Ottawa-Gatineau - Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
Today, the CRTC formally removed RT (previously known as Russia Today) and RT France from the List of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution.
Further to a public consultation, the CRTC determined that the continued authorization to distribute RT and RT France is not in the public interest. RT's programming is not consistent with the standards against which Canadian services are measured nor the policy objectives set out in the Broadcasting Act. The CRTC is also concerned with programming from a foreign country that seeks to undermine the sovereignty of another country, demean Canadians of a particular ethnic background and undermine democratic institutions within Canada.
The Commission took into account the submissions and notes the seriousness of the allegations provided in the interventions. It also considered the reports of the actual situation in Ukraine, the current and escalating sanctions on Russia and Russian individuals, as well as the swift steps taken by other jurisdictions to pull the services.
Television service providers are authorized to distribute foreign television services in order to provide Canadians with a broad range of views and voices. These services are not licensed like Canadian services. However, the CRTC considers that non-Canadian news services should be held to the same standards in respect of their programming as Canadian services.
