NTDTV Starts Broadcasting Globally -- Signals in Asia Might be Interrupted by Jiang's Regime

(Clearwisdom.net report July 10, 2003)

North American based Chinese language television station New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV) launched its global satellite network on July 1, 2003, broadcasting in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America without a decoder, free of charge. Chinese audiences are very interested in this Chinese language channel. According to information on the internet, the Chinese Broadcasting Department noticed the broadcasting of NTDTV signals in Asia, and since then the signals seem to have been interrupted by Jiang and his regime. A spokesman from NTDTV confirmed these reports, saying that their signals are required to broadcast with coding in Asia. NTDTV is seeking ways to give audiences convenient access. NTDTV will be sure to continue broadcasting free of charge.

Australia audience posted on the internet that they received NTDTV programming.	Mainland China Web-user posted on the internet that they received NTDTV programming.

As the first non-profit Chinese language public TV network, NTDTV started broadcasting in North America in February 2002, free of charge. It is a miracle among the other global Chinese TV stations, since it developed to the point where it is broadcasting in Asia, Europe, and Australia without coding.

The broadcasting of NTDTV aroused the attention of TVRO. TVRO (Television Receive Only) refers to those individuals who try to access directly all satellite TV signals through different satellite dish configurations. Australian TVROs shouted, "It's an eye opener!" "These are the first TV programs produced by North American Chinese that we've received. This is truly refreshing and hard to come by!" "It will be hard for it to be blocked, since this channel has already been able to get globally established, and now it will become a global Chinese TV channel."

It has been reported that Taiwan's report raised attention from the Chinese TV and Broadcasting Ministry. There was news reported in China about how "Satellite Channel 95^oE just added NTDTV," but it was immediately taken down. Soon after, the Taiwan TVRO site announced NTDTV signals had been blocked in Asia.

"Australia is still receiving the signals fine. Hence, NTDTV has been interrupted in Northeast Asia under the pressure from Jiang and his regime."

NTDTV Will Continue Being Available Free of Charge
Journalists interviewed NTDTV and asked, "Are you being banned?"

The NTDTV spokesperson Anna Chang said, "Thanks to our audience's devotion, NTDTV has not been banned. Currently NTDTV has been asked to broadcast in Asia with coding. We were not requested to do the same with Australia's signal, so that's how this situation came about."

NTDTV is broadcasting simultaneously on three satellites. NTDTV confirmed that they trial broadcasted on July 1-2, 2003, and formally started their normal broadcasting in Asia and Australia on July 2-4, but were requested to broadcast with coding in Northeast Asia after July 4.

Journalists asked if Xintian Company requested the coding under pressure from Jiang's group.

Anna Chang replied, "It's not clear. NTDTV has cooperated with Xintian Inc. very well in the past. They had pressure from Jiang and his regime before, but they persisted in cooperating with us. We are very grateful to them.

"Jiang and his regime fear that people will see anti-government programming. News of the huge parade in Hong Kong on July 1 was blocked in China. They cut off Hong Kong TV signals, blocked CNN and other foreign signals. This is their typical behavior. We broadcasted many scenes of the July 1 parade, and how Hong Kong's people are opposing Article 23. Jiang and his regime did not like to see this."

Anna Chang said, "At present, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan are being wrongfully interfered with. This is unfair to them. Our original purpose was to provide free TV services without decoding necessary. We are trying to provide more convenience to the audience. NTDTV will continue being available free of charge. We will not give in to any political pressure, we will uphold journalistic integrity in our news broadcasting, and we will provide more high-quality programming to our audiences. We hope more people of conscience will help and support us.

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