Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, DirecTV says it will drop RT America from its lineup.
In a statement, DirecTV said, “In line with our previous agreement with RT America, we are accelerating this year’s contract expiration timeline and will no longer offer their programming effective immediately.”
According to Axios, “DirecTV had been reviewing programmers in its lineup with contracts up for expiration this year and was already assessing the value of RT America for its customers, per a spokesperson. The satellite TV company thought it was necessary to move the timeline up from mid-year following the events in Ukraine.”
The satellite TV company’s decision comes after the European Union Commission proposed sanctioning Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, which are Russian-sponsored broadcasters.
Reuters reports, “The sanction means that EU operators will be prohibited from broadcasting, facilitating or otherwise contributing to the dissemination of any RT and Sputnik content.”
Earlier this week, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) urged companies to stop carrying Russian state-sponsored programs.
NAB President Curtis LeGeyt said in a statement, “While the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, however, it does not prevent private actors from exercising sound, moral judgment.”
“To that end, given the unprovoked aggression exhibited by Russia against the free and sovereign people of Ukraine, NAB calls on broadcasters to cease carrying any state-sponsored programming with ties to the Russian government or its agents,” he added.
LeGeyt added that he believes Russian-sponsored programming is “extremely limited” in the U.S. Still, he said, “We believe that our nation must stand fully united against misinformation and for freedom and democracy across the globe.”
The Walt Disney Company and other studios also announced that they will pause the release of films in Russia.
Disney said in a statement, “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.”