Foreign channels currently distributed by cable in Russia are up against a looming deadline.
According to ER-Telecom, one of the country’s leading cable operators, those that have not received the necessary permits and licences will go off the air on March 1 this year.
ER-Telecom, quoting the national cable association AKTU and newspaper Vedomosti, adds that one of the reasons for the action being taken against foreign channels is dissatisfaction with the content shown by some.
Viasat History, for instance, has been accused of falsifying the history of the Second World War and it now does not have a broadcasting licence in Russia.
One leading cable operator estimates that 90% of foreign channels still do not have a broadcasting licence. Although almost all are in the process of obtaining one, this can take over 30 days.
