RFE/RL Launching Russian-Language Show to South Ossetia & Abkhazia

PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Next month, RFE/RL will launch a news program in Russian to the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The new 60-minute daily radio broadcast, called Ekho Kavkaza (Echo of the Caucasus), will focus on local and international news and current affairs.

“Our goal is to promote dialogue and tolerance in this conflict-ridden part of the world,” says RFE/RL Georgian Service Director David Kakabadze, who will supervise the new show. “This program will provide accurate news and information and responsible discussion of critical issues to a region where people are exposed to a lot of misinformation.”

According to Freedom House’s 2008 Freedom of the Press Index, “Authorities in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia restrict media freedom despite the legal protections for it. Local and foreign journalists are frequently intimidated and detained, and there is little access to local or foreign information in these regions.”

Our goal is to promote dialogue and tolerance in this conflict-ridden part of the world.

Journalists from RFE/RL’s Georgian and Russian services will contribute to Ekho Kavkaza from Georgia (including South Ossetia and Abkhazia), Russia, and Prague. The program will also feature a Russian-language website with news, photos, audio clips, and video.

About RFE/RL’s Georgian Service

RFE/RL’s Georgian Service, known locally as Radio Tavisupleba, began in 1953 as part of Radio Liberty’s broadcasts to the Soviet Union. Over the years, it has earned a reputation for high-quality journalism and is widely regarded as the only unbiased source of information in Georgia.