WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States raised its concerns with Moscow on the head of the US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), Jeff Shell, being denied entry to Russia, US Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner said in a briefing on Wednesday.
"We [the United States] expressed our concerns about what happened, we are still trying to sort through the precise details," Toner stated when asked if the United States raised the issue with Moscow.
Earlier in the day, BBG said in a press release that Shell was denied access to Russia and is permanently banned from entering the country.
The BBG, which oversees all US international media, said Shell had a valid passport and a Russian visa, but was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on Tuesday night after arriving there from Prague, the Czech Republic.
In addition to his position as the BBG chairman, Shell is the head of NBCUniversal’s Filmed Entertainment Division.
