Media Monitor Takes Note of Intelsat Decision to Take Iran's Press TV Off Air; Still Has Concerns
TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2013 /CNW/ - Today, HonestReporting Canada (HRC) took note of news that Intelsat, the global satellite communication provider, had removed Iran's state-funded propaganda mouthpiece PressTV from its broadcast platform in Canada and the United States, while expressing its concerns about PressTV's accessibility over its Galaxy 19 platform.
In response, HRC Executive Director Mike Fegelman issued the following statement:
"Intelsat's move falls directly in-line with other important domestic
and international efforts to sanction, isolate, and impede the Iranian
regime's efforts in procuring nuclear weaponry. While this move marks
an important step in the right direction, that PressTV is now claiming
its accessible at a new frequency over Intelsat's Galaxy 19 platform is
disconcerting.
This past week, the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted the Islamic
Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and its director, Ezatollah
Zarghami, which oversees Iran's broadcast channel. In October, Intelsat
blocked Iran's official broadcast channels in Europe, specifically
IRIB, and at the time would not confirm or deny that it did so at the request of U.S. government officials.
As serial human rights abusers, state sponsors of terror, and a nation
with alarming atomic ambitions, the Iranian regime's propaganda tool
should not be conferred with credibility, met with cooperation, and
abetted by disseminating its messaging.
Press TV has a long history of promoting Holocaust denial, giving
platforms to neo-Nazis, and perpetuating a radical anti-Israel,
anti-Semitic, and anti-western agenda. It's "reports" and "reporters"
distort the truth and manipulate the news all while the Iranian regime
stifles free speech and imprisons journalists. That PressTV claims
Intelsat's decision was tantamount to a "flagrant violation of free
speech" is all the more laughable.
The Islamic Republic's propaganda arm deserves to be relegated to the
fringes. Intelsat's action to take PressTV off the airwaves is
reflective of principled decision making, but the satellite provider
must take immediate measures to prevent PressTV from broadcasting over
its Galaxy 19 platform."
HonestReporting Canada is a non-profit organization that ensures fair and accurate Canadian media coverage of Israel and the Middle East.
SOURCE: HonestReporting Canada
For further information:Mike Fegelman, Executive Director of HonestReporting Canada at: (416) 915-9157 or mike@honestreporting.ca