Euronews, the rolling news channel which was set up to provide a European counterpoint to the American news network CNN, has been reduced to a second-rate news service broadcasting ­“sponsored” propaganda programmes for oppressive regimes, its journalists and unions say.

Staff at the multi-language channel – which gets about a third of its funding in subsidies from the European Union – went on strike this week after ­workers backed a no-confidence motion against the ­station’s management.

“A broadcaster with a public service mission that prides itself on objectivity cannot at the same time produce ­sponsored content for dictatorial and undemocratic regimes.

“It is a flagrant violation of journalistic ethics,” said one Euronews ­journalist based at the station’s headquarters in the French city of Lyon.

Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are among a list of ­undemocratic regimes – where human rights abuses are widespread – which have paid the network to send a ­broadcast team to produce short ­programmes that are noticeably free of any ­criticism.

Several Euronews journalists ­complained that many of the channel’s news programmes now avoided ­criticising Turkey ­following the failed coup there in July.