Russia-Backed RT Channel Banned by U.K. Media Regulator

U.Ok media regulator Ofcom on Friday revoked the Russian-backed RT channel’s licence to broadcast within the nation with fast impact.

“We’ve completed so on the premise that we don’t contemplate RT’s licensee, ANO TV Novosti, match and correct to carry a UK broadcast licence,” Ofcom mentioned in a press release.

The choice arrives throughout 29 ongoing investigations by Ofcom into the due impartiality of RT’s information and present affairs protection of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We contemplate the quantity and doubtlessly severe nature of the problems raised inside such a brief interval to be of nice concern – particularly given RT’s compliance historical past, which has seen the channel fined £200,000 [$263,000] for earlier due impartiality breaches,” Ofcom mentioned.

On this context, Ofcom launched a separate investigation to find out whether or not ANO TV Novosti is match and correct to retain its licence to broadcast and took into consideration a number of components together with that RT is is funded by the Russian state and new legal guidelines in Russia which criminalize any impartial journalism that departs from the Russian state’s personal information narrative, specifically in relation to the invasion of Ukraine.

“We contemplate that given these constraints it seems unimaginable for RT to adjust to the due impartiality guidelines of our Broadcasting Code within the circumstances,” Ofcom said.

RT is at the moment off air within the U.Ok. due to sanctions imposed by the European Union for the reason that Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced. The EU banned the Russia Right this moment and Sputnik channels in February.

Ofcom chief government Melanie Dawes mentioned: “Freedom of expression is one thing we guard fiercely on this nation, and the bar for motion on broadcasters is rightly set very excessive. Following an impartial regulatory course of, we have now immediately discovered that RT will not be match and correct to carry a licence within the U.Ok. Consequently we have now revoked RT’s U.Ok. broadcasting licence.”