UK watchdog fines banned Chinese broadcaster CGTN US$274,000 for breaches of privacy rules
- Media regulator Ofcom said it had fined Star China Media Limited ‘for serious breaches of our fairness and privacy rules on its CCTV and CGTN services’
- The complaints involve two high-profile Hong Kong dissidents, Simon Cheng and Gui Minhai
British regulators on Thursday fined a Chinese state-owned broadcaster, which has already had its licence revoked, £200,000 (US$274,000) for failing to comply with fairness and privacy rules.
Media regulator Ofcom said it had fined Star China Media Limited a total of £200,000 “for serious breaches of our fairness and privacy rules on its CCTV and CGTN services”.
The complaints involve two high-profile Hong Kong dissidents, Simon Cheng and Gui Minhai.
Gui Minhai, known for publishing gossipy titles in Hong Kong about Chinese political leaders, disappeared while on holiday in Thailand in 2015 and resurfaced in China, where he served two years in prison.
A few months after his October 2017 release he was again arrested, this time while on a train to Beijing with Swedish diplomats.
He was hit with a 10-year jail term earlier this year on charges of illegally providing intelligence abroad.
CCTV News show broadcast footage of Gui appearing to express regret over the drink-driving charges for which he was initially imprisoned.
