Press TV, the news channel backed by the Iranian government, is to be taken off the air in Britain, regulator Ofcom ruled today.
The station was fined £100,000 by Ofcom in December 2011, after the station hid the fact that a 2009 ‘interviewee’ was being forcibly detained in Iran. However, the station did not meet its January deadline to pay the fine.
Ofcom also requested that Press TV name on its licence the person, or body who controls its UK-based operations.
But Ofcom says Press TV failed to accede to either request. As a result, the channel will be taken off its UK platform – Sky television – today.
Rhys Hurd, press spokesman at Ofcom, told the Bureau:
‘We are revoking Press TV’s licence because editorial control does not sit with the UK licencee. We have given the broadcaster a number of opportunities to bring themselves into line, indeed we have bent over backwards to accommodate them, but they have failed to do so.’
Hurd added: ‘We have very simple ground rules. Ofcom licences around 1000 stations and the vast majority stay within those rules.’
Press TV called the decision ‘scandalous’, with CEO Mohammad Sarafraz claiming that the decision is ‘an act of aggression by the British monarchy’ which ‘will prevent the British from learning the truth’.
In an October 2011 an opinion poll on the station’s website, Press TV reported that 52% of respondents viewed Ofcom’s decision as ‘an instance of intellectual terrorism.’
In December 2011, an investigation by the Bureau, published in the Guardian, highlighted how Press TV appeared to have faked dozens of accounts of US drone strikes in Somalia which it claimed had killed hundreds of civilians.
The Bureau found no evidence of the alleged 1,370 fatalities, stemming from 56 claimed drone strikes.
Following the Bureau’s revelations, Press TV’s reporting of alleged strikes ceased for over a month, until January 6 2012.
January 26th, 2012 at 12:09 pm (#)
I for one am very happy that the Press tv is off air. I say good riddance, bravo ofcom. Press tv is a propaganda machine for the Akhunds in Tehran as it was serving their interests only. It is very selective about the events around the world depending on who and what the Akhunds in Tehran thought was right and who was wrong.
It would make a lot of noises about the racist uprising in Bahrain, glorifying them. While they would call the demonstrators in Syria as Terrorists.
It would cover stories about the UK and US’s human right but it would never mention the atrocities committed by the Iranian regime on the people from Seestan Baluchistan. It would never mention the fact that they put they hanged hundreds of Afghan refugees and stopped their children from getting an education by closing their schools down.
Anyone, who still thinks that Press tv was a voice of the voiceless, have to wake up and smell the coffee.
February 2nd, 2012 at 3:08 pm (#)
Ive worked for Press Tv and at least got paid!
Moreover the Press TV state of the Art TV station provided interesting media jobs for many young people.
Despite the claims of Ofcom it is likely that the revocation of their license is a political move- due to current oil sanctions.
At least Press Tv covered some interesting stories unlike the bland and biased State propoganda of the BBC.
February 5th, 2012 at 7:07 pm (#)
At least, the lies propagated by Press TV did not caused wars to be imposed on number of countries and it DID not cause millions to die basing on the targeted lying campaigns of CNN, BBC, FOX.
Waheed you need to wake your self up and try to smell the blood spilled in vain resulting from the propaganda campaigns of mainstream media. Any idea on who’s fingers this mainstream media dances, which when lied…millions died (human beings)
February 7th, 2012 at 1:39 am (#)
The war of terrorism against Iran is being waged on all fronts. I wish the Iranian people the best of luck but it doesn’t look good. When the US of Israel sets its sights on a nation, it’s as good as bombed.
February 7th, 2012 at 1:42 am (#)
Is there a comparison between the PressTV’s propaganda and that of FAUX NOISE? Now, if someone should have their license revoked that would be them. Instead, they provide them with round-the-clock police protection on the taxpayer’s dime. What a world!