UK paper calls Press TV ‘enemy within’
Some British right-wing media, including a pro-Zionist newspaper, plan to aid Ofcom to mount pressure on Press TV, in line with the UK government’s measures against the Iranian English-language news channel.
Media giant Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper, The Sunday Times, is among the media supporting Ofcom plan to put more pressure on Press TV.
In an article published on the paper, they tried to demonstrate a complete one sided image of Press TV to distort the facts for prompting more pressure on the Iranian news channel.
The writer of the article, considering himself as a judge and before giving any facts, described Press TV as the “domestic enemy,” accusing the Iranian news channel of broadcasting unfair images of Britain.
Dipesh Gadher, 36, who became the deputy news editor at the paper in 2008, has accused Press TV of adapting non-professional news-writing regulations.
This is while Gadher has ignored the definite rules of free and fair journalism. He could not give any documented facts for his claims against Press TV, and could not even name those he claimed to be the Foreign Ministry’s officials.
Presenting fake statistics and distorting the documented facts on Press TV are visible all through his politically motivated article.
The administrative documents could easily dismiss Gadher’s claims that Press TV’s British presenter George Galloway is paid 25,000 pounds a month and that Press TV Ltd — a firm which makes programs for the channel — had £2.7 million in savings.
Gadher claimed that Press TV’s programs are politically motivated and risk the reputation of the British government.
Press TV’s coverage of student protests in Britain has shed light on the dark, undemocratic aspect of the British political structure, especially the hereditary rule of the royals.
The article has also criticized Press TV over a public opinion poll about the royal wedding. The results of the poll revealed that 65 percent of people felt the royal wedding was an unnecessary official expense imposed on tax-payers.
Gadher has ignored the fact that by criticizing the poll, it has criticized those Press TV readers who have participated in it, simply for expressing their opinions.
The US State Department cables published by WikiLeaks demonstrate that the British Foreign Office told the US embassy in London back in February 2010 that it was "exploring ways to limit the operations of… Press TV."
The WikiLeaks documents revealed that the British authorities reconsidered their decision in the face of legal difficulties at the time but were still looking at other means to address the issue, including the possible use of new anti-Iran sanctions to justify such measures.
This comes as British authorities have failed in their efforts to point to any legitimate problems with the quality or content of programs produced by Press TV. The Wikileaks report clearly shows that the British government has got no other way but to seriously disrupt press TV’s activities in Britain.
Last month, the National Westminster Bank, Commercial Banking office froze Press TV Ltd’s business account without any prior notice, claiming the accounts would be permanently closed in February 2011.
The staff at Press TV Ltd have been intimidated and threatened by members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group in London. Yet, the British government has turned a blind eye to such incidents and may have even facilitated them as the MKO are continuing their threats.