UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom is understood to be about to take Iranian-backed Press TV off the air. Ofcom on October 13th confirmed that a decision to revoke Press TV’s broadcast licence is imminent.

Press TV has previously been cautioned against what Ofcom sees as a lack of balance in its reporting. However, the main reason for this latest problem was an interview with a Newsweek journalist, Maxiar Bahari while Bahari was in prison in Tehran facing espionage charges. Press TV filmed Bahari making a “confession”.  Bahari is now free and living in London, but spent 118 days in prison, and at one stage was told he faced execution.

Press TV is widely regarded as a propaganda machine for Iran, although it has also attracted some highly-vocal British contributions from the likes of former MP George Galloway and Ken Livingstone (the former London Mayor).

Press TV, in a statement, said it considers the decision to be as a result of “mounting pressure on the organisation by certain members of the royal family and government”.

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