The broadcast regulator has removed the licence for Russian channel RT.

Ofcom announced on Twitter this morning that the station was not "fit and proper" to broadcast in the UK. 

It has been barred with immediate effect. 
The regulator said on social media: “We do not consider RT to be fit and proper to hold a UK licence and cannot be satisfied that it can be a responsible broadcaster."

It comes after continued pressure from Nadine Dorries, Culture Secretary, as well as opposition parties. 

The channel was the outlet for former first minister Alex Salmond's weekly show, The Alex Salmond Show, until recently when he decided to suspend the programme due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Nigel Farage also broadcast on the station.

The regulator said it had conducted 29 investigations into the channel since the conflict began on February 24, and had decided it was not fit for television.

In a statement Melanie Dawes, Ofcom chief, said: "Freedom of expression is something we guard fiercely in this country, and the bar for action on broadcasters is rightly set very high.

"Following an independent regulatory process, we have today found that RT is not fit and proper to hold a licence in the UK. As a result we have revoked RT’s UK broadcasting licence."

The watchdog said it had taken into account RT's sponsorship by the Kremlin, and the new law passed in Russia which would criminalise journalists who report anything which is not sanctioned by the Russian Government.

This, it said, means it would be "impossible" for the station to comply with British broadcasting impartiality rules.

Ofcom said the probe "recognised that RT is funded by the Russian state, which has recently invaded a neighbouring sovereign country."

It added: "We also note new laws in Russia which effectively criminalise any independent journalism that departs from the Russian state’s own news narrative, in particular in relation to the invasion of Ukraine.

"We consider that given these constraints it appears impossible for RT to comply with the due impartiality rules of our Broadcasting Code in the circumstances."