New Tang Dynasty Television
New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD; ) is a multilingual American television broadcaster, founded by adherents of the Falun Gong new religious movement and based in New York City. The station was founded in 2001 as a Chinese-language broadcaster, but has since expanded its language offerings. The company retains a focus on mainland China in its news broadcasts. It is a major part of a group of media outlets representing Falun Gong. It is operated by the Epoch Media Group, which also operates the newspaper "The Epoch Times". History. NTD was founded in 2001 by practitioners of  the Falun Gong new religious movement. The station has a regular focus on the promotion of traditional Chinese culture, and devotes extensive news coverage to Chinese human rights issues, scrutinizing abuses of power by the Chinese Communist Party. The name was chosen to invoke the ancient Tang dynasty that the company considers "the golden age of Chinese spirituality and civilization ... known for its high moral standards and unparalleled cultural achievements." Since its founding, NTD has expanded to include English, Spanish, Japanese, French, Russian, Persian, Hebrew and several other language editions. Its content offerings include news and analysis, arts and culture , travel, entertainment news, health and lifestyle, and children's programming. NTD has correspondents in over 70 cities worldwide. The station's critical reporting on the Chinese Communist Party has prompted censorship by the Chinese government. NTD also alleged that the Chinese government interfered with its reporting and business operations. NTD began broadcasting via satellite in North America in February 2002. At present, the station's satellite coverage reaches Asia, Europe, and Australia in several languages. "The Christian Science Monitor" in 2004 called NTDTV "the first independent Chinese-language TV station in the US". "The Wall Street Journal" said in 2007  that NTD "serves as a platform for China's pro-democracy dissidents, who have been torn by internal squabbling and lack of organization". By 2005, the station's broadcasts were capable of reaching 200 million viewers globally, including 50 million in mainland China, according to a "Wall Street Journal" editorial. In 2009, NTD had income of $5.3 million, including $2.4 million from 3,000 donations. In 2011, NTD had a staff of 80, nearly all volunteers. By 2016, NTD's revenues were $7.4 million. In 2017, they more than doubled to $18 million, according to reports from  the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. NTD started broadcasting to the UK and Ireland on Sky on 22 February 2021 on channel 190 (previously used for MyTV channel), and subsequently on Freeview channel 271. This follows Ofcom revoking the broadcast license for CGTN, another Chinese channel that was broadcasting in the UK. Relationship with the Falun Gong. NTD, along with "The Epoch Times" and Sound of Hope, was founded by Falun Gong practitioners who had immigrated to the West. Many of its staff are Falun Gong adherents who volunteer their time and services. In an interview with the "Wall Street Journal , president Zhong Lee stated that the company's original purpose was to speak as the voice of Falun Gong", but that "media can also play a big role pushing democracy in China". NTD is one of the organizations that Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi has referred to as "our media", along with "The Epoch Times" newspaper and the Shen Yun dance troupe. Television programs. NTD broadcasts 24/7, and offers a variety of original and syndicated programming, including news, arts and culture shows, travel, entertainment news, health and lifestyle, and children's programing. The station is best known for its news  and analysis segments, which typically contain criticism of the Chinese government, particularly over human rights abuses, including the persecution of Falun Gong. The "Wall Street Journal" reported that the station broke news of SARS in 2003, three weeks before the Chinese government admitted publicly that there was an epidemic. (It went on to cause at least 774 deaths.) The station offered extensive coverage of democratic elections in Taiwan, and the death of purged former Chinese General Secretary Zhao Ziyang. The Chinese-language station regularly airs a video version of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, an editorial series offering  a strong critique of Chinese Communist Party rule, which is often used against the Chinese Communist Party. The station is available in the USA on pay TV cable and satellite services as well as over the air. Online programs. NTD broadcasts programming regularly on its moderated YouTube channels, which include "China Uncensored" and "". "China Uncensored", originally distributed on the "NTDonChina" channel, is moderated by Chris Chappell since 21 September 2012 and now has its own channel. It is broadcast on the Mandarin-language TV broadcast of New Tang Dynasty Television with Chinese subtitles once a week. In 2019, NTD released  a docudrama produced by Steve Bannon, the former Breitbart News chairman and advisor to Donald Trump. The film, "Claws