Pure Hogwash!
Break the radio link by standing in a Faraday cage (with your transmitter) and see if you have control of that RC aircraft. Put a piece of cardboard between the TV and your couch and see if the IR remote works.

The true definition of remote control is whether the operator must be present at and move with the controlled device. If he must move with it, the device is not remotely controlled. Individual components of the device may (and likely are)remotely controlled, but if the operator has to move with the device, the system is not a remote control system.