

Social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok also made RT's content unavailable in the European Union. Microsoft removed RT from its app store and search results. YouTube banned all RT channels in Europe. Apple removed the RT app from most countries. Many other TV providers and platforms around the world also dropped RT.

In March 2022, RT France tried to challenge the EU ban in court. But the court said the ban was fair. During the conflict, RT America closed down, and many of its staff left. RT also started selling items with the "Z" symbol, which supports the Russian military.

In September and October 2022, RT launched new channels, RT Hindi and RT Balkan, to reach more people.

How RT is Organized

RT's main offices and studios are in Moscow, Russia. In 2012, RT moved to a new, modern facility. They also started broadcasting their English news in high-definition.

In 2013, a government order changed RIA Novosti into a new agency called Rossiya Segodnya. Margarita Simonyan, who was already RT's editor-in-chief, also became the editor-in-chief of this new agency.

Funding and Budget

When RT started in 2005, it cost about $30 million to set up. Its first year's budget was also $30 million. Half of this money came from the Russian government. The other half came from banks that supported the government.

RT's yearly budget grew from about $80 million in 2007 to $380 million in 2011. It was reduced a bit in 2012, but President Putin stopped further cuts. A lot of RT's money is spent outside Russia to pay for its channels to be shown around the world. In 2014, RT received about $310 million from the government. By 2022, RT was the top Russian media outlet in terms of government funding. It is expected to receive 82 billion rubles between 2022 and 2024.

Network and Channels

As of March 2022, RT says its channels are carried by 22 satellites and over 230 TV providers. This means it can reach about 700 million homes in more than 100 countries. RT also says that RT America was available in 85 million homes in the United States in 2012.

Besides its main English channel, RT International, RT also has:

RT Arabic: News and documentaries in Arabic.
RT Spanish: News, politics, and sports in Spanish.
RT America: Focused on the United States (closed March 2022).
RT UK: Focused on the UK (closed March 2022).
RT Documentary: A 24-hour channel with documentaries, mostly about Russia.

RT has 21 offices in 16 countries. These include Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Delhi, Cairo, and Baghdad. RT also runs websites in Russian, French, and German. In 2015, RT had many news channels on YouTube, including its main channel, RT America, RT Arabic, RT en Español, RT Deutsch, RT French, RT UK, and RT Chinese.

In September 2021, the German service (RT DE) was removed from YouTube. This was for breaking rules about spreading false information about COVID-19.

Audience and Impact

Audience Numbers

RT claims that since 2012, it has more viewers than other foreign channels like Euronews and Fox News. It says its audience in the UK is 2.5 million viewers every three months. However, some reports, like one from The Daily Beast, say RT "greatly exaggerates its viewership." These reports suggest that most of RT's views are for videos about accidents, crime, and natural events, not political news. For example, the most popular video of President Putin shows him singing a song, not discussing politics.

A study found that RT uses human interest stories to attract viewers. Before the 2022 conflict in Ukraine, RT was very popular on social media in Germany. For example, it was the top news source for Facebook interactions in Germany from December 2021 to January 2022.

In the United States, RT was the second most-watched foreign news channel in 2011, after BBC World News. It was also the number one foreign network in five major U.S. cities in 2012. It was popular among younger Americans and in inner-city areas.

In the UK, about 2.5 million Britons watched RT in late 2012. This made it the third most-watched news channel in Britain. However, its viewership dropped to about 2.1 million by the end of 2013. By August 2015, the average weekly viewership had fallen to about 450,000.

In 2013, RT became the first TV news channel to reach 1 billion views on YouTube. By 2014, its main English channel had 1.4 million subscribers. After the 2022 conflict and blocking by tech companies, RT's main Facebook channel still had over 7 million followers. Its YouTube account had about 4.65 million followers in English and 5.94 million in Spanish.

Impact on Viewers

A 2021 study found that watching RT can affect people's political opinions. Viewers of RT were more likely to support the U.S. reducing its role as a global leader. This effect was seen across different political groups. However, watching RT did not change Americans' views on their own country's politics or the Russian government.

