Program areas at RFE/RL
The current time tv and digital network provides russian speakers across russia, ukraine, central asia, the caucasus, the baltics, and eastern europe with access to factual, accurate, bias-free, topical, and trustworthy information. Current time also serves as a much needed reality check on disinformation narratives that drive conflict in the region, including russia's full-scale invasion of ukraine. Current time places a premium on live news coverage that allows skeptical audiences numbed by disinformation and kremlin narratives to judge events for themselves. In addition to live news, current time audiences have access to one of the largest offerings of russian-language documentaries and docuseries, with many being shown to russian-speaking audiences for the first time, often because of political content that bars them from mainstream distribution within russia. Current time also offers unique programming on media literacy, education, business, the lives of russian-speaking immigrants in the united states, and human-interest programs from remote corners of russia and ukraine all rarely, if ever, available on russian state channels. Current time tv is seen in 35 countries via 337 distributors which are cable, digital streaming, or satellite companies that take the entire channel and 53 affiliate stations which carry one or more current time programs in 18 countries. Current time is also available on hotel tv platforms in over 630 hotels and nearly 180,000 hotel rooms in the uk, europe, australia, the uae, egypt, turkey and saudi arabia. According to results from a nationwide survey commissioned by usagm in 2022, 4.0% of adults in russia consume current time content each week. In fy 2023, the network saw nearly 1.1 million average weekly website visits and 36.3 million weekly video views across digital platforms.
Rfe/rl's russian service, Radio svoboda, is a trusted source of balanced information about political, social, civic, cultural, and human rights issues that are unreported or under-reported in russia. It also provides a forum for discussion and debate on these topics. Radio svoboda focuses on producing a range of integrated multimedia contentaudio, video, and social mediathat connects target audiences across russia and enhances the impact of its journalism. The service runs two regional reporting projects: siberia.realities (sibreal.org) is aimed at residents of the trans-urals region of russia and north.realities (severreal.org) aimed at northwestern russia was launched in september 2019. In march 2022, after the start of russia's full-scale invasion of ukraine, Radio svoboda was forced to suspend operations within russia and move its journalists outside of the country. In march 2023, rfe/rl's local broanch was declared bankrupt. By a court in moscow. Owing to longstanding political pressures within russia, illustrated by the service's designated a "foreign agent" by the russian government in 2017, rfe/rl is restricted from local Radio and tv rebroadcasting and therefore primarily relies on digital distribution platforms. According to results from a nationwide survey commissioned by usagm in 2022, 5.4% of adults in russia consume Radio svoboda content each week. In fy 2023, the service saw 1.8 million average weekly website visits and 26.6 million weekly video views across digital platforms.
Rfe/rl's persian service, known as Radio farda, offers a persian-language alternative to government-controlled media in iran, reporting on local, national, and world events. Radio farda breaks through government censorship, providing accurate news and a platform for informed discussion and debate to audiences in iran. The service stands out for its coverage of human rights and political and societal issues otherwise underreported or taboo in iran, including the protest movement that has grown out of the protests triggered by the regime's killing of 22-year-old mahsa amini in september 2022. In december 2022, tehran added Radio farda to a list of individuals and organizations sanctioned for supporting international terrorism or inciting violence, while in february 2023, it also added then-rfe/rl president and ceo jamie fly to the same sanctions list. Radio farda's website has been blocked in iran since 2003, but iranian users are able to access it using circumvention technology. Additionally, despite a government ban blocking facebook and youtube in iran, Radio farda has seen significant online audiences on those platforms as well as instagram. According to the results of a usagm-sponsored nationally representative survey in 2021, 9.8% of iranian adults use Radio farda journalism each week. In fy 2023, the service garnered 3.8 million average weekly website visits and 52.2 million weekly video views across digital platforms.
Other program services:rfe/rl journalists report the news in 23 countries where Free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion and open debate. We broadcast in 27 languages to 23 countries with over 700 full-time journalists, 1300 freelancers and 21 local bureaus. Rfe/rl is one of the most comprehensive news operations in the world. Our journalists are on the front lines in the fight for media freedom in their countries and often put themselves at great risk to do their jobs.