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France’s telecommunications regulator, Arcom, has ordered Eutelsat to stop broadcasting two Russian TV channels sanctioned by the EU. The landmark decision comes three years after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Paris-based Eutelsat has three days to comply and is expected to do so. However, despite this victory for activists, pressure on the French regulator and the company to halt the broadcast of more EU-sanctioned Russian TV and radio channels is unlikely to subside anytime soon.
The two banned TV channels are entertainment channel STS and news channel Channel 5, according to Arcom’s formal notice.
Arcom emphasises that this decision is a first in France, as the channels were not directly subject to EU sanctions but were impacted indirectly through their parent company. Until the introduction of the new digital law, SREN, in May 2024, the French regulator lacked the authority to order Eutelsat to ban the channels. The company continues to broadcast several sanctioned Russian channels.
Arcom was able to establish that STS and Channel 5 are owned by JSN National Media Group, a Russian company sanctioned by the EU.
But this first result might empower activists to renew their push for Arcom to take action, especially since the National Assembly recently passed a resolution in support of Ukraine, calling on Arcom to immediately exercise its prerogatives vis-à-vis Eutelsat.
Eutelsat has allegedly continued to broadcast Solovyev Live, the channel of EU-sanctioned Russian citizen Vladimir Solovyev, since May 2024. According to Lange, who cited data from the website LyngSat.com, the channel remains part of the bundle Eutelsat transmits for the Russian company Trikolor, he told Euractiv.
“Solovyev is by far the most hateful Russian propagandist, and he’s even more unhinged on Solovyev Live than on Rossiya 1,” Lange added.
More than 180 of Eutelsat’s frequencies are still broadcasting EU-sanctioned Russian channels, including Rossiya 1, according to letters seen by Euractiv, from the Diderot Committee sent to EU Commissioners in charge of foreign affairs Kaja Kallas, industry Stéphane Séjourné and defence and space Andrius Kubilius, dated 17 and 18 March.
These include TV channel of Russian armed forces Zvezda and radio channel of the orthodox church Spas Telekanal, claims the letters, although Arcom’s inquiries have not yet corroborated the claim. The company has ceased broadcasting these two channels, a spokesperson for Eutelsat told Euractiv.
Several Arcom inquiries on EU sanctioned Russian channels are still ongoing, and more orders of formal notice are to be expected.
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