President Vladimir Putin has ordered the merger of the RIA Novosti news
agency and the Voice of Russia broadcasting company to set up Rossiya
Segodnya (Russia Today) international news agency.
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The core business of "Rossia Segodnya" will be "the coverage of Russian
state policy and public life in the Russian Federation" for foreign
audiences, the decree says.
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The same decree liquidates Voice of Russia state-owned broadcasting
corporation. Its property will be placed under the management of "Rossia
Segodnya" news agency.
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Dmitry Kiselyov was appointed General Director of "Rossia Segodnya" news
agency.
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The reorganization of the Voice of Russia, RIA Novosti and some other
state-run media outlets aims at their cost-effectiveness and efficiency,
Presidential Administration Head Sergei Ivanov told reporters on Monday.
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"The decree has two main purposes," he said. The first task is to ensure
"the more rational use of budget money allotted to state-run information
resources," he said. "This is the question of reducing [the funds needed]
rather than their enlargement," he stressed, adding that budget spending
on that sphere of activity was already cut for next year.
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The second task "is to improve the efficiency of operations of the
state-run media," he said.
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<http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_12_09/Voice-of-Russia-absorbed-by-nascent-Rossia-Segodnya-state-agency-5588/>Voice<http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_12_09/Voice-of-Russia-absorbed-by-nascent-Rossia-Segodnya-state-agency-5588/>
of Russia absorbed by nascent Rossia Segodnya newswire
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As of today, The Voice of Russia radio company has officially ceased to
exist in its previous capacity and will merge with several other state-run
news agencies to emerge as Rossia Segodnya, a Russia-based international
news service.
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The President?s decree today reformed and did away with an entire bulk of
state media. It abolished the State Fund of Television and Radio Programs,
placing it under control of All-Russia State Television and Radio
Broadcasting Company.
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The same order has passed over the Russian Book Chamber, a federal
scientific center, to the ITAR-TASS news agency.
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The decree comes into force starting today, December 9.
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Voice of Russia, <http://www.itar-tass.com/en/allnews.html>TASS, Interfax
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