Another Sign Putin Has Become the "Chavez of the Urals"

BBC: BBC radio ordered off Russian FM

BBC Russian Service logo The BBC's Russian-language service will no longer be heard on Russian FM radio, after the country's media regulator ordered that it be removed.

The broadcaster's last FM distribution partner in Russia, Bolshoye Radio, said it had been told to remove BBC content or risk being shut down.

Two other Russian FM stations have dropped BBC programming recently.

The BBC's Russian Service can still be heard online and on medium and short wave frequencies in Russia.

BBC executives said they would appeal against the decision.

"The BBC entered into the relationship with Bolshoye Radio in good faith," said Richard Sambrook, Director of BBC Global News. "We cannot understand how the licence is now interpreted in a way that does not reflect the original and thorough concept documents." He said the licensing agreement allowed for 18% of Bolshoye's content to be foreign-produced.

Bolshoye Radio's owners, financial group Finam, told the BBC that Russia's media regulators required that all programming be produced by the station itself. ...

Critics say Russia is taking measures to curb media freedom ahead of parliamentary elections in December and a presidential poll in March.

Putin is a bad man, not to be trusted. Russia must be seen as an adversary: they arm Syria, arm and build nuke plants for Ira, and arm Chavez, AND hold joint military operations with China, AND openly and provocatively threaten the EU.

YES: IT'S THAT BAD!

LOOKIT: WE'RE TALKING 'BOUT THE BBC BEING BANNED!

THE BEEB - IT DON'T GET MUCH REDDER THAN THE BEEB, BUT EVEN THE BEEB IS TOO THREATENIKNG FOR PUTIN, EVIDENTLY...