Falun Dafa protests CRTC's OK of Chinese TV stations

(CBC) - The Falun Dafa Association of Canada has vowed to keep fighting a decision by Canada's broadcast regulator to approve nine digital TV stations from mainland China.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission gave the go-ahead for the Chinese-language stations on Dec. 22.

The Falun Dafa Association, a group that represents the Falun Gong spiritual discipline, had vigorously opposed the applications before the CRTC because of coverage by China's CCTV-4, one of the stations, which it termed "abusive."

State-owned CCTV had aired negative news stories about the group in 1999 and 2001, during a large demonstration by Falun Gong practitioners in China.

While the CRTC agreed that CCTV coverage of the Falun Gong was abusive, it said it found no evidence "that the offending stories aired in 1999 and 2001 are typical of the content currently aired on CCTV-4."

The CRTC said it approved the nine channels as part of its policy that non-Canadian third-language television services should be approved to promote cross-cultural understanding.

The Falun Dafa condemned the decision as "highly irresponsible and negligent," saying CCTV participates in the Chinese government's campaign to eradicate the Falun Gong.

"This hate incitement has led to the documented widespread torture and killing of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in China," the group said in a statement released Tuesday.

Finding taped evidence of inappropriate broadcasts is difficult for Chinese-Canadians living abroad, the group said, but it should not be viewed as evidence that no abuses exist.

The Falun Dafa said it would pursue legal and government means to stop the stations from airing.

The CRTC pledged to remove CCTV from the air if it engages in coverage calculated to promote hatred against Falun Gong, but the group said that condition will be ineffective unless the regulator orders carrier Rogers Cable to monitor the station.

Rogers Cable Communications Inc. will offer the nine digital channels via satellite to its subscribers.

They are:

- CCTV-4: A Mandarin general interest channel.

- The Satellite Channel of Southern Television Guandong: A Cantonese general interest channel.

- Southeast TV Station: to broadcast in English and the Fujian dialect.

- Jiangsu International TV Channel: A Mandarin channel from southern China.

- Beijing TV: A Mandarin channel out of Beijing.

- CCTV Entertainment Channel: a channel focusing on Chinese opera, drama and other cultural arts.

- Dragon TV: A Mandarin general interest service with an emphasis on news and documentaries.

- China Yellow River Television Station: A Mandarin service focusing on hobbies and culture.

- Hunan Satellite TV: a general interest service out of the Hunan region.

© the CBC, 2006