RT withdrawn from its UK license by Ofcom Business

Russia Today has had its UK broadcasting license withdrawn after the media regulator expressed “great concern” over a wave of potential impartiality breaches.

Ofcom said the Kremlin-backed broadcaster was facing 29 ongoing investigations related to its coverage of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The watchdog added that a separate investigation into RT licensee ANO TV Novosti revealed its links to the Kremlin, while new laws criminalizing independent journalism in Russia meant RT could no longer provide a impartial view of the conflict.

The move was largely symbolic, as the European Union has already sanctioned RT, resulting in its removal from UK TV screens such as Freeview, Britain’s biggest free-to-air broadcaster, and pay-TV giant Sky.

Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom, said: “Freedom of speech is something we fiercely protect in this country, and the bar for broadcasters to act is rightly set very high.

“Following an independent regulatory process, we have today found that RT is unable to hold a license in the UK. Accordingly, we have revoked RT’s UK broadcast license . »