Entertainment
Russian TV station RT has licence revoked by Ofcom days after it was taken off air in the UK
RT is longer fit to hold a licence, according to Ofcom (Picture: REUTERS)
Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has made the decision to revoke Russia Today’s licence, after finding it is ‘not fit’ to hold a licence in the UK.
The state-controlled network has been unavailable to stream on Sky, Freeview and Freesat in recent days.
But now, it’s been confirmed the channel will no longer be licensed to broadcast after new findings from Ofcom.
A statement on Friday read: ‘We recognise that RT is currently off air in the UK, as a result of sanctions imposed by the EU since the invasion of Ukraine commenced.
‘We take seriously the importance, in our democratic society, of a broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression and the audience’s right to receive information and ideas without undue interference.
‘We also take seriously the importance of maintaining audiences’ trust and public confidence in the UK’s broadcasting regulatory regime.
Ofcom was concerned by the relationship RT has with the Russian Federation (Picture: via REUTERS)
They went on to add: ‘Taking all of this into account, as well as our immediate and repeated compliance concerns, we have concluded that we cannot be satisfied that RT can be a responsible broadcaster in the current circumstances. Ofcom is therefore revoking RT’s licence to broadcast with immediate effect.’
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.
RT has been off air in the UK in recent days (Picture: Muhammed Ibrahim Ali/IMAGESLIVE via ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)
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.
Reacting to the previous that saw the channel taken off air, RT said ‘the facade of free press in Europe has finally crumbled’.
More: Russia
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.
