Cabinet of Ministers of Germany: only media regulator decides on the termination of broadcasting of RT DE in Europe
The decision to terminate satellite broadcasting of the RT DE TV channel (the German-speaking branch of Russia Today) in Europe is made only by the media regulator, this issue is not within the competence of the German government. This is reported by TASS with reference to the representative of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Federal Republic of Germany Steffen Hebeshtreit.
“This question is not for a government official,” a cabinet spokesman said at a briefing.
According to Anneke Plas, a spokesman for the media regulator of the German federal states Berlin and Brandenburg (MABB), European satellite operator Eutelsat withdrew RT DE from broadcasting after it was informed of Luxembourg's refusal to broadcast.
Earlier, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, called the blocking of the TV channel a persecution of the media and information segregation. The diplomat assured that the reaction will not be long in coming, presumably referring to the political response of the official Kremlin.
The fact that the German-language media regulator MABB demanded to remove from broadcasting in Europe the TV channel RT DE became known on December 22. European satellite operator Eutelsat 9B complied with the demand and removed RT DE, which is broadcasting from studios in Moscow, from the grid. The press service of RT DE called MAAB's actions illegal.
Earlier it became known that an investigation was initiated in Germany against the Russia Today TV channel network. Berlin suspects the Russian television network of violating broadcasting rules in Germany due to the alleged lack of the necessary license for the network. Following the investigation, RT may be fined up to half a million euros or banned from broadcasting.
