Lebanon bans programme on Saudi Arabia

The Lebanese government has cut the satellite service of a private Lebanese television station, NTV, to prevent the broadcast of a programme on Saudi Arabia.

A spokesman for NTV, Sahar Arnawt, said the Ministry of Telecommunications ordered the shutdown of the station's satellite link for broadcasts to the Arab world.

He said the measure had been taken after NTV refused to drop a programme called "Without Censorship", which deals with Saudi-American relations, US bases in Saudi Arabia and the country's political situation.

It is not clear whether NTV will regain its satellite facility in the future.

In September, the government closed Murr Television and Mt Lebanon radio for violating a law that bans political party propaganda.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service