by Alban Kacher
(Reuters) – The Audiovisual and Digital Communication Communication Regulatory Authority (Arcom) put the French manufacturer of satellites Eutelsat on Friday to stop the broadcast of Russian television services “Channel 5” and “STS” under the European sanctions imposed on Russia since the start of the war in the Donbass region and the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
“These services are controlled by the company JSC National Media Group, whose funds and economic resources are frozen in application of the provisions (European sanctions), which takes the prohibition on the dissemination of the contents of these channels,” said the Arcom in a press release.
According to the press release, JSC National Media Group has been, since December 2022, on the list of persons and organizations for the benefit of “no funds or economic resources” may have been identified according to a European Union regulations dating from 2014, which describes the company as a “holding company grouping media which controls 28 media companies in Russia, including Channel One, Channel 5, Ren TV and STS”.
However, if Eutelsat stopped the broadcast of several Russian channels in 2022, the television services “Channel 5” and “STS” are still broadcast on the Eutelsat 36C satellite, which is operated by the Russian public communications by satellite. Several non -governmental organizations have accused the group to thus contravene European sanctions, which had pushed the Arch to open an investigation.
Since the introduction, in May 2024, of the so -called “Sren” law aimed at regulating the digital space in France, the Arcom has the power to ensure the respect by French companies of European sanctions. This formal notice is the first use by the agency of its new regulatory powers.
The French satellite manufacturer has experienced a dazzling stock exchange in recent weeks, having seen its course more than quadruple after the altercation between Donald Trump and Volodimir Zelensky at the end of February at the White House has revived that his satellites could replace the Starlink system of Elon Musk in Ukraine.
Upon receipt of the formal notice, Eutelsat will have three days to cease the distribution of these two channels under penalty of a fine of up to 3% of the annual turnover of the group excluding taxes.
(Written by Pauline Foret, with Alban Kacher, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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