The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has detected that since 12 April, the radio programme “Sputnik” has been transmitted on an uncoordinated radio frequency from the Kaliningrad region, and can be heard in the Klaipėda region. According to CRA’s signal measurements, the broadcasting station may be located in the land part of the Russian territory adjacent to the state border near Neringa.
“On 28 April, we wrote to the Russian Communications Authority demanding that the source of electromagnetic radiation be shut down,” says Darius Kuliešius, Deputy Chairman of the CRA Council.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), of which both Russia and Lithuania are members, has also been informed about the situation.
As the broadcast continued, CRA also notified the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Government about the station’s activities.
“The regulation of radio broadcasting is not within the competence of the CRA. Given the reports we have received from residents and the statements made on social networks, we understand that this broadcast may be associated with a threat to public order and security in Lithuania. We do not believe that changes from the Russian side can happen quickly, which is why we have proposed to the responsible authorities to consider measures to limit the possibilities of broadcasting in Klaipėda Region – we have sent them our calculations and proposed a solution,” says D. Kuliešius.
According to him, after assessing the impact of such measures on other radio stations in Lithuania and neighbouring countries, and taking into account the data from the CRA’s measurements of radio signals, the electromagnetic compatibility analysis, and the data provided by the Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre on the potential use of the reserve infrastructure, the CRA’s experts shared their proposals with the relevant authorities to entrust the Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre with the implementation of the transmission of the selected radio programme on the 87.9 MHz radio frequency in Klaipėda and Nida.
“As an independent regulator responsible for the proper use of the State’s resource of radio frequencies, we have applied for permission for Lithuanian radio market players to broadcast on the same frequency as “Sputnik”. Technologically, this will solve the problem, as the Lithuanian population will hear the content of the Lithuanian broadcaster instead of the Russian one”, explains D. Kuliešius
Implementation plan:
- The LRTC launches a competition to broadcast radio content on the same radio frequencies.
- After winning the competition, the station starts broadcasting content that complies with Lithuanian regulations.
- If no market players emerge willing to broadcast on those frequencies, the authorities will take a decision to temporarily broadcast content on those frequencies in order to prevent the illegal dissemination of Russian radio content on the territory of Lithuania, until such time as Russia is forced to switch off the signal, in accordance with the requirements of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
According to the revised calculations submitted by CRA to the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre of 1 June 2023, the effective radiated powers at the Klaipėda and Nida radio stations were proposed to ensure effective limitation of the reception of the Russian station.
Updated on 2023-08-03