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New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) (Chinese: 新唐人電視臺) is 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. Founded by professionals who practice Falun Gong, NTDTV has a regular focus on issues in China such as human rights and democracy, and is known to sympathize with Falun Gong and other Chinese dissident groups, while taking a critical stance on the Communist Party of China.

The station's anti-Chinese Communist Party stance has prompted censorship from the Chinese government, and led to a controversy involving the French satellite network Eutelsat, which is accused of censoring the station on Beijing's behalf.

History

According to NTDTV, it was founded in 2001 by a group of professionals who practiced Falun Gong, who conceived the idea of a television station that would report on Chinese culture and contemporary issues in China. 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", and that its mission statement is to "educating the Chinese community about universal values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law".

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. 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. NTDTV's President Zhong Lee denied that NTDTV is a Falun Gong TV station, however, and maintained that the station's operation is independent from Falun Gong.

The Wall Street Journal noted that 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 purged former Chinese General Secretary Zhao Ziyang. The station's broadcasts can theoretically reach 200 million Chinese speakers, including 50 million in mainland China, according to the Wall Street Journal. Chinese dissidents Harry Wu and He Qinglian are frequent interviewees.

NTDTV's broadcasts cover a variety of topics, but mainly human rights issues in China, particularly treatment of Falun Gong practitioners, as well as critical reporting of Chinese government policies. The station regularly airs a video version of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, a political editorial condemning the Chinese Communist Party. NTDTV also produces and televises an annual Chinese New Year Spectacular, a Falun Gong-affiliated celebration of Chinese culture. The show's performances were noted to contain a pro-Falun Gong political message.

Censorship

NTD's anti-Communist Party stance and reportage on human rights issues in China has led to interference and political pressure from the Chinese Communist Party and its overseas embassies. In turn, the Chinese embassy in the United States accused NTDTV of being used to "spread anti-China propaganda" and "distorting Chinese culture".

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. According to RSF, the NTDTV shutdown was a "premeditated, politically-motivated decision", and that they were in procession possession of a purported conversation recording with a Beijing employee of Eutelsat confirming the allegations. Eutelsat claimed that the shutdown was due to a technical failure, and denied the validity of the conversation.

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 accused Eutelsat of bowing down to political pressure, 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.

In June of 2010 the Canadian Prime Minister's Office cancelled a press conference that NTDTV and Epoch Times would have attended, so that Chinese President Hu Jintao would not come into contact with the broadcaster, allegedly following terms from the Chinese consulate. According to the Toronto Star, such press conferences are usually standard procedure for foreign leaders visiting the Parliament, and the cancellation was seen as an extraordinary measure to keep NTDTV away from the Chinese President.

References

1. Haithman, Diane (7 January 2008). "Ties to Falun Gong add controversy to the Chinese New Year Spectacular". Los Angeles Times.
2. History and Vision, http://english.ntdtv.com/. Retrieved 2009-08-17
3. ^ "Not a Pretty Dish". Wall Street Journal. 17 March 2005.
4. Chen, Kathy Chinese Dissidents Take On Beijing Via Media Empire Wall Street Journal 11-15-2007
5. ^ Lum, Thomas CRS Report page CRS-8, list of Falun Gong-affiliated media
6. 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.
7. "New Tang Dynasty". Web.archive.org. 2006-05-10. Archived from the original on 2006-05-10. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
8. "Review by the Ombudsman, French Services of Complaint filed by the Falun Dafa Association of Canada" (PDF). 27 January 2009. p. 6.
9. "Chinese Regime Tries to Crush Cultural Show in Canada". The Epoch Times. 2007-01-18. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
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 Pressures Seoul to Cancel Cultural Show". The Epoch Times. 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
12. ^ 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
13. International Federation of Journalists: IFJ Calls on Eutelsat To End Bar on Chinese NTDTV Broadcasts, 20 August 2008, retrieved on 2009-01-19
14. 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
15. Susan Delacourt, "Harper helps Hu keep critics away", Fri Jun 25, 2010

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