UK media watchdog says Russian broadcaster RT broke impartiality rules

[Rogue Valley]

UK media watchdog says Russian broadcaster RT broke impartiality rules

12/20/18
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s media regulator Ofcom said on Thursday Russian broadcaster RT had broken impartiality rules in news and current affairs programmes aired in March and April, including coverage of the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. “Taken together, the seven breaches represent a serious failure of compliance with our broadcasting rules,” Ofcom said. “We have told RT that we are minded to consider imposing a statutory sanction.” RT said it was “extremely disappointed” by Ofcom’s conclusions and would decide its next steps shortly. The British government said Russia Today’s “mask as an impartial news provider” was clearly slipping. “We know some foreign regimes will use any vehicle at their disposal to sow discord in the West,” Media Secretary Jeremy Wright said. “It is vital that as a society we remain vigilant to the spread of harmful disinformation and Ofcom has strong powers to tackle it where it occurs in broadcast news.” Ofcom said it would consider further representations made by the licensee, and could impose sanctions ranging from broadcasting a statement of Ofcom’s findings to a financial penalty and, in the most extreme cases, revoking a licence.

When UK-RT engages in disinformation and propaganda (its reason for existing), suspend the license. This is "right in your face" Russian meddling.

Related: Russian news channel RT broke TV impartiality rules, Ofcom says