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First Person

Photo: USAID/Russia Inna Bashina

SCAT TV Live taping US Ambassador Vershbow’s roundtable with leading economists and political scientists.

“People only believe you when what you say is objective and professional. This is the key to popularity and success.”
- SCAT TV President Nikolai Fomenko

SCAT TV, established as a two-person operation in 1991, was one of the first independent Russian TV stations. Today, SCAT has a staff of 300 professionals and is highly respected throughout the industry for its objective news and public affairs programming.

To increase the opportunity for access to independent programming in Russia, USAID has trained TV professionals in program production, marketing, advertising, management and business planning, as well as provided modern programming equipment for journalists to produce programs. SCAT TV journalists have participated in over sixty USAID-funded training or exchange programs, and produce more than twenty original programs.

USAID gave 288 independent Russian TV companies computer software to produce fact-based news and analytical programs. These programs are shared with independent TV companies throughout Russia via a USAID-funded online news exchange system. SCAT’s newsroom uses a new video exchange network, called Province, to provide regional stories to 75 independent TV stations. To date, SCAT TV has won national contests for local television, best news reports, and informational programming.

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