RSF - Reporters sans frontières
RSF - Reporters sans frontières
06/03/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/03/2026 08:19
Belsat TV joins Svoboda Satellite package, widening access to independent news
Svoboda Satellite, a project operated by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that brings reliable news sources to regions fed by disinformation and propaganda, is proud to announce the launch of the independent broadcaster Belsat TV on the Svoboda satellite package.
Belsat TV will now be available to over 61 million satellite households across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa via Eutelsat's Hotbird 13G satellite at 13°E, notably reaching deep into Russian territory with independent news, commentary, and programming which promotes democratic values and journalistic integrity. The channel will also be made available to television platforms globally, ensuring widespread access to Russian-language audiences worldwide.
Svoboda Satellite is a free-to-air satellite platform broadcasting independent Russian-language TV channels to audiences in Russia and beyond via Eutelsat Hotbird 13ºE. RSF launched Svoboda right as Russia ramped up its war on press freedom, using both technological and legal means to increase restrictions on the dissemination of reliable information.
The Belsat channel offering consists of three programming blocks in Belarusian, Ukrainian and Russian, produced by the newsrooms of Belsat TV, Slawa TV and Vot Tak. For nearly two decades, Belsat TV has provided independent journalism to Belarusians living under censorship and state propaganda. Broadcasting into Belarus from Poland, Belsat TV delivers trusted news and analysis in the Belarusian language to audiences inside the country and across the diaspora. Slawa TV, the first Ukrainian channel in EU, provides information support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and offers Ukrainians a European perspective on defence, the reconstruction of Ukraine and its future. Vot Tak hosts a growing number of other language services, including Romanian, Georgian, Armenian,. Vot Tak offers in-depth analysis of global events with a focus on a unified Europe and provides a Central and Eastern European perspective. All three newsrooms aim to provide reliable information and fight Russian disinformation.
"When governments shut down websites, block social media, and intimidate journalists, independent satellite television becomes one of the last uncensored channels of information. Bringing Belsat to the Svoboda package is an important step in defending Belarusian freedom of information.
Louise Alluin Bichet
RSF Projects Director
"We are extremely happy to add Belsat to our package. Millions of Belarusians will now have access to media independent from authoritarian influences. Free satellite TV has become an information lifeline as the Russian and Belarusian authorities continue to restrict internet connectivity.
Jim Phillipoff
Project Director, Svoboda Satellite
Svoboda Satellite, a project operated by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), is a free-to-air satellite platform broadcasting independent Russian-language TV channels to audiences in Russia and beyond via the satellite network Eutelsat Hotbird 13ºE. RSF launched Svoboda right as Russia ramped up its war on press freedom, using both technological and legal means to increase restrictions on the dissemination of reliable information.
For further information or interview requests, please contact:
[email protected] | +33 (0)1 44 83 84 84
Technical Parameters for Reception:
- Satellite: Hotbird 13G at 13.0°E
- Transponder: tp 122
- Frequency: 10949 MHz
- Polarisation: Vertical
- Symbol Rate: 27500 Ksym/s
- FEC: 2/3
- Modulation: DVB-S2 / 8PSK
Published on 03.06.2026
RSF - Reporters sans frontières published this content on June 03, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 03, 2026 at 14:19 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]