MED TV - Ban

Ban

Independent Television Commission (ITC) stated that: "After repeated failure to comply with the requirements of its licence and following a period of suspension, the Kurdish satellite channel Med TV was served a notice by the ITC revoking its licence on 23 April. The licensee's service remained suspended until the notice came into effect in 28 days as required by law. Med TV's licence was suspended on 22 March by the ITC under section 45A of the Broadcasting Act 1990, following four broadcasts which included inflammatory statements encouraging acts of violence in Turkey and elsewhere. These were judged by the ITC as 'likely to encourage or incite crime or lead to disorder'. This is against UK law, as set out in the 1990 and 1996 Broadcasting Acts."

ITC chairman Sir Robin Biggam stated: "We took particular and sympathetic account of the circumstances in which the broadcasts in question were made and the changes which Med TV proposed to make to its service in future. However, the Commission decided that it was necessary in the public interest to revoke this licence and has served a notice on the licence holder to that effect. Whatever sympathy there may be in the United Kingdom for the Kurdish people, it is not in the public interest to have any broadcaster use the UK as a platform for broadcasts which incite people to violence. Med TV have been given many opportunities to be a peaceful voice for their community; to allow them to continue broadcasting after such serious breaches would be to condone the misuse of the UK’s system for licensing broadcasters... In considering Med TV’s representations, in particular the remedial action proposed, we had to bear in mind that there have been most serious and repeated failures on their part to comply with their licence and the ITC Programme Code. There has also been a failure to implement effectively undertakings made to the Commission in the past. Under these circumstances, the Commission was not satisfied that measures short of revocation would prevent repetition. We regret that this action has proved necessary, but we must take into account the requirements placed upon us by Parliament to act in such circumstances."

Following the ban there were widespread allegations of bias on the part of the ITC as the then chairman had interests in Balfour Beaty and BaE Systems which both had extensive interests in Turkey.

On April 26, 1999, a spokesman for MED-TV said that they were determined to resume broadcasting either in a different country or under a new name.