The American version of Russian state-funded network RT has closed its doors as the production company behind it lays off most of its staff according to a memo obtained by CNN.
Misha Solodovnikov, the general manager of the production company, T&R Productions, has order the companies staff to cease production due to the armed conflict sanctions imposed to Russia by the United States. Solodovnikov describes it as “a result of unforeseen business interruption events.”
“Unfortunately, we anticipate this layoff will be permanent, meaning that this will result in the permanent separation from employment of most T&R employees at all locations,” reads the memo, confirming previous suspicions that the news outlet would close doors permanently in American soil as tensions escalate due to the Ukraine invasion.
The layoffs are the final nail in the coffin of this RT subsidiary in America, as previously, the Russian news network had been dropped by DirectTV, one of the major providers in the United States for the network.
Social media access to RT and Sputnik
It was previously announced that social media access for RT – and state-run news site Sputnik – would be largely shut down in the EU.
“The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday.
RT America opened its doors in 2010. The network also aired on the public airwaves in Washington, DC.
This does not mean that RT will end as a news outlet, as all the content, including their English version, will continue to be produced in Moscow, Russia. Radio Sputnik, another arm of the Russian state, continues to air on AM radio in the US capital.
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