Some experts say that RT's main goal is not just to get high ratings. They believe RT aims for financial, political, and media influence. RT is also seen as a way to create content that is then used by others to spread false news. It also helps Russia make friends with people who might be useful to the Russian state.

RT's Programs and Content

Forbes magazine described RT's programs as "entertaining" and "ineffably Russian." They said RT uses good visuals and charm to attract a diverse audience. RT often focuses on issues that are not widely covered by other news channels. It also sometimes presents views that are very different from what Russian President Vladimir Putin himself believes.

The Guardian newspaper noted that RT often features "fringe opinions." This means it gives a platform to less common ideas. It also uses experts and organizations that many people have not heard of.

Past and Present Shows

The Alyona Show: This show ran from 2009 to 2012 and was very popular. It covered political topics with sharp humor.
Adam vs. the Man: This show, hosted by Adam Kokesh, ran in 2011. Kokesh defended RT's role, saying it shared "the truth that no one else wants to say."
World Tomorrow: Hosted by Julian Assange, this show featured in-depth interviews with political figures. Assange said RT allowed his guests to discuss things they could not say on mainstream TV.
Other Shows: RT's large budget has allowed it to attract experienced journalists and use modern technology. Its reporters often focus on controversial global issues like financial scandals and protests in Western countries. It has also shown views from people who believe in conspiracy theories. News from Russia is less important on RT. When it is covered, it focuses on Russia's progress and achievements, not its problems.

#1917LIVE

In 2017, RT created a special project called "#1917LIVE." It was like a live Twitter feed to mark 100 years since the Russian Revolution. This project used multimedia, including live streaming and virtual reality videos.

Current and Former Programs

RT has many feature programs. Some current ones include Interview, Going Underground, and CrossTalk. Former programs include On Contact, Keiser Report, and The Big Picture. Many well-known journalists and personalities have worked for RT, including Julian Assange, Larry King, and Abby Martin.

Guests and Perspectives

RT often invites experts and journalists who are critical of U.S. foreign policy. These guests might talk about issues that other news outlets do not cover much. Julian Assange and Noam Chomsky, who often criticize Western policies, are frequent guests. RT also features less-known commentators, including activists. Some say RT is a "force for diversity" because it gives a voice to people who are rarely heard in mainstream U.S. media.

However, some critics say RT is "provocative just for the sake of being provocative." They say it features "marginal, offensive, and often irrelevant figures." For example, RT has interviewed people who believe in conspiracy theories, including those about the "New World Order." It has also been criticized for not being fair in its coverage of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Notable guests have included thinkers from research groups, journalists, and even heads of state like Ecuador's Rafael Correa and Syria's Bashar al-Assad. Some guests, like Nigel Farage and Steve Bannon, have appeared on RT many times. RT has also hosted people with extreme views, presenting them as "human rights activists."

RT's Content and Criticisms

RT says it is a global network like the BBC or France 24. It claims to offer "alternative views" that Western media ignores. However, many Western countries see RT as a tool for spreading information that supports the Russian government. They say it tries to create doubt about democratic systems and make Western countries less stable.

Steven Erlanger described RT as having "hard news and top-notch graphics." He said it mixes this with interviews from many different people. He noted that RT often shows deep doubt about Western and American views of the world. It also tends to defend Russia and President Putin.

Propaganda and Related Issues

Margarita Simonyan, RT's editor-in-chief, has said RT gives Russia "soft power." She compared it to how the BBC or CNN are tools for the UK and USA. She also said RT was fighting an "information war" during the conflict between Russia and Georgia.

Many people have criticized RT for being a tool of the Russian government to spread its messages. In 2005, Reporters Without Borders called the new network "another step of the state to control information." Some have called it "the best Russian propaganda machine."

However, others say RT helps discuss issues that mainstream news ignores. Some viewers know RT is state-controlled but watch it for its "non-mainstream" stories. They believe RT would not keep its audience if it only broadcast "blatant propaganda."

