NTDTV Requests that Eutelsat Immediately Restore Its Broadcast Signal into China

(Clearwisdom.net) On August 5, 2008, New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) released a statement urging Eutelsat to immediately use the available transponder to restore NTDTV's broadcast signal.

A Reporters Without Borders investigative report revealed that Eutelsat's CEO, Giuliano Berretta, shut down NTDTV's signal in order to curry favor with the Chinese Communist regime, but Eutelsat has been covering up its real reason for discriminating against NTDTV, using the pretext of "technical problems". Eutelsat also insisted that it did not have any available transponders on W5's Asia beam on which to resume NTDTV's signal.

On July 31, 2008, the US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) terminated its contract with Eutelsat, and removed Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA) and other media from Eutelsat's W5 satellite transponder. NTDTV regretted that BBG made this decision and at the same time, released a statement urging Eutelsat to immediately use the available transponder to restore NTDTV's broadcast signal.

Whereas Eutelsat intends to terminate its contract with NTDTV on October 31, 2008, NTDTV calls upon all governments and righteous people in democratic countries to take immediate action and contact the media and government officials of different countries and the decision-makers at Eutelsat to reverse this wrong decision made by Eutelsat's CEO, Giulilano Berretta.

Full Text of Statement

Statement: Eutelsat Must Immediately Resume NTDTV's Broadcasting Into China

On July 31, 2008, the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) ended its contract with Eutelsat, removing Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA) and other media from Eutelsat's W5 satellite transponder. We express regret over this decision, and at the same time we urge Eutelsat to immediately use the available transponder to restore NTDTV's broadcast signal.

A Reporters Without Borders' investigative report reveals that Eutelsat's CEO, Mr. Giuliano Berretta, turned off NTDTV's signal to please the Chinese Communist regime, but Eutelsat has been covering up its real reason for discriminating against NTDTV, using the pretext of "technical problems". Eutelslat also insists that it did not have any available transponder on W5's Asia beam on which to restore NTDTV's signal. Now that the BBG has withdrawn from the W5 satellite, Eutelsat no longer has any excuse and according to the contract, it has a mandatory legal obligation to immediately move NTDTV's signal to the empty transponder.

At present, Eutelsat has informed NTDTV that it will terminate its contract with NTDTV on October 31, 2008. This act is against Eutelsat's statement of non-discrimination against NTDTV issued on July 25, 2008. We call upon Eutelsat to seriously live up to its principles of non-discrimination, equal opportunity and respect for the pluralism of the media enshrined in its company's charter, and save this only window for Chinese people who are under the Chinese Communist Party's dictatorial rule in Mainland China to obtain true TV information.

More than 20,000 journalists who went to Beijing to cover the Olympic Games have personally experienced the Chinese Communist regime's Internet blockade, and the international community has sternly criticized and condemned the Chinese Communist regime's blockade of information. At this moment, this highlights even more the international community's cherishing freedom and the value of NTDTV's safeguarding the freedom of the media.

Whereas Eutelsat intends to terminate its contract with NTDTV on October 31, 2008, we call upon all governments and righteous people in democratic countries to take immediate actions to use various methods to contact the media and government officials of different countries and the decision-makers at Eutelsat to reverse the wrong decision made by Eutelsat's CEO, Mr. Giuliano Berretta. Your actions will determine if the only free satellite window to Mainland China will remain open. When China becomes a free society, 1.4 billion Chinese people will be grateful for the efforts you made today.

NTDTV August 5, 2008