April 6, 2005

Dear Colleague:

The pioneering US-based channel, New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV), is currently the only independent Chinese-language satellite TV station with a significant audience in the People's Republic of China (PRC). NTDTV reaches tens of millions of private satellite dishes across China with broadcasting that is free of Communist propaganda. The flow of such independent programming, including news and important cultural and entertainment content, helps promote democracy and freedom.

Unfortunately, Eutelsat, a Paris-based satellite company that transmits NTDTV over Asia, has apparently caved in to pressure from the Chinese government to stop beaming content that is uncensored and sometimes critical of the PRC. Eutelsat has notified NTDTV that it will stop broadcasting the channel to Asia on April 15th. If Eutelsat succeeds in silencing NTDTV, it will enable the PRC, one of the world's worst violators of media freedom and human rights, to once again re-establish full censorship over broadcast information available to its citizens. While other private sector media firms transmit programming to Chinese audiences, that content is subjected to either formal Communist censorship or profit-seeking self-censorship by firms unwilling to risk angering Beijing's dictators.

Currently, over 400f the US Government's satellite contracts are with Eutelsat. We see no reason the U.S. taxpayer should fund satellite companies that won't stand up for freedom of the press, and instead discriminate in favor of repressive regimes and against free media.

Please sign-on the attached letter to President Bush, asking him to use US leverage to keep Eutelsat broadcasting free TV to China. A letter supporting continuation of this broadcast was sent to Eutelsat's Chairman, signed by over 65 Members of Parliament in Europe.

To sign-on, please contact George Phillips in Rep. Chris Smith's office (x 53765). The sign-on deadline is noon on Monday, April 11th.

Sincerely,

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH
Member of Congress

TOM LANTOS
Member of Congress

Posting date: 4/7/2005
Original article date: 4/7/2005
Category: Open Forum

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