Media lobbyists and EU lawmakers threw their weight Tuesday behind an independent Chinese-language broadcaster taking legal action against satellite provider Eutelsat for dropping its programs to China.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) alleged that Eutelsat had bowed to pressure from Beijing over the imminent end of a contract to broadcast programs by New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV) to China and Asia.
“Without a credible explanation, we can only conclude that this is simply a craven sacrifice of principle,” alleged IFJ head Aidan White, adding: “It diminishes free expression to satisfy the intolerance of Beijing.”
Eutelsat denied that it had given way to pressure.
NTDTV board member Joe Zhao, who travelled from the broadcaster’s US base for court action by the broadcaster in Paris Wednesday, lamented that Eutelsat was set to pull the plug on his channel’s programs this week.
“Eutelsat is preparing to slam shut the ‘open satellite window’ this week,” he told a press conference in Brussels.
“Instead of expanding the historic opening of the world’s largest society to the free flow of broadcast information, Eutelsat is choosing to help Beijing reassert full content control over satellite broadcasting,” he added.
But the Paris-based satellite operator rejected the accusation, saying it was a purely commercial move at the end of a one-year contract between NTDTV and a London-based distributor of its services, London Satellite Exchange.
“We’re not reacting to pressure from the Chinese authorities or any other authorities,” spokeswoman Vanessa O’Connor told AFP, noting that Eutelsat has no direct commercial relationship with NTDTV.
“We have a one-year contact with LSE, which has been honoured,” she added.
But European Union (EU) lawmaker Charles Tannock said Eutelsat should reconsider its position.
“In my view Eutelsat must allow NTDTV to carry on broadcasting otherwise it would send all the wrong signals to Beijing that we in the EU do not care how China treats its own people,” he said.
