RTVi+ (Canada)

RTVi+ was a Canadian category 2 Russian language digital cable specialty channel and is owned by Ethnic Channels Group. It broadcast Russian movies, TV dramas, cartoons as well as local Canadian content.

History

TV Center

On November 9, 2004, the Ethnic Channels Group (ECG) launched an ethnic Category 2 Specialty television service under the licence Russian TV Two issued by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The channel was branded as TV Center and initially broadcast programming of a Russian satellite TV service known as Moscow – Open World (Москва — Открытый мир). That time, Moscow - Open World held the exclusive rights to bring the programming of Russian terrestrial TV network TV Center (ТВ Центр) outside Russia. However, due to a conflict between the partners, in summer 2005, TV Center launched its own international version of the channel, TVCI (TV Center International), intended for Russian Diasporas around the world. As a result, Moscow - Open World became defunct and ECG switched the channel programming to TVCI.

RTVi

RTVi (Russian Television International) is an international Russian-language privately owned television network with studios based in New York, Tel-Aviv, Berlin and Riga. Additional news bureaus of RTVi are located in Washington DC, London, Moscow, Kiev, Tbilisi, Yerevan and Chisinau. The channel launched on 1 January 1997 as NTV International, before rebranding as RTVi in 2002.

It has special programs focused on Israeli politics and the Russian-speaking communities (for example, "Israel for a week") in Israel and also Germany (with the program "Germany for a week").

Original Programming

RTVi airs daily world news, current affairs programs and family entertainment.

Distribution

RTVi broadcasts by satellite and cable in Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, Asia and Australia. RTVi's European feed is not available in Russia.

Audience

RTVi's principal audience are millions of Russian-speaking viewers outside Russia. RTVi is a major source of information, in some cases it’s the only TV channel available for Russian-speaking communities.

RTVi (Canada)

RTVi is a Canadian exempt Category B Russian language specialty channel owned by Ethnic Channels Group. It broadcasts programming from RTVi and local Canadian content.

RTVi is a general entertainment channel that caters to the Russian diaspora in North America & Israel. It features a unique programming lineup created specifically for Russian speaking audiences outside of Russia and includes movies, news, sports as well as coverage of local and international community events.

On November 4, 2014, the CRTC approved Ethnic Channel Group's request to convert RTVi from a licensed Category B specialty service to an exempted Cat. B third language service.

References

External links