China bans BBC World News from broadcasting
- 12 February 2021
- 611
The British media regulator revoked the license for CGTN, China’s international news channel, earlier this month
On February 11, the Chinese National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) announced that it has taken the BBC World News programs off air. According to NRTA statement cited by CNN, BBC World News is claimed to have «infringed the principles of truthfulness and imparity of journalism» by broadcasting reports on China’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, hence, releasing the «fake news». In addition, BBC repeatedly expressed its views in regard to «reeducation» camps for Uyghurs, which could have influenced NRTA’s decision to ban BBC, the source argues.
Earlier this month, Britain’s broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, withdrew a license for China Global Television Network (CGTN), to broadcast in the UK. As claimed by CNN, this decision could be the underlying cause for the following ban on BBC.
The BBC programs have already been restricted by China’s firewall of censorship. For this reason, up until 11 February, BBC World News was only available in international hotels.
