Russian language channels rebroadcast in Lithuania lost half their audience following the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
According to the findings of a report produced by Kantar for the regulator LRTK, up until that point around half of the Lithuanian population watched such channels and since then that figure has fallen to 24%. In border regions, the total fell from 59% to 32%.
Although these changes could partly be accounted for the fact that Russian propaganda channels are now banned in Lithuania – 33% of respondents who watched them before said that they now had no opportunities to do so – there were also other reasons they are now shunned. Indeed, 40% said they no longer watched such channels as they broadcast propaganda and disinformation, while 29% mistrusted the information they presented.
LRTK notes that although it has temporarily suspended the reception of Russian and Belarussian propaganda channels, TV technology makes it possible to still receive them in Lithuania.
Moreover, the time spent watching them has increased slightly among their remaining viewers.
