Russian Rossiya-RTR Channel No Longer Available On Latvia's Cable TV

RIGA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2021) Latvia's ban of the Russian RTR-Planeta (Rossiya-RTR) tv channel has come into force and it is no longer available on cable TV in the country, a Sputnik correspondent reports.

A message pops up on screen when RTR-Planeta is selected on the Riga Balticom cable TV provider.

"By the decision of the National Electronic Mass Media Council, the rebroadcast of 'Rossiya RTR' in Latvia was suspended for 1 year. From 16.02.2021 it will be replaced by the '1+2' TV channel," the message reads.

Earlier this month, Latvia's National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) prohibited 16 Russian channels from airing in the country for one year, starting from February 15. The banned broadcasters include REN TV Baltic, NTV Mir Baltic, and Karusel International.

On Friday, a sit-in picket, led by former member of European Parliament Miroslav Mitrofanov, was organized in front of the Latvian media watchdog's office in central Riga in protest against the ban.

NEPLP has imposed a one-year rebroadcast ban on RTR-Planeta and prohibited the largest Latvian cable provider, Tet, from rebroadcasting Russian television channels PBK, NTV Mir, Ren TV Baltiya, Kinokomedia and Kinomiks, starting from February 1.

Last week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the ban on the rebroadcasting of the Rossiya-RTR channel in Latvia is a political action that grossly violates Riga's international obligations.