"We regret the loss of the faithful, high quality audience that listened to our English-language programs," said Nurlan Urazbayev in a telephone interview Thursday. "But we have to survive."
Russian programs bring in much more advertising money, he added, and at a time when costs are rising astronomically, the pressure to increase revenues rises as well.
"Our costs have, roughly speaking, tripled this year," he said. "Energy, technical facilities, everything is going up. Almost every three months our costs rise radically." The English-language morning news program was taken off the air in August, but the station management had intended to pilot a new show in the evening, according to Paul Kindlon, former host of the morning show.
"I knew we were in financial difficulties," said Kindlon Thursday, "but when I left on vacation, I was told I would have a new show when I came back."
Kindlon said he was informed Tuesday that English-language programming on Open Radio would not resume, and that he was, effectively, out of a job.
Open Radio began its English-language broadcasts in March 1992. In going over to an all-Russian format, it joins Radio Maximum, which discontinued its morning show "Moscow in the Morning" in July, also, it was reported at the time, for financial reasons.
According to Urazbayev, Open Radio is negotiating a joint promotion campaign with 2X2 Television to attract advertisers.
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