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Britain revokes CGTN’s broadcasting licence over ‘political’ ownership
- Ofcom rules that licensee Star China Media Limited does not have control over the licensed service
- Licence holders cannot be controlled by political bodies, regulator says
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British authorities have revoked the broadcasting licence for Chinese state-owned news channel China Global Television Network (CGTN) after the national regulator found that it was wrongfully held by a separate entity.
The Office of Communications (Ofcom) ruled that Star China Media Limited (SCML), the registered licensee, did not have control over the licensed service.
“None of the employees involved in CGTN’s decision-making, or day-to-day running of the channel, appear to be employed by SCML,” Ofcom said.
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SCML did not have editorial oversight for programmes broadcast on CGTN’s English-language channel in Britain, the regulator found. In a statement, Ofcom said “licence holders cannot be controlled by political bodies”.
The decision comes amid rising tensions between Britain and China. On Tuesday, the House of Lords voted to pass an amendment to the trade law, which could force the government to reconsider trade deals where the consignee has been found by British courts to have committed genocide. Lawmakers said the amendment was aimed at China’s alleged abuses of Uygurs in Xinjiang.
CGTN is operated by China Central Television (CCTV), under the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party. The network is broadcast in more than 100 countries.
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