RTS/Richard Kendal
The chief executive of Ofcom has told the culture secretary the regulator recognises the serious nature of the situation in Ukraine.
In a letter to Nadine Dorres, Dame Melanie Dawes doesn’t mention RT by name but says it is not acceptable for any of its licensees to broadcast one-sided propaganda.
The Kremlin-funded channel, previously known as Russia Today, is under intense scrutiny following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We are expediting complaints in this area as a matter of urgency and we will not hesitate to take swift action where necessary. I am confident that we have the full range of enforcement tools at our disposal and our track record shows that when we find a breach of our rules, we can and do take action,” the letter reads.
On Wednesday, prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed Dorres had already asked the media regulator to review RT’s licence.
Responding, RT’s deputy editor-in-chief, Anna Belkina, accused the British government of openly interfering in the regulatory process.
“RT’s operational and editorial independence from all governments is legally protected and always has been. Ofcom recognises this and has long endorsed RT as a licence holder,” she said.
