Russia's state media watchdog has denied ordering state television to censor war-related words after several entertainment channels censored the lyrics “war” and “peace” in recent broadcasts, state media reported Monday.
Vadim Subbotin, deputy head of the Roskomnadzor regulator, maintained that the agency does not keep a list of banned words apart from explicit language, according to the TASS news agency.
Commenting on the censored lyrics on Gazprom Media-owned TNT and Media 1-owned Muz TV’s song and dance shows, Subbotin suggested the channels acted on their own.
“Roskomnadzor has nothing to do with this,” he was quoted as saying.
“We sometimes conduct pre-emptive measures, but not in this case,” Subbotin added.
TNT and Muz TV declined to comment.
The channels’ apparent self-censorship comes as Russian courts routinely fine and jail critics of the country’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.
