Deutsche Welle: Why the foreign broadcaster is allowed less at home

The importance of Deutsche Welle is particularly evident these days.

The Russian ruler Vladimir Putin is waging a war of annihilation in Ukraine and persuades his compatriots that the Russian army is defending the country against "Nazis".

The perverse message is spread on all state channels, it serves to educate hatred that knows no bounds and before which proposals to capitulate, as presented in the open letter from 28 prominent Germans, seem shockingly naïve, if not inhuman.

With its programs offered in 32 languages, Deutsche Welle counteracts hatred, disinformation and propaganda worldwide.

No wonder she is no longer allowed to broadcast in Russia.

Deutsche Welle had to close its office in Moscow three weeks before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

That was the tit-for-tat for the state media authorities' ban on the Russian state broadcaster RT DE in Germany.

RT DE had not applied for a license and broadcast anyway.

After the attack on Ukraine began, the EU banned the Russian state media again with sanctions.

The state media authorities were banned in accordance with German media law.

And that is now catching up with Deutsche Welle.

It is a state broadcaster and its mission is "to offer broadcasting (radio, television) and telemedia for foreign countries".

However, it can also be received on domestic, privately operated platforms such as Magenta TV, Heimat Kabel, Sky Q, Joyn and Zattoo.

According to the state media authorities, this is inadmissible.

That is why the media supervisory authority has come to an agreement with Deutsche Welle, as it is said, "after lengthy discussions that Deutsche Welle will end the distribution of all language versions of the radio program" of the broadcaster on the platforms mentioned.

A procedure that the Hessian media authority had started in the case against Magenta TV will be discontinued.

This is unfortunate for Deutsche Welle, but not serious, as the broadcaster's spokesman Christoph Jumpelt says.

Digital transmission is crucial.

The state media authorities are not responsible for this.

Online, with its own website or on YouTube, Deutsche Welle remains on the air for local audiences, both long-established and newcomers, and, as the voice of democracy, human rights and freedom, acts as a counterweight not only to Putin's propaganda.