Iran's Press TV loses UK licence

[super jumbe]

Iranian news network Press TV has had its licence revoked by the media regulator Ofcom and will no longer be allowed to broadcast in the UK.

Ofcom said the state broadcaster's English language outlet had breached several broadcasting licence rules over editorial control of the channel.

Press TV has also failed to pay a ?100,000 fine imposed last year.

The channel called the decision "a clear example of censorship". It will be removed from Sky on 20 January.

[GastonJ]

I'm sure they're really worried about their viewing figures....

[super jumbe]

What do we except, sky TV is owned by Rubert Murdoch.

British as we are pride ourselves on free speech and now that has taken away from the people shame on ofcom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Freedom of speech I am ashamed to admit I am British???

[Shady]

OFCOM rules state that stations registered in the UK have to be run from within the uk.. all production and editorial staff for press tv were based in Iran, CLEARLY contravening OFCOM regulations..

get it?

they broke the rules, and so now theyre gone from the uk.
They had a chance to pay the fine and move some staff to the uk, thereby ensuring the channels broadcast in the uk.. they couldnt be bothered, so its hardly press censorship or the denying of freedom of speech is it?

[super jumbe]

Originally Posted by shady

OFCOM rules state that stations registered in the UK have to be run from within the uk.. all production and editorial staff for press tv were based in Iran,







Al Jazeera (also Aljazeera or JSC [Jazeera Satellite Channel]) is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation ...

Al Jazeera tv based in Doha get your facts right, try again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kalipo]

Originally Posted by shady

OFCOM rules state that stations registered in the UK have to be run from within the uk.. all production and editorial staff for press tv were based in Iran,







Al Jazeera (also Aljazeera or JSC [Jazeera Satellite Channel]) is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation ...

Al Jazeera tv based in Doha get your facts right, try again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

boom ..

[Shady]

al jazeera isnt broadcast from the uk jumbe..

press tv is..

oh how it must hurt to see your carefully prepared research blow up in your face

[Shady]

ah i see where your animosity comes from now jumbe.. i said that the rules state that stations registered in the uk need to be run from the uk, whe i should have said stations broadcast in the uk.. my mistake. but the fact still remains that this isnt press censorship..

Iranian government-backed broadcaster Press TV has finally got its fondest wish and lost its UK broadcast licence, but its martyrdom is self-inflicted rather than the result of any government conspiracy.

The channel, which had a home on the Sky Satellite platform, has been claiming to have been banned since October, saying it frightens the UK establishment. It did get fined ?100,000 in December for broadcasting a dodgy interview, and has now lost its licence on the grounds that the body holding said licence (Press TV Limited, the UK subsidiary of the Iranian organisation) wasn't making the editorial decisions.

Ofcom tells us it offered to help Press TV get a licence for its Tehran-based editorial operation, and reminds us that several channels have their editorial operations abroad and that's fine as long as those operations are the ones holding the licence. But Press TV refused such offers, and only the UK office holds a broadcast licence.

Ofcom rules are pretty clear that the body making the editorial decisions has to hold the licence, so the channel will get yanked off the air at midnight Friday.


Which is, arguably, just what Press TV wants. The channel has spent the last four months claiming its licence had already been rescinded on the orders of a British government conspiracy motivated to act by irreverent Press TV coverage of the royal wedding, so it risked looking pretty silly if the regulator had just slapped its wrist and issued a stern warning.


Just to be sure there's no residual sympathy Press TV has apparently "indicated it is unwilling and unable to pay the ?100,000 fine", which was levied against the broadcaster after it transmitted an interview with a Newsweek journalist out of context.
But Ofcom isn't withdrawing the licence for that, only because the editorial decisions are being made by a body which doesn't hold the broadcasting licence.
So after tonight we'll have to stick with China Central TV, Russia Today and Fox News for our ideologically-motivated news coverage

Iranian gov mouthpiece Press TV finally gets taken off the air in the UK ? The Register

[super jumbe]

Shady??..I haven?t got time to read all your comments but you have lost me on freedom of speech not all countries on sky news are based in UK but we still see them on sky????.

If you like reading TV owned by Rubert Murdoch who is already on spotlight with the telephone hacking scandal you can not get any worse then that for ofcom to turn the blind eye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why won?t ofcom fine sky for illegal activities?

[Shady]

What do we except, sky TV is owned by Rubert Murdoch.

British as we are pride ourselves on free speech and now that has taken away from the people shame on ofcom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Freedom of speech I am ashamed to admit I am British???

erm, YOU bought up freedom of speech and IVE lost YOU?

[nara]

Why won?t ofcom fine sky for illegal activities?

What illegal activities?

[Shady]

Believe hes confusing sky tv with the news of the world as they are both owned by Murdoch, when they are in fact seperate entities,

[super jumbe]

Confused or not, end of the day you can still watch Press tv on 19.** and on most middle east channels and go live on website.

The only problem remains we in UK lost that revenue so will have to pay extra towards sky channels which I am going to cancel my subscription.

[Shady]

who on dk still pays sly subs?