Russian State Media Outlet RT America Ceases Operations and Lays Off All Staff After Major Distributors Drop Channel

RT America, the U.S.-based arm of Russia’s state-controlled media network RT (Russia Today), announced on March 3, 2022 that it was immediately ceasing production and laying off more than 100 employees after major American cable distributors dropped the channel in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. RT America general manager Misha Solodovnikov informed staff during a brief meeting that the company was shutting down immediately, citing “unforeseen business interruption events.”

Distributor Exodus

The shutdown followed rapid decisions by major American media distributors to remove RT America from their platforms:

DirecTV: The largest U.S. satellite-TV operator announced on March 1, 2022 that it would stop carrying RT America, accelerating its contract expiration timeline. This removed RT from millions of American households overnight.

Roku: The streaming platform removed RT America from its Roku Channel Store, eliminating digital streaming access.

Dish Network: Also discontinued carriage of RT America amid growing pressure.

The coordinated removal by major distributors made continued operations financially and practically impossible—without distribution, RT America couldn’t reach audiences or justify the expense of content production.

Immediate Termination

The shutdown was abrupt and complete:

• Staff informed in a brief morning meeting on March 3
• Production ceased immediately
• More than 100 employees laid off
• Official employment would end May 3, 2022 (giving 60 days notice as required by law)
• No transition period or wind-down of operations

The speed suggested RT leadership recognized the situation was irreversible—once major distributors removed the channel, there was no path forward for RT America’s business model.

RT America’s Role in Russian Influence

RT America had been a key tool for Russian propaganda to reach American audiences, particularly conservative viewers, with content that often echoed Kremlin narratives:

Ukraine and NATO: RT America consistently promoted Russian perspectives on Ukraine, Crimea annexation, and NATO expansion being aggressive threats to Russia.

U.S. Politics: Coverage amplified divisions in American politics, frequently promoting narratives beneficial to Russian interests.

Conspiracy Theories: Platform for alternative narratives challenging mainstream media, U.S. government legitimacy, and democratic institutions.

Conservative Audience: Programming targeted conservative Americans skeptical of mainstream media, offering “alternative” perspectives that aligned with Kremlin objectives.

Strategic Shift: From Overt to Covert

The RT America shutdown eliminated Russia’s direct presence on American airwaves, but Russian influence operations would subsequently shift to more covert methods:

January 19, 2022: Tenet Media incorporated (6 weeks before RT America shutdown) November 2023: Tenet Media publicly launched with six conservative influencers September 2024: DOJ indictment revealed Tenet received $10 million from RT via shell companies

This timeline suggests Russia anticipated or knew RT America’s overt model would become untenable and had already begun developing covert alternatives. Rather than retreating from American conservative media influence, Russia pivoted from branded state media to hidden funding of American influencers.

Comparison to Other Russian Media Restrictions

RT America’s shutdown occurred amid broader global efforts to limit Russian state media following the Ukraine invasion:

European Union: Banned RT across all member states United Kingdom: Revoked RT’s broadcast license Canada: Removed RT from cable systems Australia: Major providers dropped RT content

The U.S. response was somewhat unique in relying on private distributor decisions rather than government bans, reflecting First Amendment considerations. However, the result was similar—elimination of RT’s direct broadcasting presence.

Staff and Operations

RT America employed over 100 people in the U.S., many of whom were American journalists and production staff. Some had joined believing they were working for a legitimate alternative media outlet, only later realizing the extent of Russian state control over content and messaging.

The shutdown left these employees jobless, but also ended their participation (willing or unwitting) in a Russian influence operation. Some former RT America employees later spoke publicly about editorial pressure to promote pro-Kremlin narratives and constraints on covering topics embarrassing to Russia.

What Came Next

The void left by RT America’s shutdown was quickly filled by:

Covert Funding Operations: Like Tenet Media, paying American influencers to promote narratives beneficial to Russia without disclosing foreign funding.

Social Media Amplification: Increased use of bots, trolls, and coordinated inauthentic behavior on platforms like X/Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Fake News Websites: Operations like “Doppelganger” (exposed by DOJ in September 2024) creating fake versions of legitimate U.S. news sites.

Direct Influencer Recruitment: Individual outreach to American commentators and politicians willing to amplify Russian narratives.

Significance: From Overt to Covert Operations

The RT America shutdown represented a forced evolution in Russian influence strategy rather than a defeat:

End of Overt Model: Russia could no longer operate branded state media on American cable reaching millions of households.

Pivot to Covert Funding: Shift to secretly funding American influencers who could reach similar audiences without foreign branding.

Increased Sophistication: Covert operations like Tenet Media required more complex tradecraft—shell companies, fictitious funders, plausible deniability—but were more effective at avoiding detection.

Maintained Access: Conservative audiences RT America cultivated didn’t disappear; they simply received similar content from American influencers with hidden Russian backing.

The March 2022 shutdown of RT America closed one chapter of Russian influence operations in American media, but the nearly simultaneous incorporation of Tenet Media (January 2022) demonstrated that Russia was already preparing the next chapter. The story wasn’t retreat—it was adaptation.

When overt Russian propaganda becomes untenable, the operation doesn’t end. It goes underground, becomes harder to detect, and potentially more effective because American audiences don’t realize they’re consuming foreign influence content packaged as domestic political commentary.