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New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) (Chinese: 新唐人電視臺) is a Falun Gong-affiliated Chinese language television broadcaster based in New York City, founded in 2001. The company's stated mission is "to foster mutual understanding between Chinese and Western societies" and promote multiculturalism, peace and compassion. NTDTV is known to sympathize with Falun Gong and other dissident groups in China, and takes a critical line on the Communist Party of China.

According to the Wall Street Journal, NTDTV is, along with The Epoch Times and Sound of Hope Radio Station, part of a "media empire" founded by and affiliated with Falun Gong practitioners. In January 2005 it aired a video version of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, a political editorial condemning the Chinese Communist Party. The station's anti-CCP stance has prompted censorship from the Chinese government, leading to a controversy involving French network Eutelsat.

History

According to NTDTV, it was founded in 2001, when a group of professionals and businessmen, all practitioners of Falun Gong (FLG), conceived the idea of a television station that would support their views in regard to Chinese culture and Chinese government policies. NTDTV began broadcasting via satellite in North America in February 2002, and expanded its audience into mainland China in April 2004. At present, the station's satellite coverage reaches Asia, Europe, and Australia in several languages. It claims to be the "first and only independent Chinese-language TV." The station broke news of SARS in 2003, three weeks before the Chinese government publicly admitted that there was an epidemic that went on to cause some 350 deaths; it also offered extensive coverage on the death of Zhao Ziyang.

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2004 that the journal is registered as Universal Communications Network, which names top FLG spokesman Gail Rachlin as one of its three directors. It said "Where and are controversial is in their unwillingness to identify themselves as having any association with the group, despite ample evidence to the contrary."

NTDTV produce and televise an annual Chinese New Year Spectacular, a Falun Gong-affiliated event meant to celebrate Chinese culture. The show's performances were said to be "imbued with a pro-Falun Gong political message", The Chinese embassy in the United States accused NTDTV of being used to "spread anti-China propaganda" and "distorting Chinese culture".

Censorship

Because of the stations's anti-CCP stance, NTDTV has long accused the Chinese government of interference in its operations through embassies. In January 2007, a theater scheduled to host the performance in South Korea cancelled their booking at the last minute, which NTDTV alleged was because China threatened actions against upcoming Korean shows in Mainland China.

In June 2008, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ("RSF") accused Eutelsat of closing down transmissions of NTDTV through its W5 satellite to appease the Chinese government, and appealed to Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta to quickly reverse its decision to suspend NTDTV’s use of Eutelsat. RSF claimed they were in possession of a purported conversation recording with a Beijing employee of Eutelsat, which RSF used to claim that the NTDTV shutdown was a "premeditated, politically-motivated decision". Eutelsat claimed that the shutdown was due to a technical failure.

On 20 August, 2008, International Federation of Journalists released a statement calling on Eutelsat restore NTDTV and three radio stations including Sound of Hope. The statement cast doubt on Eutelsat's arguments regarding technical, and argued how the approaching Beijing Olympics could have resulted in the Chinese government's increasing pressure to censor the broadcasting of NTDTV.

The European Parliament also called on Eutelsat to reverse their decision to shut down NTDTV. Following this, Eutelsat issued a press release and written declaration, denying all charges of censorship against NTDTV. The company insists that NTDTV's shutdown resulted solely from the technical failure experienced by W5 satellite, and adds that NTDTV is being broadcast across Europe via Eutelsat's HOT BIRD video neighbourhood.

References

1. Haithman, Diane (7 January 2008). "Ties to Falun Gong add controversy to the Chinese New Year Spectacular". Los Angeles Times.
2. Chen, Kathy Chinese Dissidents Take On Beijing Via Media Empire Wall Street Journal 11-15-2007
3. Lum, Thomas CRS Report page CRS-8, list of Falun Gong-affiliated media
4. "New Tang Dynasty". Web.archive.org. 2006-05-10. Archived from the original on 2006-05-10. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
5. History and Vision, http://english.ntdtv.com/. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
6. "Not a Pretty Dish". Wall Street Journal. 17 March 2005.
7. Susan V. Lawrence (April 14, 2004). "Falun Gong Adds Media Weapons In Struggle With China's Rulers". Wall Street Journal (Eastern edition). p. B.2I.
8. Konigsberg, Eric (02-06), "A Glimpse of Chinese Culture That Some Find Hard to Watch", The New York Times {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
9. "Review by the Ombudsman, French Services of Complaint filed by the Falun Dafa Association of Canada" (PDF). 27 January 2009. p. 6.
10. "Enjoy the Holidays and Stay away from the so-called "Chinese New Year Gala" of the New Tang Dynasty Television". Chinese Embassy in the United States of America. 7 January 2008.
11. "Chinese Regime Tries to Crush Cultural Show in Canada". The Epoch Times. 2007-01-18. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
12. "Chinese Regime Pressures Seoul to Cancel Cultural Show". The Epoch Times. 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
13. ^ Reporters Without Borders: European satellite operator Eutelsat suppresses independent Chinese-language TV station NTDTV to satisfy Beijing, 10 July 2008, retrieved on 2009-01-19
14. International Federation of Journalists: IFJ Calls on Eutelsat To End Bar on Chinese NTDTV Broadcasts, 20 August 2008, retrieved on 2009-01-19
15. Eutelsat reaffirms to European institutions the irreversible and purely technical nature of the incident resulting in the interruption of consumer broadcasting services through its W5 satellite, 15 January 2009, retrieved on 2009-01-19

External links

• NTDTV Official Site
• NTDTV English
• NTDTV French
• NTDTV Vietnamese
• NTDTV Español
• NTDTV Russian
• NTDTV Japanese
• NTDTV Korean
• NTDTV Indo-
• Chinese New Year Spectacular
• The Falun Gong Show: SFist goes to the NTDTV Chinese New Year
• New Tang Dynasty TV at YouTube
• New Tang Dynasty TV in Español at YouTube

• Television stations in New York
• Falun Gong