The independent Chinese-language network is known for its hard-hitting coverage on China and issues related to the Chinese communist regime.
“We are very pleased to be carried on Rogers and to be able to serve Chinese speaking Canadians," said Zhong Lee, President of NTDTV Global Network.
Among attendees at the event was Senator Consiglio Di Nino of Ontario. In congratulating NTDTV on its launch, Di Nino highlighted the challenges the network went through to get on the air and criticized the quality of news coming out of China.
"The Chinese government, represented in this country by their bureaucracy — the embassy and the consulate general — are not necessarily happy to see an organization like NTDTV present a different view of the news that comes from China, or about China...because very often what we are seeing and what we are hearing about are at least filtered if not totally misrepresented.”
Di Nino said he is strongly supportive of NTDTV — which offers news, entertainment, cultural variety shows, and educational programming — because “we do need a breath of fresh air coming out of China and coming out on Chinese issues.”
“The Chinese government demonizes anyone that is in disagreement with them, whether it's the Christan community, whether it's my dear friends in the Tibetan Community, the Dalai Lama. Whether its the Falun Gong, a spiritual organization that in any other country of the world would be welcomed to practice their spiritual beliefs and their religious beliefs — they are not only demonized, they are persecuted in China, and that is unacceptable.”
In a congratulatory letter to NTDTV, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the launch “a significant occasion for Chinese Canadians” and said he is “certain that NTDTV will enrich the community and contribute to Canada’s proud cultural diversity.”
The network began broadcasting via satellite in North America in February 2002 and now has 24/7 programming in Asia, Europe, and Australia. The mission of NTDTV is to provide viewers with accurate information to enrich their knowledge and lives, foster understanding between Chinese and western societies, assist Chinese people outside China to adapt and integrate into mainstream society and to contribute to pluralism and free flow of information in the Chinese language media.
NTDTV now reaches over 200 million viewers worldwide including at least 2,000,000 families in North America. It was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to be broadcast in Canada.
