[Peace-discuss] Censorship news: UK regulator Ofcom revokes broadcast license of China’s CGTN

[J.B. Nicholson]

RT videos:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=VhctLsnSvN4
https://youtube.com/watch?v=DW3AyvD-lYI

Article text from https://on.rt.com/b11x

> According to a statement issued on Thursday, the broadcasting regulator Ofcom has
> revoked China Global Television Network's license to air its programs in the UK.
> 
> An Ofcom investigation found that the license under which CGTN was operating had
> been wrongfully held by Star China Media Ltd (SCML).
> 
> We have revoked China Global Television Network’s (CGTN) licence to broadcast in
> the UK, after our investigation concluded that the licence was wrongfully held by
> Star China Media Ltd. (SCML).
> https://t.co/R97X1hYnkA https://pic.twitter.com/7lDKvEipZW — Ofcom (@Ofcom)
> February 4, 2021
> 
> In a statement, Ofcom reiterated that “licence holders cannot be controlled by
> political bodies.”
> 
> It said SCML does not have editorial control or responsibility for CGTN’s
> programming, and therefore did not meet the requirement to hold a broadcasting
> license.
> 
> Its investigation found that CGTN is controlled by Chinese Central Television,
> which, as part of the China Media Group, is “controlled by the Chinese Communist
> Party and therefore disqualified from holding a broadcast licence under UK laws.”
> 
> The regulator claims it was unable to transfer the license to CGTN directly as
> “crucial information was missing from the application,” adding that, even if said
> information had been provided, the fact that the Chinese Communist Party controls
> CGTN would in any case preclude it from holding a license in the UK.
> 
> SCML was found to be the distributor but not “the producer” of the service, and
> none of CGTN’s key stakeholders and senior editorial personnel were found to be
> employed by SCML, Ofcom said.
> 
> The broadcaster will likely also face separate sanctions over its coverage.
> 
> “We expect to conclude separate sanctions proceedings against CGTN for due
> impartiality and fairness and privacy breaches shortly,” the statement said.
> 
> The regulator acknowledged that “the revocation of a broadcast licence is a
> significant interference with a broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression,” and
> claims it afforded CGTN sufficient time to comply, but it failed to do so after
> its September 2020 application was rejected.
> 
> Ofcom concluded its statement by criticizing CGTN’s coverage of the Hong Kong
> protests, which it said was in “serious breach” of fairness and privacy rules. It
> is now considering sanctions in that regard that would be separate from Thursday’s
> decision to revoke the agency's broadcasting license.
> 
> CGTN has yet to issue a statement in response to Ofcom’s decision.
> 
> Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed it had made “stern
> representations” to the BBC over what it described as “fake news” coverage of the
> Covid-19 pandemic, and called on the British state broadcaster to apologize.
> 
> Shortly after the Ofcom decision was announced, a ministry spokesperson said the
> BBC had “linked the pandemic to politics” and “rehashed theories about covering up
> by China.”