Héloïse Goy, with Alexis Patri
In the context of great tension between Russia and the West, Senator Laurent Lafon (UDI) asks Arcom (the French audiovisual regulator and ex-CSA) to immediately suspend the news channel Russia Today in France. He explains precisely to Europe 1 what he blames the channel for.
After being banned from broadcasting in Germany at the beginning of the month and threatened with a ban in the United Kingdom this week, it is now in France that the RT channel is being questioned. In the current context of extreme tension between the West and Russia since Vladimir Putin deployed troops to Ukraine on Thursday morning, Laurent Lafon, Chairman of the Senate’s Culture and Education Committee, asked the President of Arcom Roch Olivier-Maistre to immediately suspend the authorization of RT in France.
“Russia Today was created to instill disinformation. It’s a propaganda channel for the Russian regime, and when I listen to RT, I don’t see where the pluralism is. However, in the convention between Arcom and Russia Today, pluralism is clearly established as a rule to be respected”, explains to Europe 1 the senator. “Russia has unleashed war on Ukraine, and indirectly on the entire Western bloc. I think we should no longer be naive about President Putin.”
The management of RT France warned
By also addressing his letter to Roselyne Bachelot, the Minister of Culture, Laurent Lafon also wants the government to assume its responsibilities and speak out on the subject. Arcom has not yet responded to Laurent Lafon’s letter. But the body informed our colleagues of puremedias that it took particular care to ensure compliance with the legal and contractual obligations of the RT France channel.
The audiovisual regulator also warned the management of the news channel, specifying that, if it considers it justified, it will not hesitate “to make use, without delay, of the legal tools at its disposal and who can go so far as to request the suspension of its broadcast”.