of the Red Dragon", is about the telecom company Huawei and the Chinese government. Bannon said that, in his dealings with NTD, the group was always able to provide enough funding when he asked for it. NTD and "Epoch Times" are both connected to the website Truth Media (en.truthmedia.info), which was violating Facebook rules by using fake accounts to push their viewpoint. Facebook shut down more than 500 fake accounts in August 2020. NTD and "Epoch Times" also contributed to a  COVID-19 documentary on YouTube which features the discredited researcher Judy Mikovits. The video promoted claims about COVID-19, saying it was created in China as a bioweapon. Section::::"China Uncensored". China Uncensored (; ; ) is a satirical online news program that focuses on sensitive political issues in China with elements of humor. It was broadcast on NTD from 2017 through 2020. Chris Chappell is the host of the series. In April 2017, Apple TV temporarily blocked "China Uncensored" in China, citing local laws, and also blocked the show in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Chappell also hosts, since October 2017, the YouTube program '. In April  2018, he debuted as co-host of ', a podcast with Matt Gnaizda and Shelley Zhang. Section::::"Edge of Wonder". A widely viewed YouTube channel produced by NTD called "Edge of Wonder" has been criticized for spreading pseudoscience and the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon. A critical article in "The Daily Dot" in August 2019 said the "Edge of Wonder" hosts "embrace QAnon completely" even though "almost nothing QAnon has foretold has actually taken place." "The Daily Dot" article described incidents of violence by QAnon believers. YouTube removed the channel in October 2020 after updating its policies to curb "conspiracy theories that  have been used to justify real-world violence". Cultural outreach. As part of its proclaimed mission to promote "appreciation and awareness of traditional Chinese culture," NTD organizes and produces a variety of cultural outreach programs, including Chinese classical dance, martial arts, and culinary competitions. The station frames these activities within a context of reviving "true Chinese cultural and moral traditions that have been lost under Communist Party rule". From 2004 to 2006, NTD produced and televised an annual "Chinese New Year Spectacular", a performance featuring classical Chinese dance and music. The show's performances contained ethnic and folk dances, dances  depicting Chinese legends and moral tales, solo musical performances, and messaging and imagery sympathetic to Falun Gong, and included "artistic representations of the persecution of practitioners" in China. These shows have since been continued as traveling stage productions by a dedicated organization, Shen Yun Performing Arts. In 2008, the station began organizing a series of annual competitions open to ethnic Chinese participants in fields of classical Chinese dance, martial arts, traditional clothing design, painting, music, photography, and Chinese cooking. Censorship. In January 2008, the Chinese embassy in the United States discouraged viewers from watching or attending NTD's Chinese New  Year galas, and accused NTD of spreading "anti-China propaganda" and "distorting Chinese culture". In June 2008, the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) accused Eutelsat, a European satellite operator, of closing down transmissions of NTD to Asia through its W5 satellite to appease the Chinese government, and appealed to Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta to resume the broadcasts. RSF said it possessed a recording of a Beijing employee of Eutelsat revealing a "premeditated, politically motivated decision". Eutelsat responded that the shutdown resulted solely from a technical failure of its W5 satellite, denied the validity of the conversation alleged by RSF , and said that it still broadcast NTD to Europe. The International Federation of Journalists said Eutelsat was capable of resuming NTD transmissions to Asia, and it and members of the European Parliament called on Eutelsat to do so. NTD Canada. NTD Television Canada officially launched on Rogers Cable on September 30, 2008, on Bell Fibe TV in 2010, and on Shaw Cable on March 28, 2012. It is also available on Novus Entertainment in Vancouver. On July 25, 2012, NTD Television officially launched NTD Canada, a local Canadian channel for Chinese viewers in Canada. NTD Canada is a multilingual service  airing programming in Cantonese, Mandarin, English and French, with the aim of reaching out to second- and third-generation Chinese-Canadians who may not speak Chinese as well as they do English or French. In June 2010 the Canadian Prime Minister's Office cancelled a press conference that NTD and "The Epoch Times" would have attended, so that Chinese President Hu Jintao would not come into contact with the broadcaster, allegedly following terms from the Chinese consulate. According to the "Toronto Star", such press conferences are usually standard procedure for foreign leaders visiting the Parliament, and the cancellation was seen  as an extraordinary measure to keep NTD away from the Chinese President.