Russia Today America (RT America) will cease productions and lay off most of its staff, according to a memo from T&R Productions, the production company behind the Russian state-funded network, obtained by CNN.
Misha Solodovnikov, general manager of T&R Productions, told staff in the memo that it will “stop production” at all of its locations “as a result of unforeseen business interruption events.”
“Unfortunately, we anticipate that this layoff will be permanent, meaning this will result in the permanent separation of employment for the majority of T&R employees at all locations,” Solodovnikov wrote.
T&R Productions operated offices in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. The news would mean the effective end of RT America.
The network, one of the main spokesmen for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the US., was dropped earlier this week by DirecTV, dealing it a huge financial hit. The satellite operator was one of two major TV providers in the US to carry the network.
Roku, a company that sells hardware that allows users to stream content over the Internet, also said it had removed RT America of your platform.
RT, which operates multiple networks around the world, has seen its reach drop significantly in recent days as tech companies and TV providers have decided to cut ties as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Several employees of the various RT networks have also publicly resigned from the outlet.
To the employees of RT America who worked in the Washington, DC office, were told Wednesday that an all-staff meeting would be held Thursday afternoon, according to an email obtained by CNN.
As the hosts, correspondents, producers and others gathered in the ballroom RT AmericaSolodovnikov broke the news in person, one of those attending the meeting told CNN.
“The meeting lasted about two minutes,” the attendee said, explaining that Solodovnikov told the assembled staff that RT America would stop production and that the staff would receive two months’ severance pay.
The aide, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, told CNN the mood was somber.
“A lot of people were shocked,” the person said. “A lot of people were crying.”
Solodovnikov did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for RT America did not respond to multiple requests for comment, CNN reported.
