International Emmy Awards Bans All Russian Programs From Competition – CB

The Executive Committee of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced it will bar all Russian programs from this year’s International Emmys competition in support of Ukraine.

“This follows the previously announced action of suspending memberships, as well as all formal affiliations with Russia-based companies,” the organization said in a statement Friday.

According to the organization, any program that meets the following criteria is ineligible and, if already submitted, will be withdrawn. That includes all programs produced by and/or co-produced with Russia-based companies and all programs originally made for a Russian-owned channel, network, or streaming platform.

Earlier this month, the International Academy announced it had booted Mikhail Solodovnikov off its board of directors. Solodovnikov runs T&R Productions, the Russia-owned media company that operates RT America. The Academy said it had also suspended Solodovnikov’s general membership, and that of Elizaveta Brodskaya, head of news at the Moscow-based RT International, RT Russia.

The move also follows that of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences which recently announced it would do not do business with any entity associate with or funded by the Russion government amid the invasion of Ukraine, and have disqualified any entries for 2022 competitions that fall under that determination.

Netflix also announced earlier this month that it has suspended all of its production and acquisitions work in Russia in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.