Nine Russian television channels have been banned from broadcasting in Latvia due to ongoing EU sanctions against their co-owner, the Russian billionaire Yury Kovalchuk, Latvian media reported Thursday.
Kovalchuk, a banker close to President Vladimir Putin, was one of several individuals added to the EU blacklist in 2014 in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. He owns a stake in the holding that owns the nine television channels.
“This ban will remain in effect as long as Yury Kovalchuk is not removed from the EU sanctions list,” Ivars Abolins, deputy chairman of the National Electronic Media Council (NEPLP), was quoted by the Lsm.lv news outlet as saying.
The retransmission ban will come into effect as soon as the channels are notified of the NEPLP’s decision, Lsm.lv reported.
Among the nine banned channels are Kanal 5 and the Dom Kino movie channel. According to the Kantar TNS market research company, Latvian viewers spent 3.7% of their viewing time on both channels combined in October 2019.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
