Ofcom has revoked Russia Today's broadcast licence with immediate effect amid 29 ongoing investigations into the due impartiality of its news and current affairs coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The broadcasting watchdog wrote: “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.”
Ofcom added that the “volume and potentially serious nature” of the issues raised were of “great concern”. Backed by the Russian state, it has long faced criticism for its pro-Kremlin coverage of events. The investigation took a variety of different factors into account including the station's relation with the Russian Federation - noting alongside its state funding, Russian laws effectively outlawed any independent media departing from the state's narrative around its invasion of Ukraine, reports The Mirror.
They said that: "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. 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.
"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."
