Sticking to its motto of providing international news coverage for Americans, MHz Networks is offering yet another global voice.
China Central Television and CCTV Documentary will be available in Washington, D.C., metro area on October 1. The programming will be available on the MHz Networks — a broadcaster launched by a well-intentioned entrepreneur promoting international views.
“The addition of CCTV programming in DC opens a full-time window into China for all the residents of the region through free over-the-air and cable TV distribution,” MHz CEO Frederick Thomas said in a statement.
“Honestly, for us, it’s just an extension of what we’ve been doing,” Thomas added in an interview with TPM.
Japan’s NHK World TV, Al Jazeera English, and Russia Today — among others — are also available on MHz. According to MHz’s release, the network’s programming reaches more than 42 million households nationwide. The international news outlets offered on MHz vary in the degree to which they are controlled by government officials. Russia Today, for instance, is a state-controlled news service, as is CCTV. And both Russia and China consistently rank near the bottom on global press freedom. See the Newseum’s map of global press freedom here.
Speaking on limited press freedom in China, Thomas said, “We don’t limit who we carry. We try to bring all of it through. We leave it to the viewer to decide what they’re looking at.”
And certainly, popular uprisings across the Middle East and Africa have raised Americans’ awareness of international news outlets.
“Without beating up on the American news networks, there’s no secret that there’s been a retreat on international coverage,” Thomas said. “These other networks, in a sense, fill that void. You ight want to factor in the source from time to time, but generally speaking, when you’re able to get contrasting views, you’re able to get a better sense what’s going on.”
