Status: 02/11/2022 2:36 p.m
The Russian foreign broadcaster RT DE is not allowed to broadcast in Germany – and has now filed a lawsuit against it. The ban prompted Russia to ban the German foreign broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
The German-language program RT DE, financed by the Russian state, is suing against a ban on broadcasting in Germany. A spokesman for the Berlin Administrative Court confirmed to the epd news agency that the lawsuit had been filed against the media authority in Berlin-Brandenburg. In addition, the broadcaster also announced an urgent application against the broadcast ban.
RT DE started broadcasting its program via satellite and the Internet in December. The parent organization of the channel, TV Novosti, had previously applied for the necessary television license in Luxembourg, but was not given it. Because of the lack of approval, the Berlin-Brandenburg media authority decided on February 1 that RT, formerly called Russia Today, must stop broadcasting in Germany.
After the decision, the satellite operator Eutelsat stopped broadcasting RT DE via one of its satellites, but the program can still be received in Germany via the broadcaster’s website. This was also banned by the media authority.
dispute over jurisdiction
TV Novosti argues that it received a cable and satellite broadcasting license in Serbia in December. Due to an agreement of the Council of Europe, it is therefore also allowed to broadcast in Germany. In addition, the media authority is not responsible at all because the program is produced by RT DE in Moscow and broadcast from there.
The media authority sees itself responsible because RT DE Productions GmbH is based in Berlin.
Russia responded by banning Deutsche Welle
Two days later, the Russian government reacted to the broadcasting ban on RT DE with a broadcasting ban on the German foreign broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) in Russia. As a result, DW had to close its correspondent office in Moscow.