Russian radio takes over local DC station

[byronius]

Source: The Hill

The Russian state-sponsored news outlet Sputnik is entering the Washington, D.C., radio market in an effort to push back against what it called "constant attacks" by U.S. media companies.

Sputnik Radio announced Friday that it has taken over 105.5 FM, which previously aired bluegrass music.

In a statement, Mindia Gavasheli, the editor-in-chief of Sputnik's D.C. bureau, accused U.S. news organizations of unfairly attacking and criticizing the news outlet, which is funded by the Russian government.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/media/340292-russian-radio-takes-over-local-dc-station

---

This was illegal until February of 2017, btw. Hmmmm.

I heard about this during an interview with Fernand Amandi on Randi Rhodes, and found the article they were discussing.

Donald Trump is a Russian agent.

[iluvtennis]

1. RT took over CNBC broadcast several months back when Maxine Waters was speaking...

...they also infiltrated Chris Matthews' Hardball show on MSNBC in the same timeframe as the Maxine Waters incident

[byronius]

2. I had forgotten that.

[bettyellen]

27. I've seen weird distortion and glitches on Rachel 3-4 times - all when she's talking about Russia...

One of the times it was a bizarre effect that altered just the eyes and lips of video for someone. It didn't seem like an accident to me. And remember lights and cameras not working at the capital? I hate CTs... but I think they want to make us all sound or think we are crazy.

[Hortensis]

36. Not a "takeover," they've purchased the station and license,

or however it's done as a business transaction.

But whatever. Why do I see this as Putin's middle digit erect in DC itself?

Just before he and Rump finally meet in person, too. I want to check out that handshake and just hope our buffoon shows once again what a complete jerk he is.

[onenote]

44. Actually they didn't even do that

All that happened was a change in the content source for a US station. Legally speaking it is no different than when a station decides to replace its soft rock format with a sports format.

[Hortensis]

52. Thanks. That's what I get for not bothering to read about

that part.

Not so easy to find out who the owner is who decided to help Putin set up Voice of the Kremlin in DC.

What people will tune to (or not) is: "Reston, VA-licensed translator W288BS at 105.5 FM" and "Public broadcaster WAMU began playing bluegrass music in 1967 but as demographics changed in the DC area, the station shifted to its current news/talk format and moved Bluegrass Country online in 2001 and added an HD signal in 2007" -- this latter what the Kremlin will be using.

WAMU is a public radio station, NPR, owned by American University, the one Diane Rehm's show was out of.

[sandensea]

3. Once they let Ronnie expedite Murdoch's citizenship to allow him to enter the US bews market,

the GOP knew they had a blueprint for fifth column propaganda outlets going forward.

[Sneederbunk]

4. Either an unwitting Russian agent or a dull-witted Russian agent.

[ehrnst]

5. And the GOP would go fucking spastic over the existence of Al Jazeera in DC...

I somehow doubt that they will do the same now.

[keithbvadu2]

11. The new republican meme: Russia is our friend.

[LiberalArkie]

14. There is all the difference in the world in the 2 networks

One has dark skinned people and one has white skinned people.

[Sunlei]

39. someone kicked Al Jazeera out of USA market about 2 years ago. I like them, they have many great Jou

GREAT JOURNALISTS. Many real Journalists and they're not pay to view or paywall.

[procon]

6. All your base are belong to us. Tune to 105.5 FM. Resist invasion not. nt

[htuttle]

7. February 23

http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/2017/02/articles/fcc-approves-for-the-first-time-100-foreign-ownership-of-us-broadcast-stations/

"The FCC yesterday released its first decision approving 100% foreign ownership of a group of US broadcast stations. "

[onenote]

45. That was a case involving Australian owners notbthis situation

Which didn't involve a change in ownership and did not require FCC review.

[dhill926]

8. Thanks for the update...comrade...

[byronius]

10. I'm personally looking forward to gulags and long lines.

'Bracing'.

[jpak]

9. ...

[keithbvadu2]

12. Putin is getting more than his money's worth for investing in Trump.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Green Jill Stein & Republican Flynn dining with Authoritarian Putin in Moscow 2015

[LiberalArkie]

15. Here is the article that the image is from

It was a (red) star-studded affair, the December 2015 dinner celebrating the 10th birthday of Russian TV network RT. At a luxe Moscow hotel, President Vladimir Putin and a host of Russian luminaries toasted a state-backed news channel that U.S. intelligence calls a Kremlin mouthpiece.

And next to Putin at the head table, in the seat of honor, was an American. Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who would later become Donald Trump's national security adviser, was already advising Trump's presidential campaign when he was paid $45,000 to speak at the gala.

"It is not coincidence that Flynn was placed next to President Putin," said Michael McFaul, U.S. ambassador in Moscow from 2012 to 2014 and now an NBC News analyst. "Flynn was considered a close Trump adviser. Why else would they want him there?"

Flynn's Moscow jaunt, like his oddly timed phone chats with the Russian ambassador, has been well reported. But who else came to dinner on Dec. 10, 2015? An NBC News review of video and photos from the RT gala shows a healthy serving of ex-spies, cronies and oligarchs, with a side of friendly journalists and another American.


More

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/guess-who-came-dinner-flynn-putin-n742696

[Sunlei]

40. Thats the pic I was looking for. How much did (R)ussians 'pay' you Jill to scrape away 2% D votes?

[mdbl]

16. WTF????

Can we put a liberal radio station on the air in Russia?

[mwooldri]

17. Probably not now.

BBC had some AM frequencies in Moscow and St. Petersburg for World Service (English), but budget cuts turned these off in 2011.

