Business Wire

CGTN

10.3.2021 14:26:12 CET | Business Wire | Press release

Share
CGTN: UK Regulator Criticized for 'Act of Censorship' by Banning CGTN

Britain's communications regulator Ofcom has been criticized for its decision to ban and fine China Global Television Network (CGTN) for political reasons.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210310005537/en/

A group of journalists, filmmakers and artists recently challenged Ofcom's "act of censorship" in an open letter published by the No Cold War campaign and the Morning Star.

"The decision by Ofcom to remove the broadcasting license of CGTN is an act of censorship which is not in the interests of Britain and its people," the open letter said, calling the move an "attack on free speech."

Ofcom revoked the license of CGTN to broadcast in the UK in early February on the grounds of its ultimate control and its political attributes. Beijing slammed the move as political repression against Chinese media.

In their letter, the signatories questioned Ofcom's justification for banning CGTN.

"Ofcom's justification for taking CGTN off air is that any holder of a broadcasting license in Britain must not be controlled by political bodies. However, this law is only selectively applied. Numerous private and state channels have clear political agendas or control – the BBC itself, for example, which had its staff vetted by MI5, has not had its broadcasting license revoked," it said.

The letter urged Ofcom to reverse its decision and reinstate CGTN's license.

CGTN committed to balanced reporting

A spokesperson for CGTN on Tuesday called on the British regulator to calmly listen to the opinions expressed in the letter and end its political crackdown on Chinese media.

The spokesperson said that as an international news channel, CGTN is committed to providing "accurate, timely and objective news and information with diverse and balanced views" for its global audiences.

"China is increasingly connected and engaged with the rest of the world including the UK," the spokesperson said in a statement. "It is our responsibility to present Chinese viewpoints and perspectives in our news reporting, which is what our viewers expect and is also in the interest of the public."

'The world should be able to hear China's voice'

In a separate statement on Tuesday, CGTN said it is disappointed with and firmly opposes Ofcom's latest sanction decisions and adjudications against it.

Ofcom on Monday fined CGTN 225,000 British pounds (about $310,933) for "breaching rules on fairness, privacy and due impartiality" just weeks after it stripped the network of its right to air in Britain.

"CGTN believes its coverage of the 2019 violent protests in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was fair, truthful and duly impartial," the statement said.

"As a news outlet from China, CGTN made it possible for global audiences to see and hear a more complete picture of events in Hong Kong by reporting on the voices opposing violence and destruction," it stressed. "The fact that CGTN has been sanctioned by Ofcom for its objective coverage of the event is unjust."

"It is in the public interest that the world should be able to hear China's voice and perspective and see the true picture more clearly," it added.

At a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian urged Ofcom and certain individuals to immediately cease engaging in political manipulation and correct their mistakes, slamming the move as "blatant political oppression."

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-03-10/UK-regulator-criticized-for-act-of-censorship-by-banning-CGTN-YvNehReHaE/index.html

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Bending Spoons S.p.A. announces closing of initial public offering2.7.2026 20:35:00 CEST | Press release

Bending Spoons S.p.A. (“Bending Spoons”), a leading technology company, today announces the closing of its initial public offering of an aggregate of 57,971,015 of its ordinary shares, at an initial public offering price of $29.00 per share. The offering consisted of 34,398,640 shares sold by Bending Spoons and 23,572,375 shares sold by certain selling shareholders (the “Selling Shareholders”). The gross proceeds from the offering to Bending Spoons, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, was approximately $953,917,285.50. Bending Spoons did not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the Selling Shareholders. Bending Spoons’ ordinary shares began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on July 1, 2026 under the ticker symbol “BSP”. Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan, and Allen & Company LLC are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the offering. Wells Fargo Securities, BofA Securities, Jefferies, Evercore ISI, BNP

Strategic Partnership Between Record Asset Management and Admicasa2.7.2026 19:00:00 CEST | Press release

RAM Swiss Holding AG announces a strategic partnership with Admicasa Holding AG (Admicasa). RAM Swiss Holding AG is a subsidiary of LSE-listed Record Financial Group (Record) and part of the Record Asset Management (RAM) group of companies. The partnership is a milestone in the growth of Admicasa and marks an important step in the continued expansion of Record’s private markets platform. Subject to regulatory approval, the agreement, signed on 1st July 2026, provides RAM Swiss Holding AG with a 50% participation in the Admicasa Fondsleitung AG, part of Admicasa, and establishes a long-term partnership to develop investment opportunities in the Swiss and Global real estate market with a plan to expand into other asset classes in the medium term. RAM is the European asset management arm of Record, the LSE-listed specialist investment group managing USD 115 billion of assets on behalf of institutional clients worldwide. Record's client base comprises pension funds, foundations, sovereign

IQM Quantum Computers Becomes First European Quantum Computing Company Listed on a Major U.S. Exchange2.7.2026 16:47:00 CEST | Press release

IQM begins trading on Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “IQMX” Company enters next phase of growth as a publicly traded leader in full-stack superconducting quantum computing IQM maintains a strong pro forma cash position of EUR 337 million IQM Quantum Computers (Nasdaq: IQMX) (“IQM”, “IQM Quantum Computers” or the “Company”), a global leader in full-stack superconducting quantum computers, today became a publicly traded company following the completion of its business combination with Real Asset Acquisition Corp. (“RAAQ”). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260702960460/en/ IQM Quantum Computers Becomes First European Quantum Computing Company Listed on a Major U.S. Exchange The company’s American Depositary Shares begin trading today on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “IQMX”. The listing marks a major milestone for IQM establishing the company as the first European quan

GigaDevice Launches First GD24CL Series I²C EEPROM, Further Expanding Its Non-Volatile Memory Portfolio2.7.2026 16:00:00 CEST | Press release

GigaDevice, a leading semiconductor company specializing in Flash memory, 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), sensors, and analog products, announced today the launch of its new GD24CL series I²C EEPROM. The series delivers outstanding performance, comprehensive security protection mechanisms, and excellent reliability that addresses the stringent requirements for stable and long-term storage of critical configuration data. These offered features will benefit applications in industrial, energy, Internet-of-Things (IoT), data centers, and networking. As GigaDevice’s first EEPROM product series, the launch further enhances the company’s non-volatile memory portfolio and provides customers with more dynamic storage solutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260702394554/en/ GigaDevice Launches First GD24CL Series I²C EEPROM, Further Expanding Its Non-Volatile Memory Portfolio. The GD24CL series is designed with high

Medical University of Graz Enrolls First Patient in DEEPER CHALLENGE Trial Evaluating Spur® Peripheral Retrievable Scaffold System in a Select CLTI Cohort2.7.2026 13:00:00 CEST | Press release

Reflow Medical, Inc. announces that the Medical University of Graz has enrolled the first patient in the DEEPER CHALLENGE clinical trial. This investigator-initiated, single-center, single-arm, prospective study, supported by a grant, investigates early vessel recoil following below-the-knee treatment using the Spur® Peripheral Retrievable Scaffold System in combination with a commercially available drug-coated balloon. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701995624/en/ The study investigates early vessel recoil following below-the-knee treatment using the Spur® Peripheral Retrievable Scaffold System in combination with a commercially available drug-coated balloon. The study plans to enroll up to 40 patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) across two distinct cohorts: patients with diabetes and patients with end-stage renal disease receiving hemodialysis for at least six months, with women comprisi

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye