The Latvian regulator NEPLP has banned the distribution of 18 Russian TV channels owned directly or indirectly by Gazprombank.
In a statement, it says that the channels in question – THT-Comedy, THT4 International, TNT, TNT Music, Friday International, KHL TV channel, KHL HDTV channel, Kinoprem’yeta, Kinosvidaniye, Muzhskoye kino, Lya-minor TV, Avto Plus, Nostal’giya, Zhivi!, Kto yest ’kto, Malysh-TV, Russkaya noch and Zee TV belong to the Russian bank, its media company Gazprom Media Holdings or its subsidiary Red Media.
NEPLP adds that Gazprombank is a Russian-registered joint stock company and sanctioned by the US Foreign Assets Control Bureau in February this year.
Commenting on the action, Ieva Kalderauska, a member of the NEPLP, said: “The NEPLP continues to follow the decisions of internationally imposed sanctions in connection with Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine. The decision of the council to prohibit the distribution of aggressor programmes in Latvia is a logical step to protect our information space and strengthen national security”.
The decision to ban the distribution of the channels was made on March 7 will take effect after its publication in the Latvian Official Gazette.
