NEW YORK - New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), an independent American TV network that broadcasts in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia, was denied entry on Wednesday to the United Nations Assembly Hall to cover the speech of Chinese President Hu Jintao, even though the NTDTV reporters in question have been accredited by the U.N. A U.N. official later told NTDTV staff that the network was banned from covering any events involving the Chinese delegation.
According to NTDTV reporter Zhi-Hua Hu, "Gary Fowlie, UN Chief of Media Accreditation, specifically told us that NTDTV is not allowed to attend activities related to the Chinese delegation. As far as we're aware, we're the only media group banned—all other media groups including other Chinese TV stations were allowed in except for us."
According to Carrie Hung, NTDTV's spokesperson, "NTDTV has run afoul of the People's Republic of China by providing fair, Chinese-language reporting on challenging issues in China today, and that includes covering efforts over the past few years on the SARS epidemic, Hong Kong Article 23, happenings in Tibet and Xinjiang, and current human rights violations, like those against the underground Christians and Falun Gong."
Of particular concern to PRC officials is NTDTV's satellite broadcast into China. All news in China is censored, and this satellite broadcast provides a unique open window for a broadcaster to reach Chinese audiences with uncensored news. This past spring pressure by the Chinese government on the satellite provider Eutelsat was widely reported. Eutelsat attempted to cancel NTDTV's contract, but then reversed itself after objections by European, American and Canadian government officials.
Two years ago NTDTV was denied media credentials to cover the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. Ms Hung recalls that at that time "We were told by an U.N. press official that the U.N. was 'under pressure from the Chinese.'"
Carrie Hung asks "Whilst world leaders are gathering to discuss UN reform, has the UN blatantly violated its own convention that guarantees freedom of press by bowing to the pressure of the Chinese Communist Government? Why has NTDTV been discriminated against and singled out?"
Representatives of the U.N. were not available for comment at the time this story was filed.
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