Some studies have found that RT often ignores basic journalism rules. These include checking sources and reporting facts honestly. They say RT uses "experts" who lack real knowledge and shares conspiracy theories without proof. The Wikipedia community has also said RT is not a reliable source of information. They see it as a "mouthpiece of the Russian government that engages in propaganda and disinformation."

RT has been accused of different ways of spreading misleading information:

It often focuses on showing a negative picture of the United States and the West. It publishes conspiracy theories about the West and criticizes U.S. influence. It presents Russia as a "global underdog."
It usually gives reporters freedom. But for very sensitive issues, like the conflict in Georgia, it uses direct pro-Russian government messages.
It can act as part of a larger Russian effort to spread false information. This aims to make people doubt democratic systems and harm opponents. RT spreads real information, some of which is stolen, along with false reports. These are then shared widely on social media.
Instead of taking one clear anti-Western stance, RT often presents many different, sometimes conflicting, stories. This makes it seem like the truth is hard to find. Its main message is that you cannot trust Western media.
RT pushes different ideas in different countries. These ideas might even contradict each other but still serve Russia's interests. For example, it might warn Russians about COVID-19 dangers while spreading false information about the virus on its international channels.

False Information and Conspiracy Theories

Experts and reporters have said RT spreads false information and conspiracy theories. The Economist magazine noted that RT's programs sometimes present "wild conspiracy theories."

When RT UK launched, many in the British press criticized it. They said it was spreading conspiracy theories. RT has broadcast stories about microchips being put into workers in the EU. It also claimed that most Europeans supported Russia's actions in Crimea. It falsely reported about a kidnapping of a Russian girl in Germany.

In 2017, RT started its own "fact-checking" project called FakeCheck. But an analysis found it mixed real fact-checks with poorly sourced or biased ones. RT has also been caught producing fake news, like a story about a "Putin burger" in New York. When caught, RT often deletes the false information without comment.

A 2022 report said RT's coverage of the 2020 U.S. presidential election was against Joe Biden and for Donald Trump. RT promoted Trump's unproven claims of election fraud.

How Putin and Medvedev are Shown

Some reports say RT shows President Putin in a positive light. It rarely covers things like conflicts in Chechnya or the murder of government critics. Journalists have said that RT allows coverage of sensitive issues in Russia. But direct criticism of Vladimir Putin or Dmitry Medvedev is not allowed.

Anti-American and Anti-Western Views

Many critics say RT shows strong anti-American views. Edward Lucas called the core of RT "anti-Westernism." Some say RT is "like the Voice of America, only with more money and a zesty anti-American slant."

Stephen F. Cohen said RT often covers stories that make the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and Western Europe look bad. He noted that RT compares protests in Russia with arrests of Occupy movement members in the U.S.

RT America has called journalists "Russiagate conspiracy theorists" for covering reports on Russian interference in elections. Some say RT's coverage of Canada is always negative and meant to serve political goals.

Israeli–Palestinian Conflict

RT has been accused of being anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian. The Israeli foreign minister even complained to President Putin about it in 2012.

COVID-19 Misinformation

RT's coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic for its international viewers was full of false information and conspiracy theories. While RT urged Russians to get vaccinated and wear masks, its channels in other languages promoted ideas against these measures.

Responses to RT

Government Responses

European Union: The EU has placed sanctions on Dmitry Kiselyov, a head of a Russian state media group and RT presenter. The EU says he is a "central figure of the government propaganda." In February 2022, the EU banned RT and Sputnik from broadcasting in its member countries.
Australia: Australia's Minister for Communications asked the public broadcaster SBS to stop showing RT news. RT was also removed from Australian pay TV.
Canada: In March 2022, Canada officially banned RT and RT France from broadcasting.
Germany: RT DE was banned in Germany in February 2022 for not having a proper broadcast license. Russia responded by removing the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle from Russia.
Gibraltar: Gibraltar banned RT in February 2022, calling it a "dangerous source of disinformation."
Latvia and Lithuania: These countries banned RT channels in 2020, saying they were controlled by a sanctioned person.
Poland: Poland banned RT in February 2022.
Ukraine: Ukraine banned RT in August 2014 after Russia's actions in Crimea.
United Kingdom: In March 2022, the UK media regulator Ofcom took away RT's broadcasting license. This was because RT was funded by the Russian government and promoted Russian views on the conflict in Ukraine, which broke neutrality rules.
United States: In 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice told RT America it had to register as a "foreign agent." This means it had to share financial information. The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called RT a "propaganda bullhorn."

