MOSCOW, AUGUST 12, 2010 - The Russian-based television channel RT, which broadcasts in English, Arabic and Spanish, has been nominated in the prestigious Emmy International Television Awards. It makes RT the first Russian TV channel to be nominated for an Emmy in the News & Current Affairs category.
"Five years ago, when RT was being set up, we wouldn't have believed that we would be able to compete as equals against the best in world television in such a short space of time. And this is what's happening now. Of course, we are happy and proud. We would like to thank the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its objective approach," RT's Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said. The RT coverage of the first visit to Russia by U.S. President Barack Obama in July 2009 is up for the top prize in the “News & Current Affairs” nomination. RT’s major rivals for the Emmy, include the world’s leading television channels, such as: Al-Jazeera English, Sky News and TV Globo. The awards are presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the world’s biggest organization of leading television and radio companies. "The 2010 International Emmy Award Nominees for News & Current Affairs offer a fascinating window into the human drama constantly unfolding around the world in conflict zones, politics or even daily life", said Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. "We congratulate them for their outstanding achievements in television reporting." This year, the Emmy International Television Awards will take place in New York on September 27.