Remaining Russian channels on Canadian TVs could follow RT’s fate if CRTC receives complaints

Weeks after RT was pulled off Canadian airwaves, government officials have made it clear remaining Russian TV channels still in circulation could meet the same fate.

According to reporting from Cartt.ca, Canadian Heritage said their “next steps are dependent” on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Removing RT started when Canadian Heritage requested the CRTC investigate the network. The CRTC collected comments from Canadians and telecom providers about RT’s presence in Canada as part of the process.

The commission received 373 submissions. 350 were in favour of removing RT. Several operators, including Access Communications and Shaw, had removed the channel from their lineups before the CRTC’s decision.

On the future of other Russian networks, a Canadian Heritage spokesperson said they expect the CRTC to monitor all broadcasters for compliance.

“We continue to be led by affected communities. Our next steps should depend on their input,” the spokesperson from Canadian Heritage told Cartt.ca.

The publication further reported the CRTC is aware of Russian programming, including some sponsored by Russia’s government and authorized to air in Canada. The CRTC said it would follow its process to deal with any complaints about these services.

“Since the publication of the RT and RT France decision, the Commission has not launched any public proceeding to examine the status of any channel on the list of services authorized for distribution in Canada,” a CRTC spokesperson told Cartt.ca.

Source: Cartt.ca