China’s State-Owned Broadcaster Has Had Its UK Licence Revoked

China’s international English-language satellite news channel has had its licence to broadcast in the UK withdrawn.

UK regulator Ofcom said it had concluded that China Global Television Network’s (CGTN) licence was held by a company – Star China Media Limited – that had no control or editorial oversight over the channel, in breach of UK law.

Ofcom said it had rejected an application to transfer the licence from Star China Media Limited to another entity that it believed was ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Under UK law, broadcast licences cannot be held by political bodies.

“We have given CGTN significant time to come into compliance with the statutory rules. Those efforts have now been exhausted,” Ofcom said in a statement.

“Following careful consideration, taking account of all the facts and the broadcaster’s and audience’s rights to freedom of expression, we have decided it is appropriate to revoke the licence for CGTN to broadcast in the UK.”

Ofcom’s decision could lead to tit-for-tat retaliation against UK journalists in China. Last year, the US State Department designated a number of Chinese media outlets as foreign missions, which then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said was to push back against what he called Chinese propaganda.

In response, China expelled several US newspaper correspondents.