TV Rain will lose its Riga studio after the revocation of its broadcast license

The studio of television channel TV3, whose facilities TV Rain broadcast from in Riga, will terminate its lease with the Russian network, TV3 spokesperson Karlis Poznyakov told Latvian publication Delfi.

According to Poznyakov, when TV Rain began operating in Latvia, TV3 considered it important to support Russian independent media, “given that they had received the necessary permits and licenses to operate in Latvia.”

“Now that the National Council for Electronic Media (NEPLP) has made the decision to revoke TV Rain’s broadcast license, we don’t see a possibility for continuing to provide premises for the network, in connection with this the lease agreement will be terminated, and the premises will be vacated in January,” said Poznyakov.

TV Rain stopped broadcasting in Latvia on December 8.

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TV Rain was blocked in Russia, and had to cease operations there, shortly after the beginning of the war in Ukraine. In June, the network received a license to broadcast from Latvia, where many of its journalists had relocated. TV Rain resumed broadcasting in July.

In early December, host Alexey Korostelev said live on air that the channel “was able to help” Russian troops. TV Rain leadership called the remark a slip of the tongue, and fired Korostelev. Shortly afterward, Latvia’s electronic media regulator (NEPLP) revoked TV Rain’s broadcast license.

Korostelev, who worked for TV Rain from Georgia, was banned from entering Latvia. In addition, Latvian immigration services asked the channel to explain what its employees who moved to the country and received work visas will do in the future.

TV Rain journalists called the NEPLP’s claims “unfair and absurd” and promised to continue broadcasting on YouTube. Meduza and many other journalists and organizations spoke out in support of TV Rain.