June 24, 2002	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 12, 1423

Al quds, June 23: Israel’s communications minister again blasted CNN and the BBC on Sunday for their Middle East coverage but a local satellite television company said it had no plans to kick the two news giants off.

The YES satellite company said it had no intention of taking away the slots of CNN and the BBC, but added that it would instead offer a spot to Fox TV of the United States, CNN’s main competitor.

“We are not censors,” YES said in a statement Sunday.

Communications minister Reuven Rivlin earlier told Israeli public radio he would not oppose any eventual move by YES, received in many Israeli homes, to cut off the two networks.

“If YES decides to deprive BBC and CNN of their slot, I will not stand against that decision,” Rivlin said.

“The Israelis who are interested in receiving their programmes will have to pay to connect to those networks,” the communications minister added.

Rivlin charged that CNN coverage of the conflict with the Palestinians was fanning “hatred” against the Jewish state.

“It seems that CNN has finally understood that its unilateral coverage of the conflict with the Palestinians is inciting hatred against Israel,” he said.

CNN officials in Al Quds were not immediately available for comment.

Its chief news executive Eason Jordan was due to have talks with officials in Israel about the global network’s coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Rivlin said.—AFP