Russia journalists to mark professional holiday.

MOSCOW, January 13 (Itar-Tass) - Russian journalists on Thursday will
mark their professional holiday - Day of the Russian Press. This date is
timed to the release in 1703 of the first Russian newspaper - the
Vedomosti (of Peter the Great). The decision to shift the holiday date was
adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation in 1991 on the
initiative of the journalists themselves. Previously, it was celebrated on
the birthday of the newspaper Pravda - on May 5.
The first national periodical was published under the name "Gazette
about the military and new affairs worthy of knowledge and memory that
occurred in the Moscow State and other neighbouring countries." The
newspaper's circulation was only 1,000 copies. On January 1, 1870 "by
supreme order" it was allowed "to arrange in the form of experience the
subscription to periodicals - both Russian and foreign - at post offices."
In Russia, it was the first decree on subscription to periodicals. By
1914, over 3,000 periodicals were published in Russia.
The press service of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass
Communications of the Russian Federation (Rospechat) told Itar-Tass that
more than 90,000 mass media are currently registered in Russia, including
about 70,000 printed and about 17,000 electronic media. Last year, the
number of registered printed media was 8 percent higher than in 2009, and
in comparison with 2005 the number increased by 34 percent. "Moreover, the
number of regional media registered in 2010 more than two times exceeded
the number of nationwide media," the press-service noted. "In the previous
year, this difference was not so great. So, in 2005 the number of regional
media outlets exceeded the number of nationwide media by only 11 percent,
in 2006 - by 16.5 percent, and in 2009 - already by 42 percent."
Most magazines published in Russia are of entertainment and
advertising-informational nature, the socio-political journals are third,
followed by the scientific and popular publications, children's and
literary-art periodicals. As for newspapers, the largest percentage here
have socio-political publications, advertising-informational publications
account for more than 17 percent, and newspapers devoted to "leisure and
entertainment" - for 13 percent.
The Union of Journalists of Moscow congratulated the colleagues on Day
of the Russian Press. "The role of the press, radio and television in
public life is growing," the professional union noted. "In the present
conditions the printed and spoken word, television image, the Internet can
in the shortest time reach the most remote areas, enter any social
environment." The union also wished all the "journalists, all those
involved in this honourable and difficult profession, objectivity in
reporting events, professional capacity, the real journalistic passion,
courage and perseverance, and new creative ideas."
The Union of Journalists also drew attention to the fact that the
issue of protection of media representatives from persecution for their
professional activities is causing serious concern today. "Because the
profession of journalist in Russia, despite its popularity, remains one of
the most dangerous," the Union believes. "Our colleagues are threatened,
killed, taken hostage, and physically assaulted." According to the
Committee for the Protection of freedom of speech and the rights of
journalists, over the past 15 years, more than 300 journalists have been
killed in Russia, most of the crimes are still unsolved.
According to the RF government website, the Federal Agency for Press
and Mass Communications is a federal body of executive authority
responsible for providing state services and managing state property. It
also implements legal regulation in the press, media, and mass
communications sphere, including shared-use computer networks of the
electronic media, publishing and printing sectors.
The Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications has the following
functions: to implement legal regulation and render state services in the
sphere of creating and operating the media, mass communications,
television and radio broadcasting networks, using the radio-frequency
spectrum and telecommunications-satellite orbits for television and radio
broadcasting purposes, expanding and disseminating mass communications;
and in the information-exchange sphere, broadcasting additional
information, shared-use computer networks of the electronic media,
publishing, and printing sectors; to keep joint nationwide registers
listing the media, mass communications, television and radio broadcasting
companies, and audio and video producers.
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.Planned outages to continue in Moscow rgn Thur.

MOSCOW, January 13 (Itar-Tass) - Planned power outages for repairs in
the electricity distribution networks will continue in the Moscow region
on Thursday - they will affect 10 districts of the region, the press
service of the Moscow unified power grid MOESK reported.
The outages will affect some 86 populated localities in total in the
south, west and east of the region.
Power engineers who have conducted planned outages over the past five
days (since Saturday) urge citizens not to worry and remain calm, and also
to apply for more details calling the 24-hour multi-channel "bright line"
at 8-800-700-40-70 and also call temporary information centres set up in
each district of the MOESK electrical networks MOESK (the phone number are
available on the MOESK website - www.moesk.ru).
Freezing rain that hit the Moscow area on December 26, 2010 left
400,000 people without electricity and paralysed the work of Domodedovo
Airport, one of the major air harbours in Moscow.
MOESK, the unified operating company, was formed on the basis of the
power grids assets of Moscow and the Moscow Region as a result of the
reorganisation in June 2008. To provide consumers of the Moscow Region
with electric energy, the Company uses nearly 74,000 km of electric energy
transmission lines (ETL) including about 63,000 km of overhead ETL and
more than 10,000 km of cable lines. Assets of JSC "Moscow United Electric
Grid Company" include about 15,000 distribution substations as well. IDGC
Holding, a company operating in the Russian electricity sector, comprises
Interregional Distribution Grid Companies (IDGCs), research and
development institutes, design and construction institutes, and
construction and sales companies. About 100 affiliates of IDGCs are
located in 69 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The total
length of networks of IDGC Holding's operating subsidiaries exceeds 2.1
million kilometres. The total power transmission in 2009 was 596.4 billion
kWh. The operational area of IDGC Holding companies covers a network of
ten voltage types, ranging from 0.4 kV to 220 kV.
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