The Chinese Communist Government continues to restrict what its citizens read, hear and view. The recent pressuring of French satellite provider Eutelsat to drop the broadcasts of the independent Chinese language TV station, NTDTV, is the most recent example of the regime's continuing efforts to block freedom of speech.
Within China, access to information is strictly controlled. For everyday Chinese, if they want an alternative opinion to the state run media they must illegally access foreign-based media.
International radios broadcasted on short wave from outside China and the Internet are the key sources of information, which are heavily monitored and censored by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). There are also overseas TV channels broadcasting via satellite such as New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV) who manage to break the CCP's censorship.
NTDTV is an independent, non-profit Chinese language TV broadcaster established by overseas Chinese. It began broadcasting via satellite in North America in February 2002 and extended it's programming to cover Asia, Europe, and Australia in July 2003.
Through NTDTV, more Chinese citizens are receiving programs covering sensitive topics such as state corruption, human rights and other news blacked out by the Chinese Government.
To transmit into China, NTDTV signed a one-year contract with French satellite company Eutelsat. Since then, Eutelsat has "been under tremendous political and economic pressure from the Chinese communist government," according to a statement on NTDTV's website.
As the only broadcaster of uncensored Chinese-language programs into China, NTDTV has repeatedly met opposition from the CCP in various ways and the pressure on Eutelsat is only the most recent example.
In a decision opposed by independent organizations such as the International Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and Accuracy in Media, Eutelsat has yet to decide if it will terminate broadcasting NTDTV into China and in that removing an important source of uncensored information to Chinese people.
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