NTDTV Files Lawsuit Against Eutelsat

According to NTDTV.com, New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) has filed a lawsuit against Eutelsat for its shutdown of NTDTV's signal to Asia. A French court has accepted the lawsuit and a hearing date will be announced. Eutelsat is facing the legal procedure for its betrayal of public trust and responsibility for business contracts, apparently under pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In June 2008, Eutelsat cut off NTDTV's Asia broadcast on its W5 satellite using the excuse of a technical difficulty. The international community has repeatedly called for Eutelsat to resume the broadcast. In January 2009, the European Parliament passed a resolution urging Eutelsat to resume the broadcast immediately. Eutelsat has not taken any action yet.

NTDTV spokesperson Ms. Carrie Hong said, "Our all efforts have been unable to have Eutelsat correct its mistake. We therefore are taking legal action and request an independent investigation into the 'technical difficulty' that Eutelsat claims. The only window of information freedom above mainland China will be re-opened. [By cutting off NTDTV's broadcast] Eutelsat not only sacrifices the right-to-know of 1.4 billion people living in China, but violates its own company charter."

NTDTV lawyer, well-known French Attorney William Bourdon, said he was optimistic about the case though there is no precedent for it. He said that time and the law were the weapons. The conscience of the international public is becoming stronger, and people cannot tolerate suppression of freedom. All technologies are for the public to obtain free information without limitations. Mr. Bourdon said that the lawsuit is the first in this regard, and justice will prevail.

NTDTV requests court to order investigation of Eutelsat

Based on legal procedure, NTDTV is requesting the court to dispatch specialists to conduct a full investigation of Eutelsat's internal operations. The investigation is needed to confirm that Eutelsat's shutdown of the NTDTV signal was due to political pressure from Beijing.

NTDTV lawyer Mr. Bourdon said that the court would be able to appoint capable experts to obtain the necessary information. The expert will report on whether Eutelsat yielded to Beijing's political pressure.

Background

New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), the New York-based network whose broadcast was cut, stands at the forefront of promoting media freedom in China. It was the first Chinese-language media to break the news about the SARS epidemic in China, weeks before the Chinese regime allowed coverage. NTDTV also carries extensive coverage of the melamine-contaminated dairy products that left 300,000 infants severely ill and six dead in China, and which have also found their way into food supplies around the world.