China’s state media CGTN and CCTV continue to broadcast on Canadian radio
Rogers, Bell, Tellus and Shaw are considering “all options” for Ottawa to remove the network from Canada’s broadcast system, at a Russian state media outlet after Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced. Removed a Russian Today (RT) from the channel lineup.
“I share many Canadian concerns about Russia Today’s presence in the broadcast system. We are considering all options,” Rodriguez said. Said On Twitter on February 26th.
A day later, Rogers Communications Inc. said it would no longer host RTs after February 28 and announced that it would remove the channel.
“We have decided to take effect tomorrow. Russia Today will be unavailable in our channel lineup,” said Canadian communications and media giant. Said on twitter February 27th.
According to Rodriguez, BCE Inc. Also showed similar movements.
“I praise Bell for removing RT,” he said. Said On Twitter on February 27th.
“Russia has been at war in Ukraine since 2014 and is engaged in information warfare around the world. RT is the Propaganda division of the Putin administration to disseminate false information. There is no place here.”
According to the website RT Is a state-owned international news channel launched in 2005. Since its inception, multilingual channels have expanded to more than 100 countries covering 24-hour news.
January 22, US State Department Explained RT is an important element of Russia’s “disinformation and propaganda ecosystem” that “injects disinformation and propaganda of parent Kremlin into the information environment” using “traditional international media guise”.
Telus Corp. And Shaw Communications also announced plans to decommission the network in their channel lineup the day after Rodriguez’s tweet.
Rodriguez Awards A show that removed RT from their network in a tweet on February 28th. “We all have to play our part to counter Russian propaganda,” he said.
China’s state media remains in Canada
Meanwhile, two Chinese national broadcasters continue to broadcast news on Canadian radio.
As of February 28, Chinese state media such as China Global Television Network (CGTN) and China Central Television (CCTV-4), which have long been reported by human rights advocates as a propaganda body for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Is left.With the channel lineup of Rogers When Bell.. Telus Continue to host CCTV-4 on that network.
Last April, Human Rights NGO Safeguard Defender Was called Television providers around the world, including Rogers of Canada, have often stopped broadcasting “confessions” that were forced to televise political prisoners on CCP-controlled CGTN and CCTV-4.
The group also sent an open letter (Pdf) To a TV provider jointly signed by 14 victims of forced confessions.
“Many of us have suffered from this challenge because of our work to uphold basic human rights, the values we deserve in your country,” the letter read.
“The Chinese government and these Chinese television stations have denied us the right to a fair trial, the right to see a lawyer, and the right not to be tortured. Instead, a threat to our family, we. Through threats to ourselves, and torture, we were paraded towards the camera with these compulsory confessions. “
According to Peter Dahlin, director of Safeguard Defenders, the Norwegian company Telia has suspended CGTN and CCTV-4 after receiving an open letter.
CGTN also lost its license to broadcast in the UK in February 2021 after Ofcom, the UK broadcast regulator, discovered that the media violated national broadcast laws.
Formerly known as CCTV, CGTN is an international English satellite news channel owned by the Chinese government and directly controlled by CCP. Broadcasting law in the United Kingdom does not allow licensing of media controlled by political groups.
In March 2021, Australia’s public broadcaster SBS suspended CCTV and CGTN after receiving complaints from Safeguard Defenders after the network broadcast at least 56 forced confessions from prisoners over a seven-year period.
In December 2019, Safeguard Defenders Complaints For systematic broadcasting of abusive content, to the Canadian Radio-Television Communications Commission, the Canadian Broadcasting Regulator for CGTN and CCTV-4.am Still under reviewAccording to human rights groups.
Simon Veazey contributed to this report.
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Isaac Teo is a Toronto-based Epoch Times reporter.