New Tang Dynasty Television
New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) is an independent, nonprofit Chinese language Falun Gong-linked television broadcaster based in New York City. Since its launch in February 2002, NTDTV has extended its 24/7 programming to cover North America, Asia, Europe and Australia with a wide range of cultural, leisure, political, and news programs in Mandarin Chinese and select programs in Cantonese and English. One of their missions, according to the official website is to foster mutual understanding between Chinese and Western societies and promote multiculturalism, peace and compassion. NTDTV also puts on an annual Chinese New Year Spectacular, which celebrates Chinese culture and promote the spiritual practise of Falun Gong.
NTDTV is, along with The Epoch Times and Sound of Hope Radio Station, part of the Epoch Media Group.[citation needed] Like the other media, NTDTV was originally founded by Falun Gong practitioners[1]. NTDTV has the reputation for being pro-Falun Gong and anti-Communist in stance, and in January 2005 it aired[2] a video version of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.
The station has been criticized by some for programming materials of yellow journalism, as well as anti-communist, pro-Falun Gong bias.[citation needed] Because of this, there has been a running battle between NTDTV and the People's Republic of China, with, allegedly, the Beijing government putting pressure on satellite operators to stop carrying NTDTV broadcasts.
In July 2003, only three days after they began their Asian broadcast of NTDTV, New Skies Satellites (NSS) encrypted the station's broadcast into China in response to financial threats from representatives in Beijing. In January 2004, pressure was intensified to ensure that NTDTV was completely excluded from NSS-6 Asia satellite transmission. Eutelsat, a French-based satellite provider, announced In March 2005 that it would not renew a contract to carry the channel. The decision was met with a lawsuit and condemnation by free press organizations such as Reporters Without Borders.[1] After prolonged negotiations, NTDTV was able to renew the contract, though under less favorable terms.[citation needed]
As reported in The Korean Times on Jan 7, 2007, a Korean theater scheduled to host the Korean NTDTV Chinese new year performance canceled the contract at the last minute.[citation needed] Show organizers reported that initially the National Theater told them it was being forced to cancel because China was threatening the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism with cancellations of upcoming Korean shows in Mainland China. However, NTDTV says that theater later denied such pressure, saying that the show was canceled of breaching an obscure restriction against foreign performers.[2] Korean NTDTV ran into similar problems in 2006, but managed to find another theater around three days before the performance. [citation needed]
In November of 2006, NTDTV reporter Simone Gao of Monterey Park, CA was recognized as the winner for New America Media's Best Investigative/In Depth Broadcast Award for broadcasting on “Hi-tech companies, the Chinese government and the Internet”.[citation needed]
The Chinese New Year spectacular
The Chinese New Year spectacular is a show aired globally by NTDTV which celebrates traditional Chinese culture and tradition, as well as the practice of Falun Gong. After making its debut in North America in 2004, the show is considered be one of the largest global Chinese New Year celebration in the world.[citation needed]
According to NTDTV, The 2006 production at New York’s Radio City Music Hall was ranked seventh of the top shows internationally on Billboard magazine’s Boxscore in February 2006.[3] In 2007, the Chinese New Year Spectacular toured 31 cities and performed 88 shows in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.[4]
References
- ^ "Eutelsat is stopping the transmission of the Chinese-language channel NTDTV under pressure from Beijing". Reporters Without Borders. 14-03-2005. Retrieved 23-06-2007.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ "Beijing Bullies Korean Government into Blocking NTDTV Show; Now Targeting Corporate Sponsors" (Press release). New Tang Dynasty Television. 2007-01-17. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
- ^ "World-Class 2007 Chinese New Year Global Spectacular Tour Launches from Vancouver" (Press release). New Tang Dynasty Television. 2006-11-14. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
- ^ 2007 Spectacular Schedule and Tickets, New Tang Dynasty TV, retrieved 2007-06-13