RT wins top TV award for meteorite coverage

RT, the international TV channel sponsored by the Russian government, has been awarded a Golden Nymph award at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival for its coverage of the meteorite strike in Chelyabinsk this February.

Yesterday evening in Monte Carlo anchorman Bill Dodd and correspondent Egor Piskunov picked up the award for best live coverage of an event. The jury of international TV editors recognized the channel’s inclusive and thorough coverage of the unusual cosmic incident in the Chelyabinsk region, in the southern Urals, where a meteorite fell on 15 February this year. RT managed to broadcast almost live coverage thanks to a documentary crew that was filming close to the city. The crew was then able to show the consequences of the impact and the reactions of the local population minutes after the event.

“It’s extremely gratifying to be recognized by your peers, and I am very proud of all that our network has achieved at its relatively young age,” said Margarita Simonyan, RT’s editor-in-chief, on rt.com. “This award, first and foremost, is a credit to our correspondents, whose tireless efforts made it possible for viewers all around the world to learn the details of this historic event.”

RT, formerly known as Russia Today, was founded in 2005 and broadcasts in English, Spanish and Arabic. Although viewership figures have continued to rise, the channel has also been criticized for lack of objectivity and links to the Kremlin.

Other competitors in the same category included Al Jazeera, for a story covering the demonstrations following the release of the YouTube film Innocence of Muslims, and CNN, for their coverage of the case of blind Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangchen, who sought refuge in the US embassy in Beijing.

Started in 1961 by Prince Rainier of Monaco III, the Festival is the world’s largest competition for TV films, series and news programs.