MOSCOW - Russia's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it will not renew permission for ABC-TV to operate in the country after the network broadcast an interview with a notorious Chechen warlord.
In a statement, the ministry said ABC would be considered "undesirable" by all Russian state agencies because of an interview with Shamil Basayev, which was broadcast last week on "Nightline."
The ministry called the broadcast a "clear fact supporting the propaganda of terrorism" and said it "resounded with direct calls for violence against Russian citizens."
As a result, the ministry said it decided "not to renew the accreditations of employees of this television company after they expire."
The Foreign Ministry is the main government agency authorizing foreign media outlets to work in Russia, and the decision effectively now bars ABC from working here.
ABC News had no immediate comment.
This is what happens when, instead of using your knowledge about on-the-lam terror criminals to help authorities bring them to justice, you use it to get an exclusive interview to boost your ratings. Proving once again that the media elites almost always put ratings above patriotism or even human compassion.
I'd actually like to see some harsh words for ABC from the President in a show of solidarity with Russia over this issue.