U.K. Regulator Revokes License for China-Backed Broadcaster
The regulator, Ofcom, said it would no longer allow China Global Television Network to operate in Britain, in part because of its affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party.
The CCTV Headquarters building in in Beijing, the home of Chinese state-run television network CCTV and its overseas arm CGTN.Credit.Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press
LONDON Britain’s broadcasting regulator said on Thursday that it had withdrawn the license for China Global Television Network, an international news channel owned by a Chinese state broadcaster, to operate in the United Kingdom in part because its affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party violates broadcasting laws.
Regulators started looking into the channel after several people had filed complaints, saying it aired their forced confessions and violated rules on fairness and accuracy. One was from a former British Consulate employee in Hong Kong who says he was detained and tortured by Chinese police for information on protesters. Another was by a British corporate investigator who said he was forced to confess while imprisoned in China. CGTN did not respond to requests for comment on those claims at the time.
The watchdog said it found that the entity that held the channel’s license, Star China Media Limited, didn’t have editorial responsibility for CGTN’s output, which is a licensing requirement.
UK Watchdog Revokes License Of China s CGTN
Chinese state affiliated media network breached rules, says Ofcom. The UK s broadcast regulator on Thursday said it has revoked the license of state-affiliated Chinese news network China Global Television Network (CGTN).
A statement from Ofcom said it has withdrawn the licence for CGTN to broadcast in the UK after its investigation concluded that the licence is wrongfully held by Star China Media Limited.
CGTN is an international English-language satellite news channel that can be accessed via satellite from the UK.
The watchdog said an investigation concluded that Star China Media Limited (SCML), the licence-holder for the CGTN service, did not have editorial responsibility for CGTN s output.
LONDON, U.K. Regulators in the U.K. stripped China s state TV channel of its national broadcasting license on Thursday, after an investigation cited lack of editorial control and links to China s ruling Communist Party. The communications watchdog, Ofcom, said it revoked the U.K. license for China Global Television Network, or CGTN, an international English language satellite news channel. CGTN had been available on free and paid TV in the U.K. It did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Regulators started looking into the station after receiving a complaint from a human rights group, Safeguard Defenders, calling for an investigation into its ownership.
LONDON (AP) U.K. regulators stripped China s state TV channel of its national broadcasting license on Thursday, after an investigation cited lack of editorial control and links to China s ruling Communist Party.
The communications watchdog, Ofcom, said it revoked the U.K. license for China Global Television Network, or CGTN, an international English language satellite news channel.
CGTN had been available on free and pay TV in the U.K. It did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Regulators started looking into the station after receiving a complaint from a human rights group, Safeguard Defenders, calling for an investigation into its ownership.