A view of the CCTV building on Feb. 4
China Global Television Network (CGTN), the official media outlet of the Chinese Communist Party, will not be able to continue broadcasting in Germany. The North Rhine-Westphalia Media Authority (Landesmedienanstalt NRW) confirmed the news to Deutsche Welle on Friday (Feb. 12).
On February 4, Ofcom revoked CGTN’s broadcasting license.
Under a license-sharing agreement between several European countries for many years, CGTN was automatically allowed to broadcast in Germany because it was licensed to broadcast in the UK.
After Ofcom revoked the license, CGTN’s license to broadcast in Germany lapsed at the same Time.
Reuters reported that Vodafone Germany said on Friday it had stopped transmitting CGTN channels on the company’s cable networks in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg.
We are currently consulting with local media authorities and representatives of broadcasters regarding the license revocation in order to clarify legal issues,” Vodafone said.
What is known so far
Ofcom revoked CGTN’s broadcast license on Feb. 4
The license allowed CGTN to be licensed to broadcast in several European countries, including Germany
Vodafone Germany has stopped broadcasting CGTN programmes
Other German broadcasters will have to follow suit
If CGTN wishes to continue broadcasting in Germany, it must apply for a new broadcasting license.
Why did Ofcom revoke CGTN’s broadcasting license?
Ofcom said that Star China Media Limited, which holds the UK license for CGTN, did not have editorial control over the output of China Global Television Network and did not comply with UK law.
After an investigation, Ofcom determined that CGTN, which is officially owned by the Chinese Communist Party, is “ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Ultimately it is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and is not eligible to hold a license.
What is the content of the license sharing agreement?
This “cross-border TV” agreement was signed in 1989 and provides for the sharing of broadcast licenses obtained in one European country across Europe.
The agreement was signed within the framework of the Council of Europe, of which the UK remains a member despite its withdrawal from the EU. Therefore, the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will not have any impact on the CGTN license controversy.
All EU member states, as well as most of the Balkan countries and Ukraine, have also signed this “cross-border TV” agreement. This means that CGTN may lose its broadcasting license throughout Europe. However, the channel can resume broadcasting in Europe if it reapplies for a license in one of the countries.
Germany’s “Die Zeit Online” reports that none of the media authorities in Germany’s 16 federal states have yet received a license application from CGTN. According to Germany’s rule that media outlets must keep their distance from the government, it would be difficult for CGTN to be granted a license to broadcast.
Even so, CGTN can still transmit its programs via the Internet and satellite in Europe, as the agreement applies mainly to terrestrial broadcasters.
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