The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled in favour of the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission (LRTK) imposing a temporary ban on NTV Mir Lithuania.
It notes that on May 18, 2016 the regulator imposed a 12-month ban on the channel being distributed via cable or the internet, other than in pay-to-view packages.
ts decision was based on the fact that a programme broadcast by NTV Mir Lithuania on April 15, 2016 “contained information inciting hostility to and hated of the Baltic States on the grounds of nationality”.
NTV Mir Lithuania’s UK-registered operator Baltic Media Alliance (BMA) subsequently brought an action before the Regional Administrative Court in Vilnius, claiming the ban was in breach of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
However, the Court of Justice has now dismissed this, saying NTV Mir Lithuania was still available to viewers on a pay-to-view basis
