Mr Graham Howell,
Director, Secretary,
Ofcom.

21 January 2012

Dear Mr Howell,

Re: UK:Taking Press TV of Air.

So now we enjoin those the British government cites as “repressive states”, such as Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Afghanistan’s restrictions under the Taliban, and currently Iran and China, North Korea, derided by the UK government as repressive for control over what their citizens can watch. 

When in Egypt, after the uprising, Prime Minister Cameron talked of media restriction, stating that it was the right of people to have access to media and social networks: “From Tahrir Square, to Trafalgar Square.” Indeed.

People who are interested in news programmes, from where ever they come, are perfectly capable of working out for themselves, or researching, bias. The UK viewing public, has, after all, had plenty of experience with large swathes of the BBC and Fox News.

Seemingly, Ofcom has no problem with viewers accessing extreme violence and pornography, it is just other international points of view which are verboten.

What next? Book banning and burning? Hitler must be chuckling in his grave.

It can only be hoped this shoddy, shameful decision will be reviewed, regretted and overturned.

Otherwise, welcome to UKistan.

Yours sincerely,

Felicity Arbuthnot. (Dr. Hon., Phil.)