Ofcom takes Chinese satcaster CGTN off air

Ofcom ruled CGTN is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party

Chinese state broadcaster China Global Television Network (CGTN) has been taken off the air in the UK after regulator Ofcom found it was controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

An investigation by the media regulator found that licence holder Star China Media Ltd (SCML) did not have editorial control over the English-language satellite news channel, which is against UK broadcasting laws.

Instead, Ofcom concluded that the China Global Television Network Corporation (CGTNC) was “ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party” rather than SCML.

In the UK, the law states that licence holders cannot be controlled by political bodies.

As a result, an application to transfer the licence to CGTNC was rejected. The application was also missing “crucial information,” according to Ofcom.

Ofcom said: “We have given CGTN significant time to come into compliance with the statutory rules. Those efforts have now been exhausted.

“Following careful consideration, taking account of all the facts and the broadcaster and audience’s rights to freedom of expression, we have decided it is appropriate to revoke the licence for CGTN to broadcast in the UK.”