UK Ofcom Mulling Over Sanctions Against NTV Mir Baltic, Lithuania Channels - Regulator

The UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) said Monday it was considering sanctions against the NTV Mir Lithuania and NTV Mir Baltic channels, owned by the Baltic Media Alliance Limited (BMAL), over alleged failure to be impartial in covering the Skripal case

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2019) The UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) said Monday it was considering sanctions against the NTV Mir Lithuania and NTV Mir Baltic channels, owned by the Baltic Media Alliance Limited (BMAL), over alleged failure to be impartial in covering the Skripal case.

"This is the sixth time that the Licensee breached the due impartiality rules in the Code on its channels NTV Mir Lithuania and NTV Mir Baltic since November 201415. In January 2017, we met with BMAL to discuss its compliance processes in the area of due impartiality and the Licensee gave assurances to Ofcom concerning their understanding of the due impartiality rules," the regulator said.

"We are therefore concerned that just over a year later, in April 2018, they breached these rules in the present case. As such, Ofcom considers this breach of the due impartiality rules, in light of the Licensee's previous breaches, to be a serious failure of compliance. Therefore, subject to receiving the Licensee's representations on this issue, Ofcom is minded to consider the imposition of a statutory sanction," the Ofcom added.