PM wants CRTC to review channel’s presence in Canada
CANADIAN TELEVISION SERVICE providers are dropping Russia Today (RT) an English-language international news channel funded by Russia, from their channel lineups.
There has been growing concern about the channel’s presence in Canada specifically, and about Russian-funded international media around the world more generally. Many concerns relate to the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation.
On Feb. 26, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez posted on Twitter, saying, “I share the concerns of many Canadians about the presence of Russia Today in our broadcasting system. We’re looking at all options.”
Since then, several Canadian television service providers have announced they will stop carrying the channel, which the CRTC added to its list of eligible satellite services in 2009.
A spokesperson for Bell confirmed to Cartt.ca via email that as of yesterday, “RT is no longer available on Bell’s channel line up.”
Pointing to a tweet from yesterday, a Shaw spokesperson said they are also no longer carrying the channel. “Customers who subscribe to RT as a pick and pay service will receive a credit in the next billing cycle,” the tweet says.
Telus announced last night in a tweet it has also decided to stop carrying RT on Optik TV effective immediately, and Rogers announced last night in a tweet it would no longer be making the channel available as of today.
It is unclear whether these decisions are being made on a permanent or temporary basis. Cartt.ca asked spokespeople for Bell, Shaw, Rogers and Telus for clarity on this but did not receive a response.
Access Communications also announced today it is removing Russia Today from its AccessNexTV Stream lineup, which has carried the channel since Dec. 20, 2021.
“We share the concerns of many Canadians with the current events in Ukraine,” said Jim Deane, CEO of Access Communications, in a press release. “Access Communications stands with Ukraine, and we’re committed to supporting the Ukrainian-Canadian members of our community.”
A spokesperson for Access Communications told Cartt.ca that at this point, the company will not be carrying RT “until further notice.”
VMedia, which issued a press release today announcing it has removed RT from its lineup of channels, is also doing so “until further notice.” Additionally, VMedia announced it has added the Ukrainian channel Ukraine24 to all its basic and premium packages, and to its live and on demand streaming service RiverTV’s basic package at no extra charge. (The CRTC authorized Ukraine24 for distribution in Canada in January 2022.)
“VMedia is an outspoken supporter of free expression, and in no way seeks to take on the role of gatekeeper of TV services of any kind,” said Alexei Tchernobrivets, president and CEO of VMedia Inc., in the press release. “However, Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine is an attack on freedom everywhere, and the suffering it is inflicting on the Ukrainian people must be communicated accurately to the world.”
“We are adding Ukraine 24 to all our discretionary packages on VMedia TV, and to our Basic package on RiverTV, to facilitate the ability of concerned Canadians, especially those of Ukrainian heritage, to have a reliable source of information about their homeland,” Tchernobrivets said.
RT is also available as a channel that can be streamed through Roku. Cartt.ca reached out to Roku to see if the company intends to continue to distribute RT but did not hear back by deadline*.
Today, after most announcements to drop RT were made, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted to say the Canadian government will also ask “the CRTC to begin the process of reviewing Russia Today’s presence on Canadian airwaves – because we cannot allow falsehoods, propaganda, and disinformation about Russia’s war to continue spreading in Canada.”
RT is currently being banned and examined outside of Canada as well.
“We will ban, in the EU, the media machine of the Kremlin … Russia Today and Sputnik and their subsidiaries, will not be able to spew their lies to justify Putin’s war and to sow disunion in our Union. We are developing tools to ban the toxic disinformation that hurts Europe,” said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, according to an English translation of statements made in an article published by Le Monde.
And, in the UK, communications services regulator Ofcom announced it “opened 15 new investigations into the due impartiality of news programmes on the RT news channel,” all related to broadcasts from Feb. 27.
*Update: Roku will be removing RT from the Roku Channel Store in Europe, a spokesperson told Cartt.ca. There is no update on whether the same will be done in Canada.
