{"id":1357499,"date":"2022-03-03T13:49:31","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T18:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1357499"},"modified":"2022-03-03T18:52:37","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T23:52:37","slug":"russias-rt-america-to-cease-production-lays-off-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russias-rt-america-to-cease-production-lays-off-staff\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia\u2019s RT America To Cease Production, Lays Off Staff"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frussias-rt-america-to-cease-production-lays-off-staff%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1357499&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2022\/02\/518670D5-C7AE-4204-BDDC-51D028EABBAC-scaled.jpeg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.3.0\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Facing mounting financial pressures, Russia\u2019s English-language TV network RT America will cease production and permanently lay off most of its staff, multiple media outlets reported on Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>RT \u2014 which is owned by the Moscow-based TV Novosti and operated by T&#038;R\u00a0Productions \u2014 informed its employees via memo today: \u201cAs a result of unforeseen business interruption events, T&#038;R Productions LLC will be ceasing production and, therefore, must lay off most of its staff who work at all its locations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, we anticipate this layoff will be permanent, meaning that this will result in the permanent separation from employment of most T&#038;R employees at all locations,\u201d wrote T&#038;R Productions\u2019 general manager Mikhail \u201cMisha\u201d Solodovnikov.<\/p>\n<p>The network offered affected employees two months\u2019 severance pay, according to an employee who attended Thursday afternoon\u2019s all-staff meeting.<\/p>\n<p>The move came after one of the network\u2019s two largest distributors, DirecTV, announced it was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/directv-nixes-rt-american-from-program-lineup-amid-crisis-in-ukraine\">canceling<\/a> the network\u2019s coverage on Tuesday, government officials in the European Union formally banned the network, and Big Tech firms like Apple and Google blocked access to the network\u2019s downloadable app. The state-funded network, which has long been accused of broadcasting Russian propaganda, had also been abandoned by many of its personalities and journalists since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>DirecTV had considered dropping RT America, which is registered with the U.S. government as a foreign agent, before this month\u2019s conflict in eastern Europe. \u201cIn line with our previous agreement with RT America, we are accelerating this year\u2019s contract expiration timeline and will no longer offer their programming effective immediately,\u201d the network announced in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/directv-rt-america-russia-ukraine-ef196f77-1929-4d94-9c42-2fccc915f7ed.html\">statement<\/a>, adding that its \u201cthoughts are with the people of Ukraine.\u201d Four of Canada\u2019s major cable providers banished RT from their airwaves <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/live-news\/20220228-canadian-tv-giants-pull-russia-s-rt-network\">over the weekend<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, the European Union formally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/russia-rt-sputnik-illegal-europe\/\">enacted<\/a> a <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/PDF\/?uri=OJ:L:2022:065:FULL&#038;from=EN\">sanction<\/a> prohibiting \u201coperators to broadcast or to enable, facilitate or otherwise contribute to broadcast\u201d for RT\u2019s English, U.K., Germany, France, and Spain outlets, as well as another Russian service, <a href=\"https:\/\/sputniknews.com\/\">Sputnik News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Second, we will ban the Kremlin\u2019s media machine in the EU.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries,<br \/>will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin\u2019s war.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7RcPEn6E14\">pic.twitter.com\/7RcPEn6E14<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/vonderleyen\/status\/1497973706831929348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 27, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin\u2019s war,\u201d proclaimed Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday. In 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin similarly signed a law fining outlets that repeatedly post \u201cfake news\u201d up to 1.5 million rubles.<\/p>\n<p>Facebook\u2019s Meta Platforms and China\u2019s TikTok had announced on Monday that they would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/media-telecom\/directv-plans-drop-rt-america-lineup-2022-03-01\/\">block<\/a> those sites inside the EU. Apple, Microsoft, and Google acted in concert to remove the Russian media companies\u2019 apps from their mobile stores. RokuTV also took the network, formerly known as Russia Today, off its streaming platform in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. response followed the encouragement of the National Association of Broadcasters. NAB <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/media\/596280-broadcasters-association-calls-to-stop-broadcasting-of-russian-sponsored?rnd=1646149104\">said<\/a> on Tuesday that, while it is \u201ca fierce defender of the First Amendment and the critical importance of the ability to freely express views, both popular and unpopular,\u201d it was asking broadcasters \u201cto cease carrying any state-sponsored programming with ties to the Russian government or its agents\u201d as proof of their \u201csound, moral judgment.