Former Saturday Night Live comic-turned-pundit Dennis Miller and Star Trek legend William Shatner have said “nyet” to RT America, the Russia-funded cable network that is widely seen as a Moscow-run propaganda tool.
Miller, whose post-SNL career included a stint on Monday Night Football and a long run as former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s sidekick, had hosted Dennis Miller + One for two years, interviewing entertainment and pop culture figures twice a week. But a source close to Miller said the show wouldn’t go on, likely in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“He has no plans on going back,” the source told NBC News.
RT America is registered as a foreign agent in the United States.
Both Miller’s show and one hosted by the 90-year-old Shatner were produced for RT by Ora TV. The production company is suspending all of its work with RT.
“Given the invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, Ora Media has paused production of content we license to T&R Productions. Future business decisions will be made based on the evolving situation,” Ora Media CEO John Dickey told Deadline on Tuesday.
Shatner, the original Captain Kirk on Star Trek and host of RT’s I Don’t Understand, has made it clear on social media his sympathies in the conflict are with Ukraine.
“My prayers are with the people of the Ukraine,” he tweeted last week. “As I watch events unfolding on TV with such brave people fighting an overwhelming force, I am reminded ironically enough of Stalingrad, when the Nazis, on their way to Moscow, thought they could overwhelm that city. The people of Stalingrad & the army defending Stalingrad fought the Nazis to a standstill. History CAN repeat itself.”
??♥️☮️ pic.twitter.com/RPzsivU2ER
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 1, 2022
RT America has been removed from cable and streaming companies including DirecTV and Roku since shortly after Putin’s invasion was launched last week.
