Written by: Julian Clover
Eutelsat has suspended satellite carriage of Roj TV after a Copenhagen court ruled the channel to be a vehicle of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The PKK has been listed for a number of years as a terrorist organisation by the European Union.
In a statement the Paris-based satellite operator said it had decided to suspend the presence of Roj TV on its satellites in order to avoid incurring criminal liability as an accomplice to terrorist activities.
It has also asked distributors uplinking Roj TV to its satellites to suspend broadcasts of the channel. Eutelsat cannot just switch the transponders off, because it could impact other broadcasters.
Roj TV broadcasts from Denmark, but in the past has used office facilities in Belgium.
In September the European Court of Justice ruled European countries were within their rights to prohibit broadcasters that infringe the principles of international broadcasting, but were unable to reception in another member state.
The case followed complaints by the Turkish authorities that Roj TV’s output was in support of the PKK.
www.broadbandtvnews.com, January 19, 2012
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