UK bans China state broadcaster from British airwaves; Putin’s RT continues to troll West
UK state broadcast regulator Ofcom has banned China state broadcaster China Global Television Network (CGTN) because it is ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and, thus, has no editorial control of its own – a legal requirement. Ofcome once blocked Iran-backed Press TV. So why does Russia Today (RT) continue to broadcast?
Julian Knight MP, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, is chuffed:
“Today’s ruling is confirmation that the Chinese Communist Party is the ultimate controller of its broadcasts which is not permitted under UK law. CGTN had already breached broadcasting codes with a forced confession, and failure on impartiality over coverage of the Hong Kong protests. It should be seen as a strong warning that the power to broadcast carries with it responsibility and accountability. Failing this bar will not be tolerated.”
So you cannot watch Red TV but you can trade with China and not mention its abuse of Uighurs and other Muslims at camps in China’s Xinjiang region – no national newspaper has led with the story on its front page. The UK and China agree on one thing about that nastiness: there’s nothing to see here, move along…
Posted: 5th, February 2021 | In: News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
