A man who runs a little-known, low-budget radio station in suburban Kansas City says he is standing up for free speech and alternative viewpoints when he airs Russian state-sponsored programming in the midst of the Ukrainian war. Radio Sputnik, funded by the Russian government, pays broadcast companies in the U.S. to air its programs. Only two do so: One is Peter Schartel’s company in Liberty, Missouri, and one is in Washington, D.C. Schartel started airing the Russian programming in January 2020, but criticism intensified after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Schartel said people accuse him and his wife being traitors to the U.S. and occasionally issue threats. Some critics say he is promoting propaganda and misinformation, but Schartel maintains most people who call to complain haven’t listened to the program. “Some will talk to me, but others will still call me a piece of whatever,” he said. “What I am thankful for is we are still living in a country where they can call me up. Even if they aren’t thinking about free speech they’re exercising that right.” Radio Sputnik is produced by the U.S.-based branch of Rossiya Segodnya, a media group operated by the Russian government. Its content prompted the National Association of Broadcasters to issue an unusual statement on March 1 calling on broadcasters to stop carrying state-sponsored programming with ties to Russia or its agents. The statement from NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said the organization is a “fierce defender” of free speech but that given Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, ”we believe that our nation must stand fully united against misinformation and for freedom and democracy across the globe.” During one recent broadcast of “The Critical Hour” that aired on Schartel’s KCXL, the hosts and their guests echoed false and unsupported claims about Ukraine’s government. They repeated Russian state media lies about the Russian military’s attacks on civilian targets and its destruction of entire neighborhoods, as well as Putin’s baseless claim that his enemies in Ukraine are Nazis. The Kansas City Star said in an editorial that Schartel is putting his financial needs above ethics by spreading Russian propaganda. “Much like the National Association of Broadcasters, we advise KCXL to drop all programming that paints (Russian President Vladimir) Putin in a positive light. The Russian president is no victim; he is for sure no war hero,” The Star wrote. Schartel acknowledged that he initially accepted the Radio Sputnik contract because he was struggling to keep KCXL afloat. The station operates out of a dilapidated, cluttered building. He said he stopped taking a salary months ago, though he does nearly all the work. Schartel’s Alpine Broadcasting Corp. is paid $5,000 a month to air Radio Sputnik in two three-hour blocks each day, according to a U.S. Justice Department Foreign Agent Registration Act filing in December 2021. KCXL’s other programming includes shows that are heavily religious, offer opinions across the political spectrum and promote conspiracy theories. One program, TruNews, has been criticized by the Anti-Defamation League for spreading antisemitic, Islamaphobic and anti-LGBTQ messages. Schartel said he airs programs that are not commercially viable and don’t depend on advertising, which he contends influences news reporting. He said he is promoting free speech by providing a platform for people who otherwise aren’t heard. Roy Gutterman, director of the Tully […]

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