What Is What And When It's Not

Michael Hedges April 10, 2015 - Follow on Twitter

Propaganda is meant to sow discontent. Censorship is meant to stifle debate. Both are meant to harm. In the idealistic realm of free speech and free expression values arguing what is or what is not propaganda and censorship only raises intellectual resistance to justice. Patience resolves many things, not this.

Lithuania’s media regulator has acted, once again, to prevent reception of a Russian state TV channel on its territory. Authorities in countries neighboring the Russian Federation, particularly those with Russian-speaking minorities, have explored measures to counter broadcasts aimed at promoting a strident and aggressive Russian State world-view. Sanctions and bans on these channels always raise the censorship issue, not only from Russian authorities.

The Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission (LRTK) has ordered television distributor Viasat to cease re-broadcasting Russian State international channel RTR Planata for three months beginning April 13th. The agency referred to a talk-show on the station “inciting discord, warmongering (and) spreading biased information,” said spokesperson Brute Keriene, quoted by AFP (April 8). “This program has repeatedly spread such information, therefore its broadcast was suspended for three months.” The LRTK indicated the suspension could be extended.

The LRTK has repeatedly suspended re-broadcasting of television channels produced in the Russian Federation over the last year. A three month suspension of Ren TV Baltic for “spreading biased news” is due to expire this week. RTR Planata and NTV-Mir have also been sanctioned but satellite operator Viasat, licensed in Sweden and owned by Modern Times Group (MTG), claimed exemption under EU rules. A Viasat Lithuania spokesperson said the company would comply with the LRTK decision. MTG owns TV3, the top rated TV channel in Lithuania.

The Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS) prohibits regulators in one Member State from banning a television channel licensed to another (Article 3). It also requires (Article 6) that no television program “contain any incitement to hatred based on race, sex, religion or nationality.”

“It is the first time in the history of the European Union that a regulatory body has taken the decision to take the whole channel completely off-air,” said LRTK chairman Edmundas Vaitiekunas, quoted by Euronews (April 9). “Maybe someone will argue over the subtleties of the case, but we think that we addressed all the legal criteria.” The regulator took the opportunity to call the European Commission (EC) to action.

Viasat is under contract from Russian State broadcaster VGTRK to provide satellite distribution in the Baltic States for RTR Planata and NTV-Mir, indirectly owned by Russian-state energy company Gazprom. Modern Times Group has other Russian problems. Its 38% stake in Russian entertainment TV operator CTC Media must be reduced by about half to comply with Russian Federation laws limiting foreign ownership and editorial interest in media outlets coming into effect at the end of the year. In its 2014 annual report, issued April 7th, the company said it is “working with advisors to protect the Group's interests in the various Russian businesses, but changes in structure or ownership in CTC Media and MTG's pay-TV operations may result in a substantial or complete loss of MTG's shareholder value.”

Response from the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) was swift and predictable. “An extremely dangerous situation has developed in Lithuania with repressive methods used to pressure the mass media and persecute journalists,” said its statement, quoted by vg.lt (April 9). “There is effectively full-scale political censorship in the country that is incompatible with the democratic norms of any state. This situation, in our opinion, deserves the immediate public response from Brussels, as well as the OSCE.”

An “immediate response” from Brussels, meaning the European Union, is highly unlikely as the required consensus among Member States can only be reached through meticulous negotiation. The Estonian government has moved forward on a Russian-language television channel through public broadcaster ERR (Eesti Rahvusringhääling) to “empower the local identity,” said media advisor Ilmar Raag, quoted by Bloomberg (March 25). “The reasons for Russian propaganda are that Moscow doesn’t consider normal relations between Estonians and ethnic Russians as a favorable option.”

The Estonian Russian-language TV channel is planned for a September debut. Latvian public broadcaster LTV (Latvijas Televizija) is also planning a Russian-language channel for mid-2016. The three Baltic EU Member States failed to agree last year on a joint Russian-language TV channel when a request for European Union financial support fell to debates on what is and what is not propaganda.

See also in ftm Knowledge

Media in the Baltics - New World Order

By the time Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the European Union they were known as the Baltic Tigers. The media sector grew spectacularly with big multi-nationals investing. Times have changed. This ftm Knowledge file reports the changes, new opportunities and lingering ghosts. 63 pages PDF (October 2014)

Order here

Television News - Bright Lights, Big Coverage

The global reach of television news has never been greater. The digital age has expanded that reach to satellite channels and the Web but it has also forced television news to mature. This ftm Knowledge file shows the gains and the pains. 99 pages PDF (October 2013)

Order here

Media in Russia

Media in Russia is big business and big politics. Media companies are consolidating as they move into new media and new territories. At the same time independence is still questioned. It's all changing. ftm looks at media in Russia and its neighbors, includes Resources, 124 pages. PDF file (January 2012)

Order Here