Ukraine Crisis: UK Broadcasting Regulator Opens More Probes Into Russia's RT

Ofcom said that it now has 27 open investigations into RT.

By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 3 March 2022 19:58 IST

Ukraine Crisis: UK Broadcasting Regulator Opens More Probes Into Russia's RT

Photo Credit: Reuters

Ofcom announced its probe saying it’s seen "a significant increase" in number of breaches on RT

Highlights

Russian-controlled TV channels have come under fire as the West
RT is no longer allowed to earn money off Google, YouTube
EC is banning Russia's state-run mouthpieces

The British broadcasting regulator has announced another dozen investigations into the "impartiality" of news programmes aired on Russian state-funded television channel RT.

Ofcom said on Wednesday that it now has 27 open investigations into RT and is considering whether the channel should keep its UK licence.

"We are very concerned by the volume of programmes on RT that are raising potential issues under the Broadcasting Code," Ofcom said in a statement.

[Sponsored] Samsung Galaxy S24: The Ultimate Camera Phone With Smarter On-Device AI

The regulator first announced its probe on Monday, saying it had seen "a significant increase" in the number of potential breaches on RT news programmes after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

When covering topics as important as the Ukraine crisis, all media with licences "must comply with the special impartiality requirements in our Code", the body said.

"These rules require broadcasters to take additional steps to preserve due impartiality – namely by including and giving due weight to a wide range of significant views."

Russia-Controlled RT, Sputnik Banned by EU Over Ukraine Disinformation

Russian-controlled television channels have come under fire as the West and its allies seek to crack down on misinformation about Moscow's onslaught on Ukraine.

RT is no longer allowed to earn money off Google and YouTube ads, the Alphabet-owned tech giants have announced, following moves by Facebook, Twitter, and Apple to curb access to Russian-state-linked news.

As the crisis escalates, the European Commission is banning Russia's state-run mouthpieces, while in the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it should be left to Ofcom to decide the fate of RT's licence rather than politicians, due to freedom of expression.

Gaana CEO and Spotify's India chief join us on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, to discuss India's unique music streaming landscape. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.