Germany launches proceedings against RT

German media regulators have initiated proceedings against Russian state broadcaster RT for launching a German-language live broadcast despite not having a German broadcasting licence.

The new RT format, which is available on several platforms, "unquestionably" constitutes broadcasting, Eva Flecken, director of the Berlin-Brandenburg media authority, told dpa on Friday.

The media authority had neither applied for nor been granted a broadcasting licence for this. "We have therefore initiated formal proceedings today. The broadcaster has until the end of the year to comment on the matter."

According to the information, such proceedings can theoretically end up with a decision banning the channel. A fine of up to 500,000 euros is also possible. The broadcaster can take legal action against this.

RT - formerly Russia Today - which has been repeatedly criticized in the West as a Kremlin propaganda tool, wants to expand its services in Germany and has been planning its German-language TV channel for some time.

Since Thursday, the 24-hour livestream can now be seen, among other places, on the website of RT DE, which has a location in Berlin. In addition, it says is also broadcast via satellite to 33 European countries - thanks to a licence in Serbia, which has a pro-Russian political leadership.

An earlier attempt by RT to obtain a licence via Luxembourg failed.

Some commentators see the route via Serbia as an attempt to circumvent the law in order to reach viewers in Germany. In a statement, RT DE rejected such accusations and referred to a European convention that permits broadcasting to Germany via the Serbian licence.

According to the Berlin-Brandenburg Media Regulator, the broadcast is organized by RT DE Productions GmbH, based in Berlin, and thus falls under German jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the fact that a YouTube channel, which is also part of the new RT offering, was blocked only a few hours after its launch caused annoyance in Moscow.

The Russian media supervisory authority Roskomnadzor threatened Google, to which YouTube belongs, with a blockade of the video platform in the country if the channel was not unblocked. The authority spoke of an "act of censorship" against RT DE.

YouTube justified the blocking of RT DE with the fact that the Russian medium had already been terminated in September and no other YouTube channel could be used after that.

The termination was preceded by the blocking of two other German-language RT channels for allegedly violating a guideline on coronavirus misinformation.

At the time, even the Kremlin in Moscow intervened and sharply criticized YouTube's actions.

RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan spoke of a "media war" that Germany had declared on Russia.

RT has been repeatedly criticized. One central accusation is that the medium spreads conspiracy theories and disinformation on behalf of the Russian state. RT rejects this.

The company broadcasts several foreign-language channels has also been offering online reports in German for some time. However, the round-the-clock live news service is new.