Real Scary Television

Real Scary Television, also known by the Russian name Nastoyashchee Strashnoe Televidenie and the abbreviation NST, is a Russian thematic television channel specializing in horror and adjacent genres. Its programming is built around feature films and television series involving horror, thrillers, mysticism, science fiction, black humor, and related forms of speculative entertainment. The channel has also carried anime and genre-oriented nonfiction programming, giving it a broader identity than a channel limited solely to conventional horror films. NST began broadcasting on October 1, 2006. From its launch, the channel positioned itself around a concentrated genre proposition: viewers could find horror and suspense programming in a dedicated television environment rather than within a general-interest schedule. Its inter-program presentation included the animated series Monsters, whose recurring characters were Slasher, Dracula, Mummy, and Zombie. This continuity material reinforced the channel's recognizable horror-themed identity. In addition to acquired films and series, Real Scary Television broadcast thematic documentary and magazine programs produced for the channel. These included Encyclopedia of Horror, focused on horror cinema; Masterpieces of Horror; World of Anime, covering Japanese anime and manga; and DOOM and more, devoted to horror-oriented video games. This mix connected screen entertainment with the wider horror and fantasy culture surrounding it, including cinema, animation, comics, and games. The channel underwent a rebranding on October 3, 2011. A later technical transition took place on December 23, 2016, when NST moved from the 4:3 picture format to widescreen 16:9 broadcasting and introduced stereo sound. These changes reflected the modernization of its presentation and distribution capabilities. NST was originally associated with the NKS Media media holding. Following the 2015 merger of assets belonging to VGTRK and Rostelecom, the channel became part of the Digital Television package of thematic channels. It has been distributed through multiple Russian cable and satellite platforms, including Tricolor TV, Rostelecom, Dom.ru TV, and Intersvyaz, among others. Reference material describes its potential distribution audience as exceeding 11.714 million subscribers, although that figure is not assigned to a clearly specified measurement date in the available material. Audience research cited in the channel's reference material indicates that Real Scary Television achieved a notable position among Russian thematic channels. In the 2016–2017 television season, a Mediascope study, formerly associated with TNS Russia, placed NST tenth among channels with the largest audience, reporting a 0.32% audience share, a 1.69% average daily reach, and 47 minutes of viewing time. In the 2018–2019 season, it ranked eighth among thematic channels in Russia and thirty-fifth across all television channels in the country. The channel has also repeatedly supported horror films at the Russian box office, linking its television brand to theatrical genre promotion. In 2017, it received a bronze award at the MediaBrand competition for an advertising layout in the Best Print category.

Real Scary Television, abbreviated NST and known in Russian as Nastoyashchee Strashnoe Televidenie, launched on October 1, 2006 as a Russian thematic channel dedicated to horror and related genres. Its initial programming combined horror films and series with thrillers, mysticism, science fiction, black humor, anime, and other forms of genre entertainment. The channel's inter-program schedule featured Monsters, an animated series centered on characters such as Slasher, Dracula, Mummy, and Zombie, helping establish a distinctive horror-oriented presentation. NST's programming model extended beyond the screening of acquired films and series. It developed or broadcast thematic nonfiction programs addressing different parts of genre culture. Encyclopedia of Horror examined horror cinema, while Masterpieces of Horror focused on notable works in the field. World of Anime covered Japanese animation and manga, and DOOM and more explored horror-related video games. Through these programs, NST presented itself as a broader genre-media brand encompassing cinema, television, animation, comics, and games. The channel was associated with the NKS Media media holding during an earlier phase of its development. On October 3, 2011, it underwent a rebranding. The rebrand marked a change in presentation while preserving its focus on specialist horror and speculative entertainment. In 2015, following the merger of assets of VGTRK and Rostelecom, NST became part of the Digital Television package of thematic channels. This placed the channel within a larger portfolio of specialized Russian television services. Distribution expanded through cable and satellite operators, including Tricolor TV, Rostelecom, Dom.ru TV, and Intersvyaz. The available reference material describes the channel as reaching more than 11.714 million subscribers, but does not provide a measurement date or methodology sufficient to treat that figure as a current subscriber total. Audience research attributed to Mediascope, formerly TNS Russia, nevertheless indicates that the brand achieved measurable prominence. During the 2016–2017 television season, NST was reported as tenth among channels with the largest audience, with a 0.32% audience share, 1.69% average daily reach, and 47 minutes of viewing time. In 2018–2019, it was reported as eighth among Russian thematic channels and thirty-fifth among all television channels. A technical modernization followed on December 23, 2016, when the channel moved from the older 4:3 format to 16:9 widescreen broadcasting and adopted stereo sound. Beyond its regular programming, Real Scary Television repeatedly supported horror films at the Russian box office, giving the channel a promotional role within the country's genre-film ecosystem. In 2017, it received a bronze MediaBrand award in the Best Print category for an advertising layout. The available sources do not identify individual founders, executives, current ownership percentages, headquarters, or a precise corporate legal entity operating the channel.

