Contact us
Nikoloyamskaya 1, Moscow, Russia 109189
Tel. (495) 956-3113/14
Fax (495) 915-62-93
E-mail: office@fnr.ru
Support
If you would like to support the work of the Foundation for Independent Radio Broadcasting for development of quality radio broadcasting and new media in Russia please get in touch with us at office@fnr.ru.
History of the FNR
In 1992, the BBC World Service established the BBC MPM Ltd. charitable trust with the primary goal of helping Russian journalists cover the critical issues facing Russia amid the country’s difficult transition to the market economy and democracy. Russian listeners were first exposed to a set of radio programmes addressed to various target audiences: House 7, Entrance 4 (radio soap opera with educational storylines), How Business Works (a weekly economic magazine), Free Market Society (a weekly programme explaining the work of new institutions and establishments in the society), and In Business (a weekly programme for those who wanted to set their own small businesses) The soap opera was first broadcast by Echo of Moscow in 1993, and later carried by Radio Russia and a host of regional radio stations for over the next 14 years. The economic magazine also proved to be a long-living project that was broadcast by Radio Russia regional partners for 14 years, taken over by FNR.
In the 7 years of the programme’s work in Russia, the BBC MPM team produced over 20 series of education radio programmes that covered the most topical social issues like environmental protection, civil society development, healthcare, draft call and alternative civil service, development of science, local elections, culture, effective management, local governance, etc. The BBC MPM producers trained hundreds of local journalists, while the trust has built a network of some 120 regional radio stations all across Russia.
In 1999 BBC MPM initiated establishment of the Russian Foundation of Independent Radio Broadcasting (FNR), the core of its staff was made up by the Russian professionals. Charter of the FNR can be viewed here.
The main activities of the FNR are:
- Production of radio and new media content covering important social issues;
- Educational programmes for regional radio journalists;
- Research of media market development;
- Organization of professional discussions and expert meetings;
- Consulting radio stations regarding various aspects of their work, including licensing of broadcasting and legal issues
- Radio Together festival of regional broadcasters.