'Let viewers form own opinions' - German channel probed for airing RT show
The current “economic war” with Russia could eventually lead to a military confrontation, unless people are given the opportunity to form their own opinions, said the editor and co-owner of a German channel currently being probed for airing a show by RT.
The Salve.TV channel broadcasts RT Deutsch’s “The Missing Part” news talk-show as “a beautiful contrast color” that lets every viewer“form his or her own opinion.” This was the view of Klaus-Dieter Boehm, the editor-in-chief and co-owner of the TV-channel in a recent interview with the Junge Welt newspaper.
Boehm also added that the German media have already portrayed the program as “propaganda.”
READ MORE: Falling out of mainstream? German channel probed for broadcasting RT show
According to the editor-in-chief, people who have been stopped in the street and asked about RT have “entirely positive” reactions, while adding that it was hard to find a negative one. His channel has also received a number of positive letters from people he believes want to see an alternative point of view.
The head of Salve.TV mentioned a survey that showed that about a half of the German population do not trust its mainstream media, particularly in reporting on issues such as the crisis in Ukraine.
Boehm concluded the interview by looking at data, which reflects the economic situation in Thuringia – a state in the center of the country, where the sanctions against Russia have hit Germany the hardest. Unemployment has risen in the region because around 40 percent of companies had trade links with Russia and they have suffered the “greatest losses,” according to the channel’s owner.
“There is currently an economic war, but those who are stoking the flames apparently want to draw us into a real war. This has to be counteracted through journalism,” Boehm said.
READ MORE: German TV channel under fire over fake ‘Russian tanks in Ukraine’ footage
Thuringia’s media watchdog is currently looking into the Salve.TV channel following a complaint by several lawmakers that it was "biased towards Russia's position" and lacked “critical journalistic delivery.”
The TV-channel with a potential audience of 200,000 viewers, rebroadcasts RT’s half-an-hour-long program free of charge, following an agreement, reached with Ivan Rodionov, RT Deutsch chief editor.