[Fla Dem]

18. Wouldn't a sale of a radio station to a foreign company have to be approved by the FCC?

"Sputnik was launched by Rossiya Segodnya, a Russian state-run news service, in 2014 and has been accused in the U.S. of being a propaganda tool of the Kremlin.

Sputnik made headlines last month when one of its U.S. correspondents, Andrew Feinberg, abruptly left the news outlet, saying that it wasn't interested in "real journalists" and accusing it of spreading pro-Russia propaganda. "


Why would we allow a Russian propaganda organization to own a radio station in the US? Boy, does something smell.

[mdbl]

19. apparently not in trumpland

anything subversive is acceptable, as long as they say they like him.

[Lars39]

24. It was:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9274682

[onenote]

46. Yes but this was a format change not a change in ownership

The station is owned by the same US entity that owned it when it had a bluegrass format.

[C Moon]

20. Wow! It reminds me of this old SCTV skit!

(comes in at about 33 seconds)

[KatyMan]

30. I was just about to post that

But thought I'd better check the thread first didn't want to be L7!


ETA, that CCCP1 episode is seriously funny, classic TV

https://m.

https://m.

Uzbeks, they are the weak links in the great chain of socialism

Sorry to thread crap...
https://m.

[C Moon]

32. That "Hey Giorgy" was my 2nd choice!

I LOVE THAT SKIT SO MUCH!
!!!

[CanonRay]

21. Kick & rec

Everyone should share this on Facebook

[Igel]

22. Seems the first application approved was Australian.

This revision of the rules was in the works since 2013. It was a stupid thing. Still is.

[orleans]

23. randi rhodes? i thought she moved out of country

when did she start this radio company????

omg--i LOVED her!

[byronius]

25. It''s a crowdfunded return. She's as sharp as ever.

Randi's just got it.

[Achilleaze]

26. Republicans celebrate

As Russia gets a firmer grip on them

[SummerSnow]

28. If you don't see what's going on

[RussBLib]

29. damn. right before our very eyes

where are the Dems?

[BannonsLiver]

35. Putting out a thousand other fires

It's always interesting to observe when one's first instinct is to blame democrats.

[Hortensis]

37. Don't know anything about this instance, but for some

that's really how they're wired.

In any nation, whatever the the predominantly mainstream left is doing or is called, the zealous/far left will always naturally tend to attack them instead of those on the right. It's strange but almost as predictable as sunrise and sunset.

[Wednesdays]

31. Back in the day, we had to use a shortwave radio to hear Russian propaganda

They've just made things easier now, don'tcha think?

[Bayard]

33. Wait a minute.....

I LIKE bluegrass music!

So, will they broadcast in Russian? What's the point?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

38. The bluegrass is gone.

Read about it here:

WAMU Is Selling Its Bluegrass Country Station

And here:

Russian-Funded News Station Replaces Bluegrass on 105.5 FM

And here:

Russian-Funded News Station Replaces Bluegrass on 105.5 FM

[Bayard]

41. That's what I mean

Trading bluegrass for Russian doesn't sound like a good deal.

[onenote]

51. The folk supplying the bluegrass content don't seem to upset

The station has terrible coverage -- hard to receive. It was a major expense for the bluegrass content provider, whose content is still available on other outlets.

[Rollo]

34. RT stands for Radio Trump

[Sunlei]

42. "This was illegal until February of 2017" so Republicans must have changed the law for the Russians

[onenote]

50. Wrong. Here are actual facts.

The FCC has long had rules limiting foreign ownership of broadcast stations. In 2013, the FCC unanimously clarified that the restrictions were not an absolute prohibition -- foreign ownership of a greater than 25 percent interest in broadcast stations was permissible upon a determination by the FCC that the public interest would not be harmed. Transactions involving foreign ownership above the 25 percent threshold are reviewed by an inter-governmental task force before the FCC makes its determination.

On September 30, 2016, the FCC unanimously adopted an order streamlining the process for reviewing foreign ownership. That order took effect, in part, after publication in the Federal Register in late January.

So, to sum up, foreign ownership was not 'illegal' until February 2017. The clarifications and streamlining of the process by which foreign ownership of broadcast stations can be approved was adopted during the Obama administration by an FCC with a 3-2 Democratic majority.

[Sunlei]

53. Thank you, I quoted the OP. After reading your post, my "public interest" was harmed.

That was a Bluegrass station the Russians took over. Our country needs more Bluegrass music!

[onenote]

54. Definitely need more bluegrass.

However it is well settled (supreme court 1981) that format changes are not a material factor for the FCC to consider.

[onenote]

43. Sputnik Radio did not buy the station

And the references to the FCC's relaxation of foreign ownership are irrelevant here.

What has happened is that the US owner of the station decided to change the format of the station. It had a contract with a bluegrass music content provider that it replaced with Sputnik.

The government has no involvement in such format change decisions.

[byronius]

47. That's not clear to me -- can you provide a link?

From a link upthread --

"You might want to keep your ears close to WAMU's Bluegrass Country station over the next few months because it might not be around next year. Due to D.C.'s changing demographics, WAMU is selling the music service, according to a release from the station. And if they can't find a new owner by December 31, the service will stop altogether."

The Hill article says Sputnik is 'taking over' the station.

[onenote]

49. The Hill article is misleading. No surprise.

Last edited Sun Jul 2, 2017, 12:46 PM - Edit history (1)

http://dcist.com/2017/06/russian-funded_news_station_replace.php

[mac56]

48. Yee-haw, comrades!

[maxrandb]

55. I thought DC

Already had Limbaugh and Hannity