Latvia’s media regulator has revoked the broadcast license of the exiled liberal Russian network TV Dozhd (TV Rain) after an anchor claimed live on air that it had been helping the Russian military. The channel has since said the anchor misspoke and promptly fired him.
Latvia’s National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) cited cases in which the channel showed a map depicting Crimea as Russian territory, called the Russian troops “our army,” and expressed “possible support for the Russian Army,” according to news agency LETA. The regulator also noted that TV Dozhd does not provide subtitles in Latvian in its shows.
“The NEPLP is convinced that the management of TV Rain does not understand and does not realize the significance and seriousness of the violations and, therefore, cannot operate on the territory of Latvia,” the regulator’s head, Ivars Abolins, said.
The regulator previously fined the channel €10,000 ($10,538) for displaying Crimea as part of Russia rather than Ukraine.