The Russian news channel RT DE started its live TV program today. An invalid broadcasting license and violation of the terms of use cause legal difficulties just a few hours after the start.
The Russian news channel TV Novosti – also known as Russia Today or RT DE – has been broadcasting a linear television program in Germany since today.
This can be received either via the broadcaster's website, the video platform YouTube or via satellite.
However, as "BILD" reports, RT is broadcasting without a valid license in Germany. Because: Linear broadcasting in Germany requires a license and according to official information from the media supervisory authority, broadcasting license has not been applied for or granted.
Detour via Serbian broadcasting license
The official website of RT states that a license for cable and satellite transmissions in German to European countries has been applied for in Serbia.
According to the preliminary assessment of the media authority Berlin-Brandenburg (mabb), this license does not provide a sufficient basis for the distribution of the program in Germany.
This is how the media regulator responded to a query from "BILD": "TV Novosti had previously tried to notify the program in Luxembourg. Luxembourg rejected the notification with reference to the legal sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Germany. This corresponds to the legal opinion of the state media authorities and the mab."
In addition, a spokeswoman for the media regulator stated that further steps towards TV Novosti are being examined. According to BILD information, a judicial ban on broadcasting is conceivable for these reasons.
YouTube blocks the channel
The video platform YouTube also reacted after a short time and without further ado canceled the corresponding "RT on air" account, through which the linear program was supposed to run.
A YouTube spokesman told BILD that RT DE was terminated on YouTube back in September for circumventing the terms of service.
As a result, the respective channel owner may not use, own or create other YouTube channels. Because RT DE violated this policy, the new live channel was permanently terminated for violating the YouTube Terms of Service.
