UK regulator revokes license of Russia-backed broadcaster RT
- Ofcom said the state-funded Russian broadcaster’s coverage of the war in Ukraine was biased, and was not ‘fit and proper to hold a UK broadcast license’
- RT said in a statement the regulator had robbed the UK public of access to information and ignored its ‘clean record’ of four consecutive years
The volume and nature of the issues raised by these inquiries are of “great concern,” the regulator said, particularly because RT had been fined 200,000 pounds (US$263,000) for previous violations of impartiality standards.
RT’s funding from the Russian state, as well as the fact that Russia invaded its smaller neighbour, were also part of the decision, Ofcom said.
“We also note 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,’’ the regulator said in a statement. “We consider that given these constraints it appears impossible for RT to comply with the due impartiality rules of our Broadcasting Code in the circumstances.’’
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