Banned Chinese broadcaster CGTN fined £200,000 by UK watchdog over privacy rules breach

A Chinese state-owned broadcaster has been fined £200,000 for failing to comply with UK broadcasting rules. Media regulator Ofcom said it had imposed the fine on Star China Media Limited "For serious breaches of our fairness and privacy rules on its CCTV and CGTN services". SCML is the UK licence holder of the international English-language satellite news channel China Global Television Network, formerly called CCTV. In February, its broadcast licence was suspended and revoked by Ofcom after the regulator found the channel was "Ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party". Under UK broadcasting law, licensees must have control over their service and its editorial policies and cannot be controlled by political bodies. Ofcom said SCML "Did not have editorial responsibility" over its own service and that CGTN was "The ultimate decision maker" over programmes. Chinese police claimed Mr Cheng had been detained for "Soliciting prostitutes" and a video showing him "Confessing" was published by CGTN. Mr Cheng, a Hong Kong citizen, said he was tortured, beaten and interrogated by Chinese secret police who forced him to confess. The broadcaster was handed another £225,000 fine in March for breaching fairness, privacy and due impartiality rules.