RenTV's "popular educational programs" to remain on Belarusian STV channel
Nothing special. Just "a lunch by RenTV director"
“Popular educational” programs of the Russian channel RenTV will remain on the Belarusian STV channel, STV spokesperson Iryna Khanunik-Rambalskaya told Euroradio:
“We are definitely not talking about refusal from RenTV's content at the moment. Obviously, we would like to replace with time some of their programs with our own of the same format. Let's call them "popular educational programs", although it is very difficult to come up with a precise definition. We have an excellent mythology. We have our own legends. It is hard for me to give you more details or specifics but every channel wants to produce its own content," Khanunik-Rambalskaya said.
The share of the Russian content on STV fluctuates from year to year, reaching up to 60% sometimes. According to the spokesperson, RenTV's programming accounted for slightly less than 50% of STV's content last year.
In October 2017, RenTV host Igor Prokopenko received the Russian TV Academy Award in the Educational Program category. Less than one month before the awards, Prokopenko had aired a film where he seriously argued that the Earth was flat. RenTV is known for its pseudo-scientific shock content about aliens, Apocalypse, conspiracy theories, etc.
"We are not talking about replacements for those projects," Khanunik-Rambalskaya stressed.
According to her, rumors about the removal of RenTV's content from STV's programming appeared after viewers indeed did not spot the "popular educational" content in the post-festive season schedule, which is dominated by feature films.
"Traditionally, from year to year in the festive season until at least the old New Year (14 January), we try to offer the content which has been tested for years and liked by viewers", Iryna Khanunik-Rambalskaya explains. These old movies and projects are part of the festive period product which is in great demand."
As for the RenTV's content, the Belarusian channel thoroughly monitors it, allowing to air only what is in viewers' demand. Decisions are taken by the programming directors, she said.
