Iranian News Channel Press TV Loses Licence
Friday 20 January 2012 19:02, UK
The Iranian government-funded news channel Press TV has been taken off-air in the UK after its licence was revoked by the communications watchdog.
In a statement, said the English language channel had breached broadcast rules as editorial control rested in Tehran, but the licence was held by its London office.
It said Press TV - which includes former MP George Galloway and Tony Blair's sister-in-law Lauren Booth among its presenters - had been given 35 days to have its operations in Tehran licenced but had not done so.
The channel had also "indicated it is unwilling and unable" to pay a fine of £100,000 imposed in December for showing an interview "obtained under duress" with an imprisoned journalist for a US magazine, Ofcom said.
After the decision, Mr Galloway tweeted: "Champions of liberty the British govt have now taken Press TV off Sky."
A phone-in programme presented by Mr Galloway had previously fallen foul of Ofcom, which criticised it for failing to maintain "due impartiality" in 2010.
On its English-language website, Press TV suggested the licence was revoked in response to the channel's coverage of August's riots, the royal family and the British Government's role in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The British media regulator stepped up pressure on Press TV after the news channel covered British police crackdowns on anti-austerity protesters in London and other British cities," it said.
"Ofcom is said to have close ties to Britain's royal family."
The watchdog's decision came as foreign office minister Alistair Burt said a spate of executions and arrests raised "further, serious questions about Iran's stated commitment to freedom of expression".
He said he was "disturbed" at the death penalties handed down to website developer Saeed Malekpour, blogger Vahid Asghari and website administrator Ahmad Reza Hashempour.
"There has been a wave of arrests and persecution of researchers and journalists."
Relations between Britain and Iran have been at a low after hardline students stormed the British embassy in November, leading the British government to expel all Iranian diplomats from London and close its mission in Iran's capital.