• 2017

  MediaBrand recognition

  [1]Real Scary Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The channel receives a bronze MediaBrand award for an advertising layout in the Best Print category.

• 2016

  Widescreen and stereo transition

  [1]Real Scary Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  NST adopts 16:9 widescreen transmission and stereo sound on December 23.

• 2015

  Integration into Digital Television

  [1]Real Scary Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  The channel becomes part of the Digital Television thematic-channel package after the merger of VGTRK and Rostelecom assets.

• 2011

  Rebranding

  [1]Real Scary Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  NST undergoes a rebranding on October 3.

• 2006

  Channel launch

  [1]Real Scary Televisionen.wikipedia.org

  Real Scary Television begins broadcasting on October 1 as a Russian channel specializing in horror and related genres.

A specialist Russian television destination for horror and neighboring genre entertainment, combining acquired films and series with original or channel-produced programs about horror cinema, anime, manga, and horror video games.

• Television programming · 2006

  Horror, thriller, and mystery programming

  The channel's core offering consists of films and series in horror, thriller, mysticism, and mystery. This programming establishes NST as a specialist destination rather than a general entertainment channel, with schedules organized around suspense, supernatural themes, fear, and dark genre storytelling.

• Television programming · 2006

  Science-fiction and black-humor programming

  NST also includes science fiction and black humor within its genre mix. These areas broaden the channel's appeal beyond conventional horror and allow it to serve viewers interested in speculative narratives, dark comedy, and fantastical subject matter.

• Documentary and magazine programming

  Encyclopedia of Horror

  Encyclopedia of Horror is a thematic program produced for or broadcast by NST that examines horror films. It gives the channel an editorial and informational dimension, complementing its entertainment schedule with material about the history, works, and culture of horror cinema.

• Documentary and magazine programming

  Masterpieces of Horror

  Masterpieces of Horror is a channel-associated thematic program focused on notable works within the horror genre. The available material identifies the program but does not provide enough detail to describe its format, presenters, or episode chronology.

• Anime and manga programming

  World of Anime

  World of Anime covers Japanese animation and manga. Its inclusion reflects NST's effort to connect horror and speculative television with broader Japanese genre culture, while also giving anime and comics a dedicated place in the channel's nonfiction or magazine schedule.

• Video-game programming

  DOOM and more

  DOOM and more is a thematic program about horror video games. The title and available description associate it with the horror-gaming field, extending NST's coverage into interactive entertainment and reinforcing the channel's wider genre-culture positioning.

• Animated inter-program content

  Monsters

  Monsters was used in the channel's inter-program presentation. Its principal characters included Slasher, Dracula, Mummy, and Zombie, providing recurring animated continuity material consistent with NST's horror-themed identity.

• 2017MediaBrand Best Print advertising layout

  Russia

  Real Scary Television entered an advertising layout in the Best Print category of the MediaBrand competition. The entry received a bronze award.

  Outcome. Bronze award at the 2017 MediaBrand competition.

  Source
• Support for horror films at the Russian box office

  Russia

  The channel repeatedly supported horror films released in Russia, linking its television audience and promotional activity to theatrical genre releases.

  Outcome. The available reference confirms repeated support but does not identify individual films, campaign dates, or performance results.

  Source

• 2016

  Broadcast-format modernizationGeneration change

  Background

  The channel had previously used the 4:3 television picture format.

  Action taken

  On December 23, NST moved to 16:9 widescreen broadcasting and stereo sound.

  Aftermath

  The change modernized the channel's technical presentation; no financial or audience impact is specified in the available sources.

  Source

• 2015

  Move into the Digital Television packageM&A

  Background

  The merger of VGTRK and Rostelecom assets changed the structure of the associated thematic-channel portfolio.

  Action taken

  Real Scary Television became part of the Digital Television package.

  Aftermath

  The channel continued as a specialist service distributed through Russian cable and satellite operators.

  Source

• 2011

  Channel rebrandingStrategy

  Background

  NST had been operating as a specialist genre channel since its 2006 launch.

  Action taken

  The channel carried out a rebranding on October 3, 2011.

  Aftermath

  The available sources do not describe the specific visual changes or immediate commercial effects of the rebrand.

  Source

1. 1Real Scary Televisionen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Real Scary Television official websitestrashnoe.tv