Missouri station offering Russian state radio to listeners

By MARGARET STAFFORD
Associated Press

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A radio station based in suburban Kansas City is facing criticism for airing Russian state-sponsored programming during the Ukrainian war. Peter Schartel owns KCXL in Liberty, Missouri, a small station run on a shoestring budget. He began airing programming from Radio Sputnik, which is run by the Russian government, in January 2020. Criticism has increased since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Schartel says the $5,000 a month he gets paid by the Russian organization also helps keep his small station afloat. He also says he wants to provide alternative programming with different viewpoints as way to support free speech. Critics say he’s promoting propaganda and misinformation.