The Russian TV channel “Rain” received a five-year broadcasting license from the Netherlands’ Commissariat for Mass Media. As a result, Russian “Rain” will resume broadcasting on the EU territory as “TV Rain.”
The broadcasting license in the Netherlands will allow “Rain” to resume broadcasting in the cable networks of the countries of the European Union. The Dutch Commissariat for Mass Media decided to proceed with the broadcasting license on December 22, 2022, and, according to Dutch law, had to make it public within 15 days.
In context: Russian “Rain” “has been accused of showing content that supported Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.” It has called the invading Russian military “our” military, thus identifying itself with Russia’s aggressive terrorist intentions.
On December 6, 2022, Latvia’s National Council of Electronic Media (NEPLP) canceled the TV channel “Rain”’s broadcast license due to its threat to Latvian national security and public order. Latvia also “fined the channel €10,000 (£8,613; $10,488) for displaying a map in which occupied Crimea was shown as part of Russia’s territory”. Estonia and Lithuania followed Latvia’s suit and stopped broadcasting the Russian TV channel “Rain” on December 8.
At the time, “Rain” stated it planned to appeal the Latvian regulator’s decision. However, Ivars Abolinsh, the NEPLP head, emphasized that there are no talks in Latvia about the possibility of returning the license to the Russian TV channel “Rain”; the decision was final.
