JUST SAY NO TO CENSORSHIP
Rogers, Bell to pull Russian state-controlled channel RT over invasion of Ukraine

Sun., February 27, 2022

A placard against Russian broadcaster RT is displayed at a protest rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Toronto on Sunday. (Chris Helgren/Reuters - image credit)

Rogers and Bell said Sunday they will no longer be carrying Russian state-controlled network RT in their TV channel lineups in the latest action against Russian entities following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Bell confirmed it is no longer carrying RT as of Sunday, while Rogers said it will pull TV network on Monday. It was not immediately known if the moves are permanent.

RT is a multi-language 24-hour news channel launched in 2005 — when it was known as Russia Today — and is now broadcast in more than 100 countries, according to its website. Funded by the Russian government, the channel has long been described by critics as a propaganda outlet for the Kremlin.

On Sunday, Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez applauded the decisions by the Canadian telecoms, calling RT the "propaganda arm" of Russian President Vladimir Putin "that spreads disinformation."

"It has no place here," Rodriguez said on Twitter.

Putin, high-ranking Russian officials and banks have been slapped with sanctions by Canada and other countries in recent days after his decision to invade neighbouring Ukraine.

The Canadian government on Sunday announced it will send at least $25 million in additional non-lethal military aid to Ukraine as that country fights against a Russian invasion.

On Friday, several Canadian phone providers — including Rogers and Bell — said they were waiving long-distance and text charges for customers looking to connect with people in Ukraine.