The British TV regulator Ofcom has announced seven new investigations into the Russia Today network due to impartiality concerns, citing the Russian state broadcaster's coverage of the recent spy poisoning case in Salisbury.
There's been widespread criticism of the way RT has operated its news channel Britain for several years, with politicians recently hitting out at the way it reported the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter last month.
On Wednesday, Ofcom said coverage from some of RT's programmes warranted seven new investigations into whether the licence holder, TV Novosti, is "fit and proper" to continue operating in Britain.
"Until recently, TV Novosti’s overall compliance record had not been materially out of line with other broadcasters," Ofcom said in a statement. "However, since the events in Salisbury, we have observed a significant increase in the number of programmes on the RT service that we consider warrant investigation as potential breaches of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code."
Ofcom said Russia Today's average audience was just 3,400 viewers, with the news channel reaching just over 1% of the British audience in a week.
However the regulator said RT programmes like "Worlds Apart", "Crosstalk", and "Sputnik" would now be investigated for possible impartiality breaches.
In a statement which appears in an RT.com article about the new Ofcom investigations, Russia Today accused the watchdog of "conflating" its role as watchdog with matters of state.
“We disagree with the position taken by Ofcom; our broadcasting has in no way changed this week, from any other week and continues to adhere to all standards,” read the statement.
"By linking RT to unrelated matters, Ofcom is conflating its role as a broadcasting regulator with matters of state.
"RT remains a valuable voice in the UK news landscape, covering vital yet neglected stories and voices, including those of the many MPs and other UK public figures who have been shut out of public discourse by the mainstream media.”