Interestingly, from traveling and having limited TV options in certain places, I've had broad exposure to RT.
Is it more free than any US news channel? No, I don't think so. The US mainstream media - Fox, CNN, MSNBC, etc. - are most certainly not free by any means and spend the majority of their time peddling a toxic, divisive narrative.
But RT? RT does the same, but for the Russian government. In fact, they go another step further and recruit westerners to present many anti-western shows to give their views more credibility here.
They do report the news on the west that otherwise gets brushed over or doesn't adhere to the narrative being peddled by mainstream US TV, but to say they're more free is something I would doubt.
While the US media spends its time dividing people and, for whatever reason, stoking the anti-Russian, anti-China and anti-NK flames the US government seem to want stoked at the moment, RT simply spends its time peddling an anti-Western narrative.
Both are ultimately propaganda machines. RT is somewhat interesting because it does give a different view on situations that we in the west are dominated by the western narrative with.
But when there's big, big money involved and close ties to government - as is the case with both the US mainstream media and RT - there is not much "freedom" involved.
Russian here and having hysterical fit now.