30 European countries ban russian propaganda channels 

30 countries in Europe have completely or partially stopped broadcasting russian propaganda channels, the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine has reported.

At the same time, the number of countries broadcasting radio and television programs in Ukrainian is increasing.

«As of March 28, thirty European countries have completely or partially ceased russian propaganda channels to follow the russian warship. At the same time, European NRAs and the media continue to strengthen Ukraine’s support in the information area – the number of countries in which radio and TV programmes are broadcast in the Ukrainian language is constantly increasing», – the National Council said.  

Ukrainian-language broadcasting and ban of russian channels by country:

Romania

According to the decision of the National Audiovisual Council (CAN), Romanian cable companies can retransmit two Ukrainian TV channels, Rada and Espresso, without even requiring contracts with right holders.

UK

Ofcom revoked the RT licenses. Ukrainian broadcasters are invited to broadcast their programmes in the country on British platforms (such as Sky, Virgin, Freesat and Freeview).

Germany

Well-known German TV channels RTL and ntv will soon launch a news programme in the Ukrainian language.

The Czech Republic

In Prague, the Radio Ukraine began broadcasting as part of the Media Bohemia media group. Its content is aimed at supporting Ukrainian citizens who fled their country to escape russian aggression.

Poland

The Polish NRA has banned russian channels, and Ukrainian TV channels are broadcasting instead. The largest Polish radio broadcaster RMF Group has created a Ukrainian-language radio You are listening to RMF Ukraine!. The radio news programme provides useful 24/7 information for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

Belgium. Flemish Community

Russian propaganda channels were removed from cable TV networks and other platforms.

Netherlands

Russian TV channels Russia Today and Sputnik are not licensed and do not broadcast on cable or terrestrial networks in the Netherlands. The NRA is determined to stop the spread of disinformation and hate speech from russia Today, Sputnik and other russian-controlled media outlets.

Greece

The NRA banned the broadcasting of russian channels and blocked access to russian media websites.

Moldova

The NRA banned russian and belarusian channels, including MIR TV channel.

Estonia

The NRA temporarily suspended retransmission of programme services of russian origin.

Lithuania

The NRA temporarily suspended retransmission of programme services of russian origin. The NRA addressed all Lithuanian telecommunications operators and recommended that they include the following Ukrainian channels in their packages.

Latvia

The NRA restricted broadcasting of 28 programme services related to russia and belarus. In early March web resources related to Sputnik and other russian media were blocked. In the coming days, Ukraine 24 TV channel will be available free of charge as part of terrestrial broadcasting in Latvia.

Romania

Russia Today is no longer broadcast at the national level, and local service providers are monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that no channel from russia broadcast in Romania.

Georgia

The two largest IPTV operators – Magticom and Silknet – have added the Ukrainian TV channel Ukraine 24 to their packages free of charge.

English Club TV

The British English Club TV banned russian television networks and operators from using its signal.

EBU

The European Broadcasting Union suspended russians from the organization.

EPRA

The European Platform of Regulators (EPRA) has supported the National Council’s request to combat russian propaganda in Europe and has called on all European regulators to detect and stop russian disinformation. As main coordinator of such monitoring – EPRA collects all recorded cases on its official website and reports on the actions of regulators on the detected russian propaganda. The management of the Platform is convinced that European regulators are monitoring the media coverage of the situation in Ukraine and will determine the necessary measures of response. The EPRA Board informed all member countries that Roskomnadzor had recently forced the russian media to publish only information from official russian government resources.

CDMSI. Council of Europe

Russia will not be represented in the work of the Steering Committee of the Council of Europe on Media and the Information Society (CDMSI) and its subcommittees.

EU

The EU has imposed sanctions on state media RT/Russia Today and Sputnik in the EU. Sputnik and RT/Russia Today (RT English, RT UK, RT Germany, RT France and RT Spanish) have been suspended in the EU.

Google, Apple Inc.

RT and Sputnik were blocked in app stores in Europe.

Russia began blocking websites of foreign and russian media before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The first to be blocked in russia were Echo of Moscow radio station and TV Rain. 

They also blocked access to several foreign media and social networks, including Deutsche Welle, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Meduza and BBC. The russian prosecutor general’s office also added Ukrainian Gordon, Korrespondent and Ukrayinska Pravda to its register of banned websites in russia. 

More than 100 world cultural organizations have ceased cooperation with russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.