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Press Releases
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reinforces its Russian online output
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service has announced changes which will further
reinforce its Russian-language output.
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The main thrust of the
reprioritised investment is placed on strengthening the
website, bbcrussian.com, which has become the key method for
delivery of all Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ content in Russian.
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The website is having a significant impact in
Russia where it is easier to access than the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ radio
services, and where demand for online news is growing and
becoming increasingly sophisticated.
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In August 2008, at the
height of the conflict between Russia and Georgia, the number
of unique users of the website increased dramatically to
nearly three million, and many of these new users have remained
with the site in September.
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The audience is also accessing other platforms online: in
August 2008, traffic to online audio content doubled while
demand for video jumped six-fold to nearly 2,300,000 views.
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Use of news from Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Russian via wireless handheld devices
also more than doubled.
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Use of forums and interactive traffic
has also grown and during the recent conflict was at record
levels.
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Head of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Russian, Sarah Gibson, explains that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
wanted to improve its Russian-language offer to serve
audiences whose media consumption habits are changing rapidly.
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She says: "Our aim is to deliver a fresher, more relevant service for
our audiences in Russia and the wider post-Soviet market – a
trusted, high quality website with the kinds of features the
audience expects, and news and current affairs programmes at
key times of day, available online as well as through more
traditional radio platforms.
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"It's clear that audiences like
our multiplatform offer more and more, and our challenge now
is to improve this offer and to give audiences more formats
that they enjoy and engage with.
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"That is why we are focusing
resources where they will have most impact."
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Resources are being focused to enable the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ to improve its
rolling 24/7 news offer on bbcrussian.com.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will also
increase the number of high-quality video reports, underpinned
with original journalism from Russia. These, too, will be
updated 24/7.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is also strengthening resources for bbcrussian.com
during the morning peak periods and is increasing the
resources for interactivity round the clock.
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Reprioritisation
also means boosting the Learn English section of
bbcrussian.com – a tool which helps millions of Russian-speakers to master English in a simple and engaging manner.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Russian radio also changes, with re-focusing of
resources on peak listening times and with more investment in
flagship news and current affairs programmes.
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Key daily radio
programmes on short and medium wave will be expanded to make
up a simpler schedule tailored for peak morning and evening
drive-time audiences.
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The flagship morning weekday news and current affairs
programme, Utro na Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, will be increased by half an hour, to
three-and-a-half hours each day.
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The afternoon weekday drive
time news and current affairs sequence, Vecher na Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ β€“ which
includes the hour-long BBSeva hosted by Seva Novgorodsev –
will be increased, by one hour, to four hours each day.
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New
weekend editions of Vecher na Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will be launched, on both
Saturday and Sunday, to take the place of current short
updates.
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There will be changes elsewhere in the radio schedule to fund
these improvements.
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The production of some short news
bulletins, which were designed for Russian FM partners, will
cease as the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ no longer has these agreements.
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Longer format
feature programming will cease; their themes and issues will
be incorporated into mainstream news and current affairs
content.
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The reprioritisation also enables the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ to develop extra
newsgathering resources in Russia, resulting in increased
reporting and analysis of Russian affairs.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will also
increase the current affairs reporting of British cultural and
social affairs, as well as reporting on the former Soviet
Union, for all programmes and platforms.
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Sarah Gibson sums up: "We believe that a fuller multimedia
news offer will strengthen the impact of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Russian and that,
as a result of these changes, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Russian will become the most
trusted and influential international news provider in Russia,
serving audiences in the global Russian-speaking community,
across borders and platforms."
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Publicity
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