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New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) (Chinese: 新唐人電視臺) is a Falun Gong-affiliated Chinese language television broadcaster based in New York City, founded in 2001. The company's stated mission is "to foster mutual understanding between Chinese and Western societies" and promote multiculturalism, peace and compassion.

According to the Wall Street Journal, NTDTV is, along with The Epoch Times and Sound of Hope Radio Station, part of a "media empire" founded by and affiliated with Falun Gong practitioners. NTDTV is known to sympathize with Falun Gong, and takes a critical line on the Communist Party of China. In January 2005 it aired a video version of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, a political editorial condemning the Party.

NTDTV also puts on an annual Chinese New Year Spectacular, which is a Falun Gong-affiliated event that claims to "celebrate Chinese culture". The station's political leanings has prompted "bans" from the Chinese government, leading to a controversy involving French network Eutelsat. It has also attracted criticism from overseas Chinese student groups, although the Epoch Times reported that the Chinese government allegedly attacked the station unfairly.

The Chinese New Year Spectacular

The Chinese New Year Spectacular is a live show performed in various major cities around the globe annually. It is also aired globally by NTDTV. According to the producers, the Chinese New Year Spectacular "celebrates traditional Chinese culture and tradition." There are also acts in the performance that support the practice of Falun Gong and critical of the persecution carried out by the Chinese government. Some of the acts in the show include scenes from the persecution of Falun Gong, a dramatised execution of the Chinese police using violence against a "mother and daughter whose banner carries the Falun Gong message." Some of the song contain lyrics such as "Don't be gullible before the one-voice system," and "Why do we expose the Party for you, then?" . The Daily News criticized NTDTV's apparent misleading advertisement of the show. The Chinese embassy in the United States accused NTDTV of being used to "spread anti-China propaganda" and "distorting Chinese culture"

Chinese government response

Because of NTDTV's association with Falun Gong, as well as its broadcasting of anti-Communist, pro-Falun Gong stance, there has been a running battle between NTDTV and the People's Republic of China, with, allegedly, the Chinese government trying to convince the satellite operators to stop carrying NTDTV broadcasts.

As reported in The Korea Times on January 7, 2007, a Korean theater scheduled to host the Korean NTDTV Chinese new year performance canceled the contract at the last minute. Show organizers reported that initially the National Theater told them it was being forced to cancel because China was threatening the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism with cancellations of upcoming Korean shows in Mainland China. However, NTDTV says that theater later denied such pressure, saying that the show was canceled of breaching an obscure restriction against foreign performers.

In June 2007, Chinese students of New York University's Chinese Culture Club protested and issued a public letter condemning NTDTV holding a dance competition in the university, accusing it of spreading anti-Chinese propaganda. NTDTV claimed the protests was instigated by the P.R. Chinese Communist Party's organizations, although it has not yet been proven.

Eutelsat-NTDTV censorship controversy

According to the media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders, the French satellite company Eutelsat closed down transmissions of NTDTV to Mainland China in June 2008 to "appease the Chinese government." Eutelsat claimed that the shutdown was due to a technical failure, but Reporters Without Borders released a transcript of a recorded phone conversation with an unnamed employee in Eutelsat's Beijing office. The caller pretended to be a government official from China's propaganda ministry, which the Eutelsat employee took for granted. The conversation indicated that the decision to shut down NTDTV was made by Eutelsat's CEO Giuliano Berretta, who awaited in return significant business deals with P. R. China. The transcript is available on Reporters Without Borders website.

References

1. LA Times: Ties to Falun Gong add controversy to the Chinese New Year Spectacular
2. Chen, Kathy Chinese Dissidents Take On Beijing Via Media Empire Wall Street Journal 11-15-2007
3. http://www.usembassy.it/pdf/other/RL33437.pdf Lum, Thomas CRS Report page CRS-8, list of Falun Gong-affiliated media
4. http://web.archive.org/web/20060510023534/http://www.ntdtv.com/xtr/eng/aAboutXTR_e.htm
5. LA Times:Ties to Falun Gong add controversy to the Chinese New Year Spectacular
6. http://www.nyuccc.org/document/support_lett.pdf
7. "CCP Allegedly Attacks New York Dance Competition". The Epoch Times. 2007-06-20. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
8. Call on the Chinese Prime Minister to end persecution of the Falun Gong
9. Susan Walker (Falun) Gong New Year event mere propaganda, The Totonto Star, Jan 20, 2008
10. Konigsberg, Eric (02-06), "A Glimpse of Chinese Culture That Some Find Hard to Watch", The New York Times {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
11. http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/gyzg/t397390.htm
12. LA Times
13. http://www.sunshinepress.org/Eutelsat_suppresses_independent_Chinese-language_TV_station_NTDTV_to_satisfy_Beijing
14. "Beijing Bullies Korean Government into Blocking NTDTV Show; Now Targeting Corporate Sponsors" (Press release). New Tang Dynasty Television. 2007-01-17. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
15. http://www.nyuccc.org/document/support_lett.pdf
16. "CCP Allegedly Attacks New York Dance Competition". The Epoch Times. 2007-06-20. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
17. Reporters Without Borders: European satellite operator Eutelsat suppresses independent Chinese-language TV station NTDTV to satisfy Beijing, 10 July 2008
18. http://www.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/Transcript_Eutelsat-2.pdf

External links

• NTDTV Official Site
• Chinese New Year Spectacular
• The Falun Gong Show: SFist goes to the NTDTV Chinese New Year
• New Tang Dynasty TV at Youtube

• Television stations in New York
• Falun Gong