The National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting has obliged Ukrainian cable TV providers within a month to stop the rebroadcasting of Russian television channel Rain (Dohzd) over the channel's alleged disrespect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and due to the rebroadcasting of Russian advertising.
"In particular, the TV channel pictured the administrative border between Kherson Region and Crimea as the border between Ukraine and Russia," Interfax-Ukraine quoted a member of the National Council, Serhiy Kostynskyy, as saying at a meeting on 12 January.
Kostynskyy stressed that the regulator had repeatedly documented violations of Ukrainian legislation by the TV channel throughout 2016. In particular, Rain has broadcast Russian ads banned in Ukraine, and its journalists repeatedly visited annexed Crimea from the Russian territory.
Ukraine banned about 35 Russian channels earlier.
In Russia, Rain is considered to be an opposition-minded channel.