BBC Russian goes off air after 65 years

 Wednesday 23 Mar 2011

At the end of this week, the BBC's Russian Service will close its radio frequencies for good. The Russian Service began broadcasting to the Soviet Union in 1946.

From 1949 until 1987, the jamming of the signal by the Soviet authorities consumed vast amounts of money and technical expertise. However, jamming was never totally effective, and listening to the Russian Service as well as other western broadcasters had, by the 1970s, was trendy among the Soviet urban intelligentsia.

The BBC's Russian radio programmes evolved over time, but it was the opening up of the Soviet Union under Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that provided a massive leap forward. Mr Gorbachev said he had been a long-term listener.

In its heyday, the Russian Service provided a full range of news and current affairs, analysis, musical, medical, scientific, cultural and religious programmes. In the past week, the Russian Service has revived some outstanding material from the archives, including interviews with Paul McCartney and with Margaret Thatcher, answering questions from listeners across the Soviet Union.

In post-Soviet Russia, as Russia's own media emerged, partnerships were sealed with Russian stations, some of them with nationwide FM networks. However, with the cooling of British-Russian political links in recent years, partner stations in Russia ended the collaboration. This cut off a big chunk of the audience, in a country where people would not return to listening to short-wave radio.

However, public and media figures contacted by The Moscow Times were unanimous in their disappointment over the closure, praising the BBC Russian Service for its balanced coverage, lack of preaching and willingness to go beyond propaganda.   

The BBC Russian Service goes on air for the last time on 26 March. However, the BBC's Russian output will continue on bbcrussian.com, where two radio programmes will be broadcast every Monday to Friday and one will be broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays.

Source: BBC Russian goes off air after 65 years http://bit.ly/frqujG

Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia