“Everyone is at risk in Russia. Believe me it’s not safe. Here in Amsterdam I am safe and dry.”

Presenter Mikhail Fishman from the independent Russian news channel TV Rain will speak. He complains that he had to dodge. As a journalist, he thinks he should be in Russia. “Working in Moscow was crucial for me. The viewers knew that reporting on Russia also affects me personally. I was in the same boat as my audience.”

He has been doing his program since the summer Etc for the TV Rain YouTube channel (in Russian: Dozhd) from Amsterdam. And now TV Rain is opening its own studio in the DPG Media building in Amsterdam. On Monday, the channel will be full again after a break of almost seven months in the air.

The TV Rain team prepares for the premiere in the new studio:

From a journalistic point of view, working in exile has practical objections, says Fishman. “The question, of course, is where do I get my information from? TV Rain has always had a reputation for covering what was happening on the streets and in society. Whether it was protests or lawsuits or the poisoning of opposition leader Navalny, we were there. , on site.”

TV Rain has a network of journalists who work anonymously. “As a result, we know and understand what’s happening in the Kremlin and in the war, even if it’s less than before.” When Fishman talks about his resources in Russia, hesitation resonates: he doesn’t want to jeopardize them under any circumstances. “Fear is everywhere,” says Fishman resignedly.

The final preparations are now being made in the studio. The TV Rain logo hangs on the wall, not in the usual pink, but in yellow and blue – the Ukrainian colors. Technicians work on transmitters and microphones. Fishman reads the autocue. “Is the letter big enough?” is the question from the control room. “It’s okay,” says Fishman.

Founder and managing director Natalja Sindejeva is also present at the trial run. She says they managed to raise the money through a fundraiser. European funds for independent journalism and private donors from around the world contributed. And there were also spectators from Russia. “But it’s not about a lot of money because it’s difficult to transfer large amounts from Russia abroad.”

The studio’s interior was designed and manufactured in Ukraine and arrived in the Netherlands by truck a few days ago. Broadcasting boss Senderjeva: “We think that’s important, the Ukrainian economy needs orders.

Since the departure from Russia, demand for a restart of TV Rain has been high, says Sindejeva. The channel is popular for news shows like Here and now and also for satirical programs about the fake news on the Russian state channels.

These Russians explain to correspondent Iris de Graaf why it’s important for TV Rain to keep broadcasting:

After the outbreak of war at the end of February, TV Rain continued to broadcast online for three days. Then the government blocked the channel completely. TV Rain had no access to cable for years: it was denied access to cable as early as 2014, after the occupation of Crimea and the war in Donbass.

The Kremlin opposition has dominated the channel’s existence since its inception in 2010. But the broadcaster has learned to switch quickly. And the fact that the political tide is not going so well has contributed to its popularity: with everyone Crisis in Russia, ratings explode. Fishman takes care of that himself as the leading face. Viewers praise him for his moral steadfastness and involved analysis.

Few million viewers per day

They have now attracted more than 55 million unique visitors with their YouTube shows in recent months. “We have a few million viewers every day,” says Sindejeva.

Fishman is pleased that the station will be able to return to full strength as of Monday. Then they can do what matters in the end: report on the war to a Russian audience inside and outside Russia. “The viewers of my program have long since turned their backs on all the propaganda that is poured out in Russia every day. They want to know what is really happening.”