Several Canadian broadcasters are pulling Russian state-owned television network RT, formerly known as Russia Today, from their lineups amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On Sunday (Feb. 27), Rogers Sports & Media announced via Twitter that effective today (Monday), the 24-hour, Kremlin-funded news channel will no longer be available on its services. Taking the place of RT will be a broadcast of the Ukrainian flag, Minister for Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez tweeted.

Meanwhile, a Bell Media spokesperson tells Playback Daily that RT is also no longer available on the company’s channel lineup as of Sunday. The English-language channel has been removed entirely and is not being replaced with anything, says the spokesperson, who notes that customers who subscribed to the channel specifically will receive a credit or a replacement channel.

Other Canadian outlets announcing similar action include Shaw Communications, which tweeted it will no longer be carrying RT effective today. “Customers who subscribe to RT as a pick and pay service will receive a credit in the next billing cycle,” said a tweet from the Shaw Communications account.

The Telus News account tweeted on Sunday that effective immediately, internet-based Optik TV will no longer be carrying “Russia TV” in its channel lineup.

And internet and cable TV company VMedia sent a news release on Monday announcing it has also removed RT from its lineup until further notice. In its place it has added the Ukraine 24 TV news channel to all basic and premium packages offered by VMedia TV, as well as the basic package of its live and on-demand streaming TV service RiverTV, at no additional charge.

“VMedia is an outspoken supporter of free expression, and in no way seeks to take on the role of gatekeeper of TV services of any kind,” said Alexei Tchernobrivets, president and CEO of VMedia, in a statement. “However, Putin’s invasion of … Ukraine is an attack on freedom everywhere, and the suffering it is inflicting on the Ukrainian people must be communicated accurately to the world.”

The removal of RT comes after a tweet from Rodriguez on Friday (Feb. 25), in which he said he shares “the concerns of many Canadians about the presence of Russia Today in our broadcasting system,” adding that Ottawa was “looking at all options.”

Rodriguez later commended Bell Media for removing RT. “Russia has been conducting warfare in Ukraine since 2014 and information warfare across the world. RT is the propaganda arm of Putin’s regime that spreads disinformation. It has no place here,” he wrote.

He also tweeted thanks to Shaw for the making the same move, adding “we must all do our part to fight back against Russia’s propaganda.”

Over the weekend the European Union announced plans to ban RT and Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik, as well as their subsidiaries. “We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe,” tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

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