\u201d The International Academy of Television Arts &#038; Sciences \u2014 which awards the International Emmys \u2014 also <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2022\/03\/international-emmy-academy-boots-rt-america-affiliated-mikhail-solodovnikov-off-its-board-of-directors-1234968579\/\">removed<\/a> Solodovnikov from its board of directors on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, RT America\u2019s main production partner, OraTV (which was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/news\/general-news\/larry-king-carlos-slim-new-interview-show-cnn-298510\/\">founded<\/a> by the late CNN host Larry King and Carlos Slim), <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2022\/03\/directv-drops-rt-america-russia-ukraine-1234968328\/\">announced<\/a>, \u201cGiven the invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, Ora Media has paused production of content we license to T&#038;R Productions. Future business decisions will be made based on the evolving situation.\u201d In addition to King\u2019s last TV show, OraTV produced such RT America programs as William Shatner\u2019s \u201cI Don\u2019t Understand,\u201d and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/dennis-miller-abandons-his-show-on-rt-the-kremlin-funded-network\">Dennis Miller + One<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shatner and former <a href=\"https:\/\/newsmax.com\/\">Newsmax TV<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/barrettsportsmedia.com\/2021\/09\/22\/news-talk-steve-malzberg\/\">personality<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/stevemtalk.com\/\">Steve Malzberg<\/a>, who hosted RT\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rt.com\/shows\/eat-press\/\">Eat the Press<\/a>,\u201d posted pro-Ukrainian messages on social media in the days before the network announcement. Malzberg called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MalzbergShow\/status\/1499071662746222594\">a hero<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Zelensky?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Zelensky<\/a> is a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/hero?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#hero<\/a>. Simply amazing. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/M0hHDN0zk1\">https:\/\/t.co\/M0hHDN0zk1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Steve Malzberg Show (@MalzbergShow) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MalzbergShow\/status\/1499071662746222594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 2, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"und\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffb\u2665\ufe0f\u262e\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RPzsivU2ER\">pic.twitter.com\/RPzsivU2ER<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WilliamShatner\/status\/1498474350852382727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 1, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Multiple journalists and producers <a href=\"https:\/\/pressgazette.co.uk\/rt-ukraine-coverage\/\">quit<\/a> the network earlier on Thursday. Sources inside the network revealed that although most employees expected staff reductions, they did not foresee the network\u2019s complete closure and wrestled with whether they, too, would resign.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn an all-hands meeting Thursday (3\/3) at noon, management spared remaining RT-ers the dilemma. We\u2019ve been canceled, by cable\/satellite\/online distribution platforms,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.talkers.com\/2022\/03\/03\/holland-cooke-exits-rt-america\/\">wrote<\/a> Holland Cooke, who replaced left-wing talker Thom Hartmann as host of the network\u2019s \u201cThe Big Picture.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Many corporate and left-of-center outlets believe banning \u201cdisinformation\u201d warrants private, or potentially government, action in the U.S. \u201cWe believe that our nation must stand fully united against misinformation and for freedom and democracy across the globe,\u201d NAB said.<\/p>\n<p>Mother Jones raised the specter of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/transcript\/tucker-this-war-could-get-much-worse-than-it-already-is\">censoring conservative networks<\/a>, including top-rated Fox News, for allegedly being too pro-Russian. If President Joe Biden decides to \u201ccrack down on pro-Russia disinformation,\u201d then \u201cU.S. cable companies will also need to scrutinize media outlets like FOX News whose shows \u2014 Tucker Carlson in particular \u2014 have parroted pro-Russia talking points,\u201d the left-wing magazine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/mojo-wire\/2022\/02\/the-eu-is-trying-to-combat-disinformation-from-russian-state-media-the-us-should-do-the-same\/\">stated<\/a> on February 27.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Facing mounting financial pressures, Russia\u2019s English-language TV network RT America will cease production and permanently lay off most of its staff, multiple media outlets reported on Thursday afternoon.RT \u2014 which<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1357499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1357499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1357499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1357499\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1357499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1357499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1357499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}