Doschd

The founder, owner and program manager of Doschd, Natalja Sindejewa, in November 2013

Doschd. Optimistic Channel ( Russian Дождь , own spelling: До /// дь , "rain", international name TV Rain ) is an independent Russian television channel. The broadcaster achieved international attention with its extensive coverage of the protests following the Russian parliamentary elections in 2011 .

history

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in the Doschd studio in April 2011

Doschd was founded by Natalja Sindejewa , who is also the owner of the radio station Serebrjany Doschd ( Russian Серебряный дождь , English: Silver Rain ). The television station started broadcasting on April 27, 2010, initially only on the Internet. The program and performance are largely tailored to an Internet-savvy audience, with many interactive elements and extensive use of the possibilities that arise from the connection between the Internet and television.

Later the station could also be received in some regions of central Russia via satellite or cable. Its main target group, however, is internet users who are not very interested in traditional state television.

When the station was initially the only television channel to report on the protests after the 2011 Duma election , the number of viewers skyrocketed. Because of his independent reporting on Russian domestic politics, in which - unlike the major Russian television stations - voices critical of the government have their say, Doschd is sometimes referred to as an “opposition broadcaster”.

In January 2014, the station sparked outrage with a single program, the concept of which included surveys, when, on the 70th anniversary of the lifting of the Leningrad blockade, it launched a survey as to whether the city, in order to protect thousands of lives, could not also be used by the attacking Wehrmacht (in Russia always called " fascists ") could have been left. Satellite and cable television providers stopped broadcasting the channel, and according to Lenta there were indications of a political campaign to "eliminate unwanted liberal media". Since February 2014 Doschd can no longer be received on a large scale in Russia and the station suddenly lost 80 percent of its viewers. Editor-in-chief Michail Sygar blamed political pressure from Moscow for this. The President's Human Rights Council demanded an examination of the legality of the actions of the network operators, who thus acted as censors . Since then Doschd can only be received via the Internet and some regional providers in Russia. Funding is provided through readers' subscriptions; this means a further hurdle for the acquisition of viewers, which free state media are used to.

On November 25, 2014, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists awarded the editor-in-chief of Doschd, Michail Sygar, with a prize for freedom of the press .

On December 17, 2014, Xenia Anatolyevna Sobchak took part in Vladimir Putin's press conference for the beleaguered broadcaster and - contrary to the usual procedure - was able to ask two questions, the second of which dealt with incitement against opposition members. The Russian President denied any official influence: “No official person, no one from the state organs takes part in hunts.” In his victory speech in mid-March on the occasion of the Crimean crisis , President Putin personally warned of possible enemies inside who were controlled from outside.

On September 14, 2017, Sindejewa received the M100 Media Award .

In July 2019, Daria Polygayeva presented her program with a bottle of Georgian wine on the table, while the Duma was negotiating a boycott of the same.

program

About two-thirds of the broadcaster's program consists of live broadcasts, with political reporting and discussions taking up a large part. There are also concerts, readings, experimental programs, documentaries, video art and more.