DENVER - The Colorado State Senate urged President Bush and the U.S. Congress to intervene on behalf of New Tang Dynasty Television in a resolution passed unanimously last Friday.
For over a year, the New York-based NTDTV has been broadcasting shows into China via the French satellite company Eutelsat. Under pressure from the Chinese government, however, Eutelsat has threatened to shut down the broadcasts into Mainland China by not renewing NTDTV's contract this month.
"I think it's only appropriate that the people here in the United States and world-wide have complete communications with the people in Mainland China," said the resolution's sponsor, State Senator Lewis Entz.
The Senate Joint Resolution calls for Washington to "use diplomatic means to protest Eutelsat's decision" and to "understand the importance of NTDTV's broadcast into communist China."
NTDTV is the only independent network broadcasting Mandarin shows into Mainland China. It provides tens of millions of private satellite-dish owners the opportunity to receive outside news and programming free of state propaganda, including on issues such as the U.S. presidential debates, the outbreak of SARS, and the persecution of Falun Gong.
"That the media in China is anything other than ruled by a Communist regime that oppresses people, that kills people because of what they believe and what they stand for is to misconstrue reality", said Colorado State Representative Josh Penry. "China is one of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in the history of mankind, and to suggest anything otherwise is wrong. Their media is the word of the state."
Eutelsat's decision to discontinue carrying NTDTV had led 93 members of U.S. Congress to sign a "Dear Colleague" letter to President Bush and the Department of State calling for the use of diplomatic leverage to resolve the issue. The letter, dated April 12, pointed out that Eutelsat also carries 40 percent of U.S. government satellite contracts.
"We see no reason why U.S. taxpayers should continue to fund satellite companies that discriminate in favor of oppressive regimes and against free media," the Congressmen wrote in their letter.
NTDTV has also received support from the European Parliament, the International Federation of Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders.
After initially planning to terminate its contract with NTDTV April 15, Eutelsat has announced that the contract has been provisionally extended while further negotiations take place.
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