It can no longer be broadcast in the UK, but that hasn’t stopped Ofcom from completing an investigation into RT, the Kremlin-funded news channel.
The UK broadcast regulator says RT’s news and current affairs coverage in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine breached due impartiality rules on 29 occasions in four days.
Ofcom launched 29 investigations into RT following complaints from viewers and its own monitoring of output before the signal was pulled.
Its investigations looked at the due impartiality of 15 RT News bulletins on 27th February, 12 bulletins on 1st March and one bulletin on 2nd March 2022. Ofcom also investigated a documentary about Donbas, broadcast at the beginning of March.
Ofcom found that RT’s coverage failed to preserve due impartiality in relation to the conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine. As a consequence – and despite no longer being able to broadcast in the UK – Ofcom says it’s minded to consider them for the imposition of a statutory sanction.
RT vanished from UK TV screens after EU sanctions against Russia were enforced on 2nd March 2022. Satellite feeds of the channel from Russia to the UK, relayed by broadcast distribution operators based in the EU, were pulled. It resulted in the channel crashing off Freeview, replaced by a channel unavailable message.
Just over two weeks later, on 18th March, Ofcom officially revoked RT’s UK broadcast licence. At the time it said it did not view the licence holder as “fit and proper”.
It is unclear how Ofcom could fine the broadcaster, as RT’s former UK business is now in liquidation and it is unlikely Russian authorities will pay attention to any fines issued by Ofcom to its ultimate owner.
What does Ofcom say about due impartiality?
Commenting on the RT affair, Ofcom said: “News programmes must be able to report on controversial issues and take a position on those issues, even if that position is highly critical. But due impartiality requirements in broadcasting are particularly important in situations where events are changing quickly and potentially harmful disinformation is available online.”