Dozhd TV Channel Studio. Alexander Miridonov / Kommersant
Moscow Times: Latvian Decision to Revoke Russian TV Station’s License Sparks Fear, Disbelief
Latvia’s decision Tuesday to withdraw the broadcast license of independent Russian television channel Dozhd caused disbelief and anger among the media outlet’s journalists and soul-searching among other Russian journalists in exile.
The Baltic country’s media watchdog said in a statement announcing the revocation that Dozhd posed “threats to national security and social order” following a series of fines issued over the outlet’s coverage of the war in Ukraine.
“I’ve been fighting for all these years to remain human in any situation… [but] I feel like a disgusting scoundrel,” Dozhd co-founder Natalia Sindeeva said between sobs in a video posted to her Telegram channel after the announcement. “The entire TV channel is at stake.”
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The Dozhd office in Moscow was shut down in March for its coverage of the Ukraine war (they were critical of the "special operations"). In July, the television channel was relaunched from studios in Riga, Latvia. But yesterday, citing national security, Latvia decided to immediately end Dozhd's license to broadcast. Their excuse is that Dozhd's coverage of the war is not 100% anti-Russian/Kremlin/Putin. Latvia is also critical of recent reports from Dozhd on recent heavy Ukrainian military losses and how dire the situation is for many ordinary Ukrainians. A host was also recently fired for saying the network was helping Russian soldiers
As to what is my take on the end of Dozhd.
Latvia can make all the justifications that they want. But the revocation of Dozhd's license is a huge victory for the Kremlin. One more independent Russian media outfit snuffed-out, and the Kremlin did not have to lift a finger to do it.
Update: The CEO of Dozhd speaks out .... We made a lot of stupid mistakes' TV Rain CEO Natalia Sindeeva on the news that Latvia is stripping the network's broadcast license (Meduza).
Latvian Revokes Independent Russian TV Station’s License
Russian TV station in Latvia loses licence over Ukraine war coverage -- The Guardian
Latvia pulls plug on anti-Kremlin Russian TV station -- Euronews
Latvia revokes license of Russia independent channel TV Rain -- DW
Latvia switches off the liberal Russian TV channel it took in -- Al Jazeera
Who's Helping Putin? Dozhd Controversy In Latvia Inflames Tensions Over Émigré Anti-War Russians -- RFE
Cant have news studios making stupid mistakes... Oh wait..
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading the article linked to Moscow Times and Meduza and then a second article on Meduza providing more information about this incident.
ReplyDeleteWNU Editor choose to explain Latvia's decision to revoke the license of TV Rain (Dozhd) as "Their excuse is that Dozhd's coverage of the war is not 100% anti-Russian/Kremlin/Putin."
The actual reason is that an on-air presenter, Alexey Korostelev, said a statement that implied TV Rain could help Russian families provide their family members in the Russian army on the frontline "equipment and basic amenities". In other words, help the Russian war effort.
Now TV Rain has stated they regret the "ambiguous" remarks of Korostelev. And it is quite possible Korostelev did not mean it that way. It was during a segment promoting TV Rain's hotline for Russians to call in and provide information about frontline conditions. It is possible Korostelev only meant to say something to encourage Russians to use the hotline and provide information about their service members on the frontline, and did not give enough thought to how to adequately word it or how his words could be interpreted.
However, it is very clear that the decision by Latvia to revoke was not because its coverage of the war was not "100% anti-Russian" as stated by WNU Editor. It's because the station was seemingly wanting to support the Russian war effort in Ukraine. Needless to say that angered many Latvians. That may or may not have been the right decision as WNU Editor is right that as an independent TV station they are Putin's enemy, but WNU Editor's characterization of the decision does not seem to be accurate. TV Rain later stated that they have never provided any equipment to Russian military personnel and that they are editorially against the war.
Were there other reports by TV Rain about Ukrainian casualties and civilian suffering that the Latvian government would prefer people not to hear because it does not support propaganda efforts to help Ukraine? Perhaps. But none of the articles linked to provides any such information. We're not told about any such reporting, or that the Latvian government was already upset about TV Rain, or that this was just a pretext to shut them down because of other things the station has said.
Chris