The U.S. government has cut off satellite transmissions for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Russian-language TV channel, according to the station's CEO, Stephen Capus.
In an interview from RFE/RL’s headquarters in Prague on April 3, Capus said the decision came from the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the federal body that oversees RFE/RL.
The shutdown has raised concern, as the channel is a rare source of independent news in Russia and nearby regions.
RFE/RL was created during the Cold War to counter Soviet propaganda and has been funded by the U.S. government ever since.
The satellite that was shut down had been broadcasting 24/7 coverage to audiences in Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and beyond.
“We came into work today and saw that satellite services that reach into Russia had been turned off by USAGM,” Capus told AFP.
RFE/RL challenged the move in court and managed to secure a temporary restraining order, but funding still hasn’t been released to get the satellite back up and running.
Capus explained that Russian viewers now only see a red screen with a message saying:
“We regret to inform you that US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) has decided to terminate the distribution of Current Time.”
The decision affects RFE/RL’s ability to reach tens of millions of people in countries with state-controlled media, such as Belarus, China, Iran, and Russia.
Although Capus said the network is looking for alternative ways to reach its audience, he stressed how vital this satellite link was.
“But… this wasn’t the Russian government taking such an action. This was ordered by the USAGM,” he added.
Just days earlier, on March 31, RFE/RL's Russian service, Radio Svoboda, published previously unseen footage from the mass killings in Bucha, showing new evidence of Russian involvement in the deaths of Ukrainian civilians.