Political Involvement

In 2017, Emmanuel Macron's campaign team in France banned RT and Sputnik from campaign events. Macron called them "agencies of influence and propaganda, lying propaganda."

Twitter banned RT and Sputnik from advertising on its platform in 2017. This was due to accusations of Russian interference in elections. In 2020, Twitter started labeling RT and other Russian and Chinese media as "state-affiliated media."

In 2017, Google announced it would "derank" stories from RT and Sputnik in search results. This meant their stories would appear lower. Both RT and Russia called this censorship.

In 2018, a British Labour Party politician advised other MPs to boycott RT. He said RT had gone "beyond" journalistic standards. In 2019, the UK Foreign Office banned RT and Sputnik from a media freedom conference. They said RT played an "active role in spreading disinformation."

Other Responses

2008–2012: During the 2008 conflict in South Ossetia, an RT correspondent resigned. He said RT would not let him report on Russian airstrikes on civilian targets. He felt RT always followed the "Kremlin line."
2014: In March 2014, RT host Abby Martin said on air that she was against Russia's actions in Ukraine. She said, "what Russia did is wrong." RT said it still supported her. The next day, RT anchor Liz Wahl resigned on air. She said RT was a "propaganda" tool and had censored her. She said RT used "extreme voices" to push anti-American views. Other former RT journalists also said they regretted working for the network. They disliked its use of propaganda. After the 2014 plane crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, RT quickly blamed others. Another RT correspondent, Sara Firth, resigned over RT's coverage of the disaster. She said RT's reporting was "outright misinformation" and "quite dangerous."
2015–2016: The European Union created a task force to counter Russia's "disinformation campaigns." They called RT "Russia's main international media weapon." In 2015, the UK media regulator Ofcom found RT broke impartiality rules again. This was for its coverage of Ukraine and Syria. They also found RT had spread misleading information about a BBC film. Ofcom required RT to broadcast statements correcting these failures. A 2016 U.S. report called RT part of a "wider Russian propaganda operation." It said RT looked like news but spread false information.
2017–2018: In 2017, RT was briefly restricted from posting on Facebook. This was for copyright reasons. In September 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice told RT America to register as a "foreign agent." RT called this an attack on free speech. In 2018, Ofcom ruled that RT had broken UK impartiality rules seven times after the Salisbury nerve agent attacks. RT was fined £200,000 but kept its license.
2021: A German journalist left RT DE. He said he was asked to spy on Alexei Navalny in a hospital, not do journalism. Russia threatened to ban YouTube for deleting RT channels. YouTube said RT broke its rules on spreading COVID-19 misinformation.
2022: In January, a U.S. State Department report said RT played a role in Russia's "disinformation and propaganda ecosystem." Many RT employees resigned after the 2022 conflict in Ukraine. They said they left because of RT's coverage and the ban on using the word "invasion." Hacking groups also attacked RT's website. Google temporarily stopped RT from earning money from ads on YouTube.

Awards and Nominations

RT has received several awards and nominations for its programs and reporting.

2007: Grand Prix at the "Save and Preserve" International Environmental Television Festival.
2007: Special prize from the AIB Media Excellence Awards for its Chernobyl report.
2008: Russia's TEFI award for Best News Anchor.
2009: Silver World Medal from the New York Festivals for a news documentary.
2010, 2012, 2014, 2016: Nominated for an International Emmy Award for its coverage of various events, including Barack Obama's trip to Russia, the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the Guantanamo Bay hunger strikes.
2014: President Vladimir Putin awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" to editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan for her coverage of the conflict in Ukraine.