Media regulator Ofcom has fined Star China Media Limited £200,000 after serious breaches of its fairness and privacy rules on CCTV and CGTN.
The move follows complaints over two individuals who were found to have been unfairly treated by the broadcaster. CGTN had failed to obtain their informed consent to be interviewed. In addition, material facts which cast serious doubt on the reliability of their alleged confessions were left out of the programmes.
Two financial penalties of £100,000 each were imposed by the regulator, payable to HM Paymaster General.
In February, Ofcom revoked CGTN’s licence to broadcast in the UK after the regulator found the channel to be controlled by the Communist Party of China. The channel later resumed transmissions under the French flag
In the last few days CGTN has reappeared on the IPTV-delivered Vision TV, available as part of the terrestrial Freeview service. As an OTT channel, CGTN doesn’t currently require an Ofcom licence.
