Russia Today Can't Find DC Carriage After Host Sold in Incentive Auction

Russia Today, a news channel funded by the Russian government, went off-air in the Washington market Saturday because its broadcast partner, WNVC Culpeper, Virginia, sold its spectrum in the incentive auction and distributor MHz Networks was unable to find another channel to carry the content, according to a statement on the MHz website and FCC records. “We looked at acquiring another license and to other providers for channel carriage,” said MHz President Frederick Thomas in the statement. “The former ended in too many moving pieces and the latter proved difficult for the cable systems without a must-carry broadcast partner.” The spectrum of WNVC, owned by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting, went for $57 million in the incentive auction, and the station elected to go off air, according to FCC auction results. WTOP radio in Washington reported that Russia Today has said its registration as a foreign agent led to it going off air. Russia Today, Commonwealth Public Broadcasting and MHz Networks didn’t comment.