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10. 04. 2014

RUSSIA TAKES VOICE OF AMERICA RADIO OFF AIR

10. 04. 2014 (Tanjug , Mondo) - Russia pulled the program of the radio station Voice of America off air today, announced the director of Russia Today (RT) news agency, saying that Voice of America represents "an intruder on (Russian) radio waves."

Dmitry Kiselyov said that the contract to broadcast the Voice of America (VOA ) program on AM radio frequencies will not be renewed.

"Russia Today will not cooperate with Voice of America ," said Kiselyov, reports RIA Novosti.

Kiselyov is on the list of Russians whom the U.S. has imposed sanctions against because of their role in promoting the Russian annexation of the Crimea, as the U.S. explained, reports AFP.

"They seemed to be broadcasting from the underground, or at least from another world," said Kiselyov about the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, which continue to broadcast in Russia through a partner station.

"I think that these stations are intruders on our airwaves. It has nothing to do with freedom of speech because there is nothing original about them," concluded Kiselyov.

The American Broadcasting Board announced last week that Kiselyov ceased all cooperation with the Voice of America.

He sent a letter to the station with just one sentence: "We are ceasing cooperation," adding that the contract will not be renewed.

Russian authorities urged state-owned radio stations in 2006 to stop broadcasting programs of the Voice of America, which has continued only in Moscow on AM radio frequency, in agreement with the Voice of Russia, which is now controlled by Kiselyov`s Russia Today.