TV Rain’s CEO Natalia Sindeeva has recorded a video message, in which she asks the fired journalist Alexey Korostelev to come back to work, as well as journalists Margarita Lutova and Vladislav Romensky, who quit due to not agreeing with the decision to fire Korostelev. Sindeeva has published the video on her Telegram channel.
“We fired Lesha [Alexey Korostelev] for a mistake. That was the worst thing we could’ve done in that situation,” Sindeeva says.
She apologised to journalists and viewers and referred to the firing as a “betrayal” committed by the channel.
“The TV channel stayed alive this entire time because — it never behaved this way. So, Lesha, Rita [Margarita Lutova], Romensky, guys — come back to Rain. This was a mistake, without any malicious intent. Ukrainians might not forgive us, but this was a mistake. People make mistakes,” she emphasises.
Last week, TV Rain host Alexey Korostelev said on air, “We hope that we could help many service members, particularly with equipment and just basic convenience on the frontline.” Later, editor-in-chief of TV Rain Tikhon Dzyadko said that the channel did not, is not, and would not help out the Russian army with equipment, on the frontlines or beyond. Korostelev was fired.
Latvia’s media regulator, National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP), fined TV Rain €10,000; Latvia’s State Security Service began an investigation due to suspecting the channel of “helping soldiers of Russia’s occupation forces”.
After Korostelev had been fired, TV Rain host Margarita Lyutova, journalist Vladimir Romensky, and the channel’s employee Darina Lukutina said that they would terminate their cooperation with the channel.
Earlier today, NEPLP revoked TV Rain’s broadcasting licence.