Text of report by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti
Moscow, 13 August: From Wednesday [13 August] another Russian FM radio station and the [government-owned] Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper will become available in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia that has suffered from Georgia’s aggression.
“[State-owned] Vesti FM radio station began broadcasting on VHF and medium wave frequencies in Tskhinvali today [12 August]. Tomorrow we hope to open the [state-owned] Mayak radio station on 106.3 FM,” Russian Telecommunications and Mass Communications Minister Igor Shchegolev said. He was speaking in Moscow on 12 August at a telephone conference of the federal operational headquarters for eliminating the consequences of the armed conflict in South Ossetia.
He said that the first special issue of Rossiyskaya Gazeta would be published on Wednesday. “We intend to send the main print run to South Ossetia via the Defence Ministry, so that people there are not cut off from information,” he said.
Base stations are being restored in Tskhinvali, Shchegolev said. The ministry is sending two mobile stations and a satellite station for that purpose, he said.
“We are installing free telephones in refugee centres. Mobile telephones are being sent to hospitals, so that seriously wounded people can also communicate with their families,” Shchegolev said.
(Source: RIA Novosti news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0216 gmt 13 Aug 08 via BBC Monitoring)
on Aug 13th, 2008 at 16:18
According to Russian Telecommunications and Mass Communications press release, Vesti FM is relayed for refugees in NORTH Ossetia on 594 kHz and 72.8 MHz. This appeard to be the first relay of Vesti FM outside of Moscow. Contrary to its name the station is now carried on AM and VHF. (OIRT band is commonly called in Russia UKV and Western FM band - FM.)
Vesti FM is an excellent news stastion. But Radio Mayak is a totally different story. After the recent format change, the station carries mostly stupid talk shows about celebrities, weather and pop-culture. R.Rossii is much better.