Content of Sputnik Radio Banned in Poland Complies With World Standards

The press service of Sputnik international news service, whose radio show rebroadcast was forbidden on Friday in Poland, stated that its content fully complied with international norms, adding that censorship is likely the reason for the ban.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The National Broadcasting Council of Poland said earlier on Friday that due to a violation of broadcasting law conditions, it canceled the broadcasting license for the local Radio Hobby station that had been rebroadcasting Sputnik’s Polish radio service programs.

According to the Sputnik's press service, the Polish regulator's claims may relate to a broadcast of opinions that differ from those of the authorities' official position, adding that the ruling proves the existence of censorship in the country — unacceptable in a democratic society.

The procedure of license cancellation began in July 2015. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency, Sputnik’s parent organization, was not surprised by the decision. Simonyan did, however, express regret that "people who shut down radio stations for broadcasting different viewpoints continue to believe they live in a democracy."

The Sputnik multimedia group is a an umbrella brand for news agencies and radio stations with multimedia hubs in dozens of countries and broadcasting on dozens of languages.