| Current Time TV Настоящее Время | |
| Country: | Czech Republic |
| Area: | Russia, Ukraine, countries of Central Asia and Eastern Europe |
| Headquarters: | Prague |
| Language: | Russian |
| Owner: | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Website: | Russian: English Entertainment |
| Terr Serv 1: | Levira (Estonia) |
| Terr Chan 1: | MUX6 |
| Terr Serv 2: | Tet (Latvia) |
| Terr Chan 2: | MUX2 (Pay TV) |
| Terr Serv 3: | Telecentras (Lithuania) |
| Terr Chan 3: | MUX1 |
| Terr Serv 4: | Channelbox UK |
| Terr Chan 4: | COM4/SDN (Channel 271, HbbTV) |
Current Time TV is a Russian-language television channel with editorial office in Prague, created by the US organisations Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America. The channel - via RFE/RL - is funded through grants from the US Congress through the US Agency for Global Media.[1] The media sees its task in "promoting democratic values and institutions". RFE/RL launched Current Time, in October 2014.[2] The official round-the-clock broadcasting began on February 7, 2017.[3] [4]
Current Time was instituted as an alternative to Kremlin-controlled media and Russian propaganda.[5] [6] Despite the fact that Current Time was intended to counterbalance Russian official news coverage, Kenan Aliyev,[7] executive editor of Current Time, told Reuters that C.T. was not counterpropaganda at all.[8]
In December 2017 Russia's Ministry of Justice added the outlet to the so-called list of "foreign agent". It, alongside 8 other American public broadcasters, was the first mass media outlet to be included to the so-called list of "foreign agents".[9]
Current Time is available on cable, satellite and digital platforms in Russia, the Baltics, Belarus, Ukraine, the Caucasus and central Asia.[8] It had over 1,500,000 followers on Facebook and 1,300,000 subscribers on YouTube in August 2020.[10]
On 27 February 2022, Roskomnadzor blocked the website of the channel for its coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[11] On January 5, 2024, a Belarusian court declared the Internet pages of “Current Time” extremist.[12]