Beijing, China:
China barred Britain’s BBC World News from airing on Friday and Hong Kong’s public broadcaster stated it was dropping the channel, a week just after Britain’s media regulator revoked Chinese state television’s UK broadcast licence.
China’s National Radio and Television Administration stated an investigation identified BBC World News’ China-connected reports had “seriously violated” regulations, such as that news really should be “truthful and fair”, had harmed China’s interests and undermined national unity.
The channel, consequently, did not meet needs for foreign channels broadcasting in China and its application to air for an additional year would not be accepted, it stated.
Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the publicly funded broadcaster in the former British territory, stated separately on Friday it was suspending the relay of BBC news programming from Friday, following Beijing’s choice.
English-language BBC World News is not incorporated in most Television channel packages in mainland China, but is offered in some hotels and houses.
Two Reuters journalists in Beijing stated the channel had gone blank on their screens.
British foreign minister, Dominic Raab, and the US State Department condemned China’s choice.
“China’s decision to ban BBC World News in mainland China is an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom,” Raab stated.
“China has some of the most severe restrictions on media and internet freedoms across the globe, and this latest step will only damage China’s reputation in the eyes of the world.”
Tightening grip
RTHK’s choice to shun the BBC’s news output is additional proof that Beijing’s tightening grip on Hong Kong extends to media.
Last year, when Beijing expelled about a dozen journalists working for US news outlets, it also barred them from relocating to Hong Kong.
RTHK, founded in 1928 and from time to time compared with the BBC, is the only independent, publicly funded media outlet on Chinese soil and is assured editorial independence by its charter.
It angered the Hong Kong government and Beijing more than its coverage of anti-government protests that roiled the city in 2019. RTHK’s cancellation of the weekly “Headliner” show final year fuelled concern amongst some in Hong Kong that it was coming beneath higher government stress.
Hong Kong spend Television platforms Cable Television and Now Television also carry BBC World News.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned China’s action.
“It’s troubling that as (China) restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China, Beijing’s leaders use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation,” Price stated in the course of a standard news briefing on Thursday.
This month, the State Department stated it was “deeply disturbed” by reports carried by the BBC of systematic rape and sexual abuse against ladies in internment camps for ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in China’s Xinjiang area.
China denies accusations of abuses in Xinjiang and stated the BBC report was “wholly without factual basis”.
The BBC stated it was disappointed by the choice of the Chinese authorities to bar BBC World News from broadcasting.
“The BBC is the world’s most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour,” the BBC stated.
On February 4, British media regulator Ofcom revoked China Global Television Network’s (CGTN) licence to broadcast in Britain just after an investigation identified the licence was wrongfully held by Star China Media Ltd.
China criticised the ruling as politicised and warned it reserved the correct to make a “necessary response”.
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