The French telecommunications regulator, Arcom, has instructed local satellite operator Eutelsat to cease broadcasting two Russian channels—STS and Channel 5. The decision stems from EU sanctions imposed in 2014 on the channels’ parent company, National Media Group (NMG), following Crimea's reunification with Russia. Although neither of the channels is directly sanctioned, their parent company faced restrictions due to its links to the Russian government.
Arcom’s decision, announced on Friday, enforces the recently adopted legislation aimed at securing France’s digital space, granting the regulator new powers to ensure compliance with EU sanctions. Eutelsat was given three days to comply with the ruling, starting Wednesday.
This marks the first use of the May 2024 SREN law, which empowers Arcom to impose fines up to 3% of a company’s annual revenue for sanctions violations, with higher penalties for repeated offenses. National Media Group, founded by Russian billionaire Aleksey Mordashov, owns numerous Russian channels, including Channel One and Ren TV. STS and Channel 5 focus on entertainment programming, with Channel 5 also offering some news content.
Despite the sanctions, Eutelsat continues to broadcast other Russian channels, such as Russia 1, across more than 180 frequencies. The EU’s sanctions on Russian media outlets like RT and Sputnik were implemented after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. However, the enforcement of these bans has varied across EU member states.
Moscow has criticized the sanctions, claiming that they aim to suppress alternative viewpoints that might challenge the Western narrative.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
