Chinese Government Censors CNN Broadcast of New Zealand PM's Remarks on Human Rights

The Voice of America reports that a CNN broadcast to Beijing went blank for about 15 seconds when New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark responded to a CNN interviewer's question about human rights in the Asia Pacific region. Chinese censors acted similarly immediately after the death of former Communist Party General Secretary and senior leader Zhao Ziyang, when CNN and BBC broadcasts went blank as soon as they mentioned Zhao's name.

According to the PRC's Measures on the Administration of Foreign Satellite Television Channel Reception, foreign satellite broadcasters may legally distribute their channels only through terrestrial stations controlled by Chinese authorities, and from there, only to viewers at government-authorized locations.