New Russian international channel to be broadcast in foreign languages

The Russian holding Bridge Media will launch an international channel targeting non-Russian speakers on January 16, 2014, projecting 6 million subscribers and a viewership of 18 million by the end of that year.

Russian online daily Kommersant reports that the service, to be known as Russian Travel Guide International, will initially be broadcast in English and Turkish, though German may be added soon afterwards.

It will be distributed in Europe via DTH by Astra, as well as by several cable operators in the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the UEA and Israel.

Bridge Media currently operates six TV channels: Russian Travel Guide (SD and HD), Music Bridge TV, Rusong TV, Topsong TV and Dance TV.

Although there are many Russian language channels available outside Russia, Russian Travel Guide International will become only the second after Russia Today to broadcast in foreign languages.