New Tang Dynasty Television

History

NTD was founded in 2001 as an independent Chinese news media, with its stated mission being to offer "uncensored news" about China that other Chinese media, particularly state-controlled media, would not cover. The station has a regular focus on the promotion of traditional Chinese culture, and devotes extensive news coverage to Chinese human rights issues, taking a critical stance on what it claims are abuses of power by the Communist Party of China.

Since its founding, NTD has expanded to include English, Spanish, Japanese, French, Russian, Persian, Hebrew and several other language editions. Its content offerings include news and analysis, arts and culture, travel, entertainment news, health and lifestyle, and children’s programming.

The station's critical reporting on the Communist Party of China has prompted censorship by the Chinese government. NTD also allege Chinese government interference with their reporting and business operations.

NTD began broadcasting via satellite in North America in February 2002, and expanded its audience into mainland China in April 2004. At present, the station's satellite coverage reaches Asia, Europe, and Australia in several languages.

NTD, along with The Epoch Times and Sound of Hope radio station, was founded by Falun Gong practitioners who had emigrated to the West. Many of its staff are Falun Gong adherents who volunteer their time and services. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, president Zhong Lee stated that the company's original purpose was to speak out against the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong, but that it "can also play a big role pushing democracy in China." The station covers several issues that are taboo in Mainland China, such as official corruption and public health scares, and also provides a platform for Chinese human rights and pro-democracy activists.

The station's broadcasts can theoretically reach 200 million viewers globally, including 50 million in mainland China, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Programming

NTD broadcasts 24/7, and offers a variety of original and syndicated programming, including news, arts and culture shows, travel, entertainment news, health and lifestyle, and children’s programing.

The station is best known for its news and analysis segments, which typically contain criticism of the Chinese government over various human rights abuses, including the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the station broke news of SARS in 2003, three weeks before the Chinese government admitted publicly that there was an epidemic. (It went on to cause at least 774 deaths.) The station offered extensive coverage of democratic elections in Taiwan, and the death of purged former Chinese General Secretary Zhao Ziyang. The Chinese-language station regularly airs a video version of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, an editorial series offering a strong critique of the CPC's rule, which is often used as Falun Gong propaganda against the Chinese Communist Party.

Cultural outreach

As part of its mission to promote “appreciation and awareness of traditional Chinese culture,” NTD organizes and produces a variety of cultural outreach programs, including Chinese classical dance, martial arts, and culinary competitions. The station frames these activities within a context of reviving "true Chinese cultural and moral traditions that have been lost under Communist Party rule".

From 2004 to 2006, NTD produced and televised an annual Chinese New Year Spectacular, a performance featuring classical Chinese dance and music. The show's performances contained ethnic and folk dances, dances depicting Chinese legends and moral tales, solo musical performances, and messaging and imagery sympathetic to Falun Gong, and included "artistic representations of the persecution of practitioners" in China. These shows have since been continued as traveling stage productions by a dedicated organisation, Shen Yun Performing Arts.

In 2008, the station began organizing a series of annual competitions open to ethnic Chinese participants in fields of classical Chinese dance, martial arts, traditional clothing design, painting, music, photography, and Chinese cooking.

Censorship

NTD's anti-Communist Party stance and reportage on human rights issues in China has led to interference and political pressure from the Chinese Communist Party and its overseas embassies. In turn, along with dissuading government officials from attending the New Year's show, the Chinese embassy in the United States accused NTD of being used to "spread anti-China propaganda" and "distorting Chinese culture".

In January 2007, a theater in South Korea scheduled to host the New Year's performance cancelled their booking at the last minute, which NTD alleged was because China threatened actions against upcoming Korean shows in Mainland China. It has also been reported that NASDAQ broke ties with the station around this time after Chinese pressure.

In June 2008, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ("RSF") accused Eutelsat of closing down transmissions of NTD on June 16 through its W5 satellite to appease the Chinese government, and appealed to Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta to quickly reverse its decision to suspend NTD’s use of Eutelsat. According to RSF, the NTD shutdown was a "premeditated, politically motivated decision". RSF stated that they were in possession of a recording of a purported conversation with a Beijing employee of Eutelsat confirming the allegations. Eutelsat claimed that the shutdown was due to a technical failure, denied the validity of the conversation, and pointed out in July 2008 that NTD is still being broadcast from the Hot Bird positions.

On August 20, 2008, the International Federation of Journalists released a statement calling on Eutelsat restore NTD and three radio stations including Sound of Hope. The statement accused Eutelsat of bowing down to political pressure, and argued how the approaching Beijing Olympics could have resulted in the Chinese government's increasing pressure to censor the broadcasting of NTD.

The European Parliament also called on Eutelsat to reverse their decision to shut down NTD. Following this, Eutelsat issued a press release and written declaration, denying all charges of censorship against NTD. The company insists that NTD's shutdown resulted solely from the technical failure experienced by W5 satellite, and adds that NTD is being broadcast across Europe via Eutelsat's HOT BIRD video neighbourhood (which unlike W5, cannot be received from China).

In June 2010 the Canadian Prime Minister's Office cancelled a press conference that NTD and Epoch Times would have attended, so that Chinese President Hu Jintao would not come into contact with the broadcaster, allegedly following terms from the Chinese consulate. According to the Toronto Star, such press conferences are usually standard procedure for foreign leaders visiting the Parliament, and the cancellation was seen as an extraordinary measure to keep NTD away from the Chinese President.

NTDTV's YouTube channel and its extensions are naturally blocked as a result of the Great Firewall.

NTD Canada

On July 25, 2012, NTD Television officially launched NTD Canada, a local Canadian channel for Chinese viewers in Canada. NTD Canada is a multilingual service airing programming in Cantonese, Mandarin, English and French, with an aim of reaching out to second and third generation Chinese-Canadians who may not speak Chinese as well as they do English or French.