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‘Hypocritical behavior’: Russia’s OSCE envoy blasts UK attack on RT, CGTN TV channels

On February 4, Ofcom withdrew the license from the CGTN channel, which broadcasts in English

VIENNA, February 11. /TASS/. Russian Permanent Representative at the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich compared the withdrawal of license of the Chinese CGTN TV channel in the UK under the pretext of its ties to the Chinese government to similar actions against Russia Today, calling such behavior of the media regulator, Ofcom, hypocritical.

"Similarly, in 2019, the regulator fined the legal entity of the Russia Today TV Channel - the TV-Novosti autonomous non-profit organization, as well as the owner of the broadcasting license of the NTV-Mir Baltia channel: for an allegedly biased coverage of the long-debunked myth about poisoning of Sergey and Yulia Skripal," the envoy said at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting on the freedom of speech.

"Such behavior of the media regulator appears highly hypocritical, considering that BBC, for example, is funded from the state budget, and the Voice of America, which operates in the UK, is controlled by the US Department of State.

On February 4, Ofcom withdrew the license from the CGTN channel, which broadcasts in English. The regulator claimed in its statement that the license holder, Star China Media Limited does not control the editorial policy of CGTN, which is a violation of the British law.

In 2019, Ofcom fined RT for Ј200,000, claiming that the channel violated the rules of precision and impartiality in a number of reports and shows, aired in 2018, regarding the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yulia, as well as conflict in Syria.

Ofcom also fined the Baltic Media Alliance Limited, registered in UK, for Ј20,000 over a violation of broadcasting rules, done by the NTV-Mir Baltia channel.