Entertainment
‘Russian TV revoking is robbing UK people of information’: Furious RT hits back at Ofcom ruling
Ofcom confirmed RT’s licence would be revoked with immediate effect (Picture: RT)
RT’s deputy editor, Anna Belkina, said Ofcom’s decision to suspend the broadcaster’s UK licence has ‘robbed’ the British public of access to information,
The state media broadcaster – which is currently off air in the EU and UK – had its licence revoked by Ofcom with immediate effect on Friday.
On Friday morning, a statement released read: ‘Following an independent regulatory process, we have today found that RT is not fit and proper to hold a licence in the UK.
‘As a result we have revoked RT’s UK broadcasting licence.’
However, RT has hit back and said the Ofcom decision is ‘robbing the UK people of access to information.’
In a statement, she said: ‘Ofcom has shown the UK public, and the regulatory community internationally, that, despite a well-constructed facade of independence, it is nothing more than a tool of government, bending to its media-suppressing will.
The channel has not aired in the UK in recent days (Picture: Getty)
‘By ignoring RT’s completely clean record of four consecutive years and stating purely political reasons tied directly to the situation in Ukraine and yet completely unassociated to RT’s operations, structure, management or editorial output, Ofcom has falsely judged RT to not be ‘fit and proper’ and in doing so robbed the UK public of access to information.’
It comes amid the television watchdog launching 29 investigations into the ‘due impartiality’ of its programmes.
The investigation has taken into account factors including the channel’s relationship with the Kremlin as well as the fact it is funded by the Russia state.
Ofcom also noted the harsh new laws in Russia which effectively criminalise any independent journalism that departs from the Russian state’s own news narrative, in particular in relation to the invasion of Ukraine.
More: Russia-Ukraine war
RT was removed from British television amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the EU saying the network promoted disinformation by the Kremlin’.
Although the UK is no longer in the EU, the move applied sanctions to satellite companies in France and Luxembourg, which provided the RT feed to Sky, Freesat and Freeview.
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What is Ofcom and what does it cover?
Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day.
The watchdog makes sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.
Ofcom deals with most content on television, radio and video-on-demand services, including the BBC. However, if your complaint is about something you saw or heard in a BBC programme, you may need to complain to the BBC first.
Its rules for television and radio programmes are set out in the Broadcasting Code.
The rules in the Broadcasting Code also apply to the BBC iPlayer.
This Broadcasting Code is the rule book that broadcasters have to follow and it covers a number of areas, including; protecting the under-18s, protecting audiences from harmful and/or offensive material and ensuring that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Audiences can complain to Ofcom if they believe a breach of the Broadcasting Code has been made.
Every time Ofcom receives a complaint from a viewer or listener, they assess it to see if it needs further investigation.
If Ofcom decide to investigate, they will include the case in a list of new investigations, published in the Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin.
An investigation is a formal process which can take some time depending on the complexity of the issues involved.
Ofcom can also launch investigations in the absence of a complaint from a viewer or listener.
