Ever since PressTV started operating nearly four years ago, right-wing and pro-Israeli groups have hated its output, and especially its coverage of the Middle East and the West.
But now fears are emerging that the British government may be trying to prevent the production house operating from the UK.
PressTV Ltd. has experienced constant pressure from banks since its inception. But according to the company’s management, the most challenging incident so far has been the attitude of the prominent high street bank NatWest.
NatWest is owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, which is itself 84% owned by the state.
PressTV Ltd. says that the freezing of such a large amount of money has had a devastating impact on its operations, with many of its clients being owed money.
When we put these questions to NatWest they declined our request for an interview but they did send us the following statement.
Read out NatWest statement: “All customer relationships are subject to ongoing reviews, which take a range of factors into account and which may result in us deciding to stop providing banking facilities to a customer.”
It seemed to be a coordinated media campaign to attack PressTV.
It came after accounts held by a British production company that makes programs for PressTV were shut down.
And on the back of revelations by the whistle blowing website WikiLeaks that the British and American governments were seeking ways of stopping PressTV from operating.
As well as being an attack on Iran, Ken Livingstone believes this is a campaign by right wing forces to ensure his defeat in the 2012 London mayoral election. But London’s ex mayor says he stands by the 24 hour news channel.
Prominent activist George Galloway also believes that right-wing and pro-Israeli forces are behind a campaign to attack those who work for PressTV.
As long as relations between Iran and Britain remain strained, the attacks on PressTV in the British media are likely to continue. But management at PressTV Ltd., the British company that makes programs for the global broadcaster, say as long as they abide by British law all attacks on them are unjustified.
To whom it may concern,
and that’s all of
humanity, free
Palestine! And our
grand wishes for all
ME countries to throw
off all imperial
occupations!
[...] The British government has been keen on shutting down PressTV for quite some time, with one leaked State Department cable lamenting that “UK law sets a very high standard for denying licenses to broadcasters.” Eventually, however, Ofcom found a